Editor’s Note: This article was also published in the Benet Herald 2025 Graduation Edition.

After a long, storied history in the East Suburban Catholic Conference, Benet Academy athletic teams will now become a part of the Chicago Catholic League and the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference. The move is a result of a merger between the ESCC and the CCL/GCAC. 

While Benet was already a member of the CCL for football only, this move allows athletes from other sports to sharpen their skills against more competitive opponents, with sophomore soccer player Brian Mietus saying, “It will help show off Benet’s true skill.” With this merger, Benet, which was recently ranked eleventh by USA today among all Illinois high schools in terms of athletics, will form new rivalries with prominent high schools across the Chicago area. The CCL and GCAC together contain numerous schools with storied athletic histories, including but not limited to Brother Rice, Marmion Academy, Providence Catholic, Mt. Carmel, St. Rita, Fenwick, St. Ignatius, and Loyola Academy. 

This move opens up exciting opportunities for Benet students. Facing tough competition on a regular basis will allow Redwings to develop their skills and potentially compete for more state championships. Mietus is excited to play against historically strong schools, stating, “I’m hyped to play senior year against some big Chicago names.” Unlike the ESCC, both the CCL and the GCAC sponsor bowling, and the CCL also sponsors wrestling. While it is no guarantee that Benet will eventually offer these sports, their new conference alignment does make doing so a more likely possibility. In short, this move will have nothing but positive effects for the Benet athletic program, with opportunities being unlocked by joining one of the most powerful conferences in the state of Illinois.