It wasn’t until college that I fully understood what grading on the curve meant, or even the fact that there were different kinds of curve-style grading systems.

There was is the straight curve grading method, which I preferred. That basically meant that if a test was worth 100 points and the highest score a student in the class received was 95, then everyone’s score would be shifted by five points.

So my 75 score, which would normally be a solid C, became a 80 and a B.

Then there was the one I absolutely despised – the bell curve.

Some the best professor reviews I ever authored were in classes that used this method of grading – trust me, because they were anonymous – and they were both glorious and epic.

The basic principle of a bell curve-style is that it adjusts student scores to fit a normal distribution, ensuring a predetermined percentage of high, average and low grades regardless of raw score

For example, the top 10% in the class would receive As, the next 10-20% get Bs, the middle 60% receive Cs, and the bottom 10-20% receive Ds or Fs.

In effect, I could work my tail off in a difficult class, score 80s and 90s on every test and assignment (assuming they are worth 100 points) and still be saddled with a C or possibly worse.

Conversely, a student could just cruse through course, scoring 50s or 60s on tests and assignments, and still receive a B or a C if the class average was low enough (I would not mention that if it had not happened).

So, what does the bell curve have in common with the Big 8, and more specifically, Monett football?

In April, there were more conference realignments that occurred.

Essentially, what was the Central Ozarks Conference large division dissolved and the reconstituted as the Ozark Conference with Camdenton, Lebanon, Rolla, Springfield Central, Springfield Parkview and Waynesville.

Schools that are effectively the same size and will help fill a schedule and provide coveted points for district playoff seeding.

In the past five years, we have watched numerous conferences be created, restructure, contract and expand for various reasons — the Big 8 Conference was not excluded.

I appreciate history and tradition, and the Big 8 has both in abundance. However, under the current district formula in football, Monett gets punished by the metaphorical bell curve.

Since its state title a decade ago, the Cubs have hosted exactly two home district playoff games.

The Big 8, and we’re dealing specifically with football, is diverse in school size from Class 2 Lamar to Class 5 McDonald County.

Yet, with the point system the Cubs can go 9-0 or 8-1 and still be just a No. 3 seed in their Class 4 district behind a West Plains team that loses three games.

Meanwhile, Lamar can go 0-9 and still host an opening round game in its district due to playing up every game. The bell curve strikes again.

When it comes to football, Monett at least needs to think about its future. The Cubs seem to be on an up-swing again, taking a step forward in development last year. And, the conference does have great teams to help Monett get better, but what happens when the Conference takes a dip again?

It may be a bitter pill, but Monett may need to look at alternatives if they want to host district football games.

Of course, the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) could help by making the district pods the regular season matchups instead so we aren’t playing a championship right before Christmas too.

This is just some food for thought— I’m trying to help raise awareness and GPAs.

Jared Lankford is the sports reporter for Monett Monthly and has more than 15 years experience covering Monett-area athletics. He may be reached at [email protected]