The area’s conference musical chairs are far from settled, but there is increasing cause for confidence that, when the music stops, the Upstate Eight Conference will remain on solid ground.

On Thursday, the conference announced it has extended invitations to three schools – West Chicago, West Aurora and Glenbard East. The West Chicago invitation applies starting with the 2013-14 school year – West Chicago would, at least temporarily, replace Lake Park in the UEC’s Valley Division – while West Aurora and Glenbard East have been invited beginning 2014-15.

Board approval is required from all three schools. If all three accept, the conference, potentially, could expand from two, seven-team divisions to a pair of eight-team divisions in 2014-15.