OHSAA Northeast Region defunct athletic conferences

This is a list of former high school athletic conferences in the Northeast Region of Ohio, as designated by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA). If a conference had members that span multiple regions, the conference is placed in the article of the region most of its former members hail from. Because the names of localities and their corresponding high schools do not always match and because there is often a possibility of ambiguity with respect to either the name of a locality or the name of a high school, the following table gives both in every case, with the locality name first, in plain type, and the high school name second in boldface type. The school's team nickname is given last.

All-American Athletic Conference

The All-American Athletic Conference was an OHSAA athletic conference that ran from 1986 until 1990. The league dissolved following the consolidation of Warren G. Harding and Western Reserve and the departure of Niles and Howland.

All-American Conference (football)

All-American Conference (2008–2020)

The All-American Conference was an OHSAA athletic Conference that existed from 2008 until 2020. The league dissolved following the exit of the remaining Blue Tier members, who went on to expand the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference.

2008–2012 alignment

AAC - Blue Tier

AAC - Red

AAC - White

2012–2014 alignment

AAC - American

AAC - National

2015–2017 alignment

AAC - Blue

AAC - Gold

AAC - Red

AAC - White

2018 Alignment

AAC - Blue

AAC - Gold

AAC - Red

AAC - White

2019 Alignment

Former Members

All-Ohio Conference/League

The league began as the AOC in 1976, as the Chippewa Conference split into this league and the Pioneer League. After Coventry replaced Tuscarawas Valley in 1983, the name was changed to the AOL.

Ashland County League

Chippewa Conference

The Chippewa Conference was an OHSAA athletic conference that existed from 1963 until 1977. The league dissolved following the exit of its members to the Pioneer and All-Ohio conferences.

Crown Conference (1968–1980)

Crown Conference (2021–2024)

Cuyahoga County Conference/League (1920s–1929)

"A" League

"B" League

Cuyahoga County Conference (1954–1956)

Cuyahoga County Conference 1964–1979

East Suburban Conference

The East Suburban Conference was an OHSAA athletic Conference that existed from 1968 until 2008. The league dissolved after the remaining members went on to form the Northeastern Athletic Conference.

Erie Coast Conference

Erie Shore Conference

Freeway Conference

The Freeway Conference was an OHSAA athletic Conference that existed from 1962 until 1968. The league dissolved following the exit of Mayfield, Mentor and South to join the original GCC.

Grand River Conference

The Grand River Conference was an OHSAA athletic Conference that existed from 1972 until 1989. The league was dissolved to form the East Suburban Conference in 1989.

Great Lakes Conference

East Division

West Division

Greater Cleveland Conference (1950–1998)

The Greater Cleveland Conference existed from 1950–1998. A second form of the conference formed in 2015.

Hall of Fame Conference

The Hall of Fame Conference was an OHSAA football athletic conference that existed from 1972 until 1975. The league dissolved following the closure of Lehman and Lincoln High Schools.

Inland Conference

The Inland Conference was an OHSAA athletic conference that existed from 1957 until 1989. The league dissolved following the exit of the remaining schools, who left for the Metropolitan Athletic Conference.

Inter-County League

The Inter-County League was an OHSAA athletic conference that existed from 1951 until 2006. The league was dissolved and reformed into the Inter-Tri County League in 2006.

Inter-Tri County League

Blue Division

Red Division

White Division

Lake County League/Western Reserve Conference (1920s–1968)

The Lake County League was an OHSAA athletic conference that operated from the 1920s until 1968. It was renamed to the Western Reserve Conference in 1948.

Lake Erie League

Former members

Lakeland Conference

Lorain County Conference (1986–2005)

Lorain County League (1924–1961)

  1. Concurrent with Inland Conference 1957–61.
  2. Concurrent with Inland Conference 1959–61.

Division Alignments

LCL Divisions 1947-55
Eastern Western
Avon Brighton (1947–52)
Avon Lake Brownhelm (1947–52)
Belden Brookside (1952–55)
Brookside (1947–52) Camden (1947–52)
Columbia Clearview (1948–53)
Eaton Firelands (1952-)
Grafton Henrietta (1947–52)
North Ridgeville LaGrange
Penfield
South Amherst

Mahoning Valley Conference/Metro Athletic Conference

The MVC began in 1972, and changed its name to the MAC in 1994. In 2008 the league (minus East Liverpool) merged with the Trumbull Athletic Conference to become the All-American Conference.

