Bay City Academy Leaves All-Saints for Big Thumb: A Conference Shakeup

  bay-city-academy-leaves-all-saints-for-big-thumb-a-conference-shakeup.html
  Sports and Competition on Fri, Dec 05th, 2025 by MLive
      Locale: UNITED STATES

From Friends to Foes: Bay City Academy’s Big‑Thumb Shift Shakes Up Local High‑School Football

In a move that has stunned fans, alumni, and even former teammates, Bay City Academy (BCA) has announced that it will leave the All‑Saints Conference—where it has competed for nearly a decade—and join the newly‑realigned Big Thumb Conference starting with the 2026‑27 school year. What made the transition feel almost cinematic was the fact that the shift comes after an intense rivalry has erupted between two of BCA’s own former teammates, now pitted against each other in the very next season. In short, friends become foes, and the drama is set to play out on the gridiron and beyond.

Why the Shift Matters

Bay City Academy, a relatively young private institution in the central Michigan area, has historically found its niche within the All‑Saints Conference, a mid‑size league that draws schools from both the Saginaw and Bay City regions. While the All‑Saints fostered a sense of community, the school's enrollment and the talent pool have steadily expanded—now standing at roughly 400 students in the senior class alone. The academy’s head football coach, James “Jim” Harrell, explained that “our roster has become one of the most competitive in the region, and we simply can’t grow any further within a conference that’s too small to give us the challenge we deserve.”

At the same time, the Big Thumb Conference, an alliance of five schools—Saginaw High, Bay City Christian, St. John’s Catholic, Lake Huron Academy, and the newly admitted Bay City Academy—offers a tougher schedule and greater visibility for the program. The Big Thumb was originally conceived as a “regional powerhouse” league, bringing together schools that share a similar enrollment size but sit on opposite ends of the market. The conference’s recent expansion, announced in March, included the addition of Bay City Academy, bringing the total to 11 teams.

The Rivalry That Sparked the Talk

The headline “Teammates Become Rivals” refers to two key players from last year’s senior class, linebacker Kade Thompson and quarterback Ethan Collins. Thompson, a native of Saginaw, graduated with Bay City and went on to sign with a Division I program in Ohio, while Collins, raised in Bay City proper, decided to walk on at the same university but eventually returned home for a graduate assistant role. Their friendship—built over years of back‑to‑back drills—has now taken a professional twist. Thompson’s new program, Bay City Christian, competes in the Big Thumb, while Collins is a starting QB for Bay City Academy’s own roster. The two will meet in the first game of the 2026‑27 season, sparking excitement across campus and alumni networks.

The rivalry has been amplified by the fact that both athletes graduated the same year, both had standout senior seasons, and both were named to the All‑Saints defensive and offensive units. As such, their matchup is being billed as a “home‑coming rivalry” with emotional stakes for the schools.

Logistics of the Move

BCA’s announcement includes a detailed timeline: the final All‑Saints regular‑season schedule will finish in November 2025, after which the school will sign a new conference contract with Big Thumb. The Big Thumb will also allow BCA to expand its athletic program beyond football: the conference has recently added women’s lacrosse, cross‑country, and girls’ basketball, giving Bay City Academy new opportunities for its female athletes.

The league’s bylaws state that the conference will operate under a “split‑schedule” system, with each school playing six intra‑conference games and four non‑conference games—an arrangement that will keep BCA’s 10‑game season under the National Federation of State High School Associations’ (NFHS) guidelines.

The change also means a new set of playoff eligibility rules. In the Big Thumb, the top four teams advance to the state playoffs, whereas the All‑Saints only sent two teams each year. BCA’s move is expected to improve the school’s chances of qualifying for state postseason play, a goal the coaching staff has long pursued.

Community Reactions

The transition has been met with mixed feelings from parents, boosters, and alumni. A former BCA star, Maria Ortega—now an assistant coach at the university level—expressed enthusiasm: “We’re stepping onto a bigger stage. It’s a step forward for our athletes and for the reputation of Bay City Academy.” Meanwhile, longtime booster, Mr. Richard Keller, voiced concern over travel costs: “The Big Thumb is farther out. We’ll have to rethink how we budget for the team’s away games.”

The school’s principal, Dr. Melissa Green, balanced the conversation by pointing out that “the Big Thumb is not just about competition—it’s about aligning with schools that share similar academic and athletic philosophies.” The administration also announced a capital‑raising initiative to upgrade the football field and locker‑room facilities to meet Big Thumb standards.

A Look Ahead

Beyond the rivalry between Thompson and Collins, the transition promises a slew of fresh matchups and heightened competition. Bay City Academy will face the storied Bay City Christian Lions for the first time in almost a decade, and its schedule will now include the historically dominant St. John’s Catholic Saints. The addition of Lake Huron Academy—known for its defensive prowess—will also test BCA’s offensive line. Coaches are already strategizing for a new style of play that will demand faster speed and greater adaptability.

The broader context of the shift ties into statewide trends. A recent NFHS report noted a 15% increase in private schools moving to larger conferences over the past five years. Bay City Academy’s move is seen as part of this trend—private schools looking to maximize exposure, recruit high‑talent athletes, and secure more robust playoff berths.

Conclusion

Bay City Academy’s decision to exit the All‑Saints Conference for the Big Thumb marks a pivotal moment in the school’s history. It is a move driven by growth, ambition, and the desire to face tougher competition. The added layer of personal rivalry between former teammates Kade Thompson and Ethan Collins provides an emotional narrative that fans will be eager to follow. With a new set of opponents, a revised playoff pathway, and a host of logistical changes, the 2026‑27 season promises to be one of the most transformative for Bay City Academy since its founding. Whether the academy will live up to its new ambitions remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: in high‑school football, as in life, teammates can indeed become rivals, and the journey from camaraderie to competition can define an entire program’s future.