And so, once again, the wheels spun furiously last week within the Eastern Connecticut Conference, failing to gain any traction. Only here could they turn what ought to be modest details of scheduling football into differential equations.

So much for the idea of a "conference" in our corner of the world: Thirteen teams will play football next year in three divisions. Nine of the schools must find at least four nonconference games. That's means 70 percent of the league must fill 40 percent of their schedules outside the league. It's like the entire AFC having to beg for games against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Can we call this a league anymore if its members refuse to accommodate nearly half of the scheduled games?

Rhetorical question. All hail the Eastern Connecticut Association of Independent Contractors (ECAIC).

But until the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, the state's governing body for high school athletics, begins more earnest discussions about district scheduling, think it's possible for members of the ECIAC to hold their noses and cooperate?

The district blueprint, essentially, relies on enrollment-based scheduling that's not beholden to one league, but somewhat mindful of geographic parameters. Hence, there would be no more ECC football (or SCC, FCIAC and CCC either) in favor of a schedule featuring like-sized schools playing like-sized schools. (Like Fitch-Guilford from the other night). It surely merits further discussion. But then, that would require CIAC officials to have a conversation about a meaningful issue.

Meantime, the five ECC schools in "Division I" for next year (Ledyard, NFA, New London, Fitch and East Lyme) get six guaranteed games. The four schools in "Division III" (Killingly, Plainfield, Griswold, Windham) get "six or seven" guaranteed games, per Stonington athletic director Bryan Morrone's press release last week.

The reason: Principals approved the shortsighted concept of Division III schools avoiding crossover games to Division I.

And yet would it be so unconscionable if the Division III schools actually relented and played the ECC's Fatal Five?

Plainfield, despite its fetish with playing schools from Rhode Island, has beaten Fitch and New London in successive years. Killingly is among the league's best this season. As is Windham. Griswold was quite competitive with Ledyard last Friday and might have won, per some Wolverine loyalists, with better officiating.

East Lyme, meanwhile, isn't very good. Neither is New London at the moment. Fitch is better, but not far removed from a 14-game losing streak. Ledyard, per coach Jim Buonocore, will compete in Class S next year because of declining enrollment.

Seems to me the specter of crossover games concern Division III schools more than the facts. This I believe: Just as ECC schools were plenty competitive in four crossover games with the fabled SCC this past weekend — the ECC went 2-2 — so would Division III schools against the Fatal Five. Except that it's easier to perpetuate an inferiority (or persecution) complex.

I wonder what the kids think. What's it like if you're a kid at Griswold and you're told consistently about the unfairness of playing big, bad Ledyard ... and then you go to Ledyard and have a great chance to win? If you're a kid, would you not think the adults advising you are full of Shinola?

Even if they all relented to one crossover game next year, it's one less phone call to schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. And exactly what should — and must — happen in a conference. By definition.

I hear too much whining in the ECC right now from adults who proclaim to work diligently to keep this fractured league together. I hear about "collaborative efforts." But where are the results? Nine of 13 teams can barely fill half their football schedules next year? It's absurd.

Time to take personalities out of this. Bus rides to Rhode Island and Massachusetts are not in the best interests of our kids. Adults who allow personality conflicts to affect their judgment don't belong in education. This is of the kids, for the kids and by the kids. I believe district scheduling will happen soon. But until it does, the ECC must unite.

First time for everything.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius