Marian Central athletic director Curtis Price said the school is stepping away from its East Suburban Catholic Conference affiliation for the 2022-23 school year.

Price said Marian will compete as an independent school. Marian is looking for a conference for future years after next year.

“We will be an independent school [after this year] as of today,” Price said. “We will not be returning to the ESCC for the 2022-23 school year. Me and my assistant [Sarah Olesen] are working hard on formulating schedules for our teams for the 2022-23 school year.”

Marian joined the ESCC in the 2014-15 school year. The Hurricanes have had difficult times in many sports competing with much larger schools.

Marian’s actual enrollment for the 2021-22 school year is 557. The closest schools to Marian in the ESCC are Joliet Catholic (616) and Nazareth Academy (745).

St. Viator (880) is next, then Marian Catholic (967). All other schools have more than 1,100 students: Carmel (1,128), St. Patrick (1,200), Benet Academy (1,313), Niles Notre Dame (1,480) and Marist (1,623).