Metro League

Metropolitan Area Conference (MAC-8)

Mohican Area Conference

North Central Conference (Cleveland area)

North Coast League

North Coast League (1984–2020)

Northeastern Buckeye Conference

Northeastern Conference

Northeast Ohio Conference (2007–2015)

Football divisions

Northeast Ohio Conference Divisions (2007-2014 seasons, unless noted)
 Lake Division   River Division   Valley Division 
Brush Cuyahoga Falls (2007-2012) Brunswick
Cuyahoga Falls (2013-2014) Elyria (2009-2014) Elyria (2007-2008)
Garfield Heights (2009-2014) Garfield Heights (2007-2008) Hudson (2013-2014)
Lakewood (2011) Hudson (2007-2012) Lakewood (2007-2008)
Normandy Lakewood (2009-2010) Mayfield (2009-2010)
North Royalton (2007-2010) Mayfield (2007-2008, 2011–2014) Medina (2007-2012)
Parma Medina (2013-2014) Mentor (2011-2014)
Shaker Heights (2012) Nordonia (2007-2008) Nordonia (2009-2010)
Twinsburg (2007-2008) North Royalton (2011-2014) Solon
Valley Forge Shaker Heights (2013-2014) Strongsville
Stow Twinsburg (2011-2014)
Twinsburg (2009-2010)

Northeast Ohio Conference (1970–1977)

Northern Ohio Athletic League

Ohio Scholastic League (football)

Pioneer Conference

Pioneer Conference Divisions, 2003–05
FrontierHeritage
BrunswickBerea
ElyriaBrecksville-Broadview Heights
MedinaMidpark
ParmaNormandy
StrongsvilleNorth Ridgeville
Valley ForgeNorth Royalton

Portage Trail Conference

All-time members

Portage County League

One of the longest-surviving county leagues, the PCL existed from 1918 until 2005 when its remaining members helped to create the Portage Trail Conference.

Premier Athletic Conference

Section One League

Originally the Stark County B League, this league ended in 1960, as its last remaining member moved to the Stark County AA League.

Senate League

Originally the Stark County A League when formed in 1921, the league adjusted its name when Ohio went from "A"/"B" classification to "AA"/"A" in 1957. When the Federal League split off in 1964, the remaining members renamed their league the SL in response. The League folded in 1989, as its remaining members split to help form two new leagues.

Steel Valley Conference (2019–2025)

Steel Valley Conference (1949–2009)

Tomahawk Conference (Northeast)

Tri-County League (Northeast)

Formed in 1932, this league (along with the Inter-County League) merged to form the Inter-Tri County League in 2006.

Football Divisions 1974 & 1975 seasons:

Tier I Tier II
Beaver Crestview (1975)
Columbiana Leetonia
East Palestine Lisbon
Toronto Sebring
Wellsville Southern
Springfield
Stanton
United

Trolley League

The Trolley League was an OHSAA athletic conference that existed from 1919 until 1929. It was announced in November 1918 initially formed as an informal association for basketball, with play beginning in January 1919, followed by a track meet later that year. Early membership was fluid, with 16 teams initially listed in September 1919 for the inaugural football season, but by the end of the season in November, only 5 teams are mentioned as members. For the 1920 football season, only 4 teams listed. It disbanded in 1929 after the city of Kenmore was annexed into Akron and Kenmore High School joined the Akron City Series, followed by Cuyahoga Falls going independent and Bedford and Ravenna deciding to leave for other conferences. Kent Roosevelt and Kent State High Schools attempted to reorganize the league for 1930, but nothing ever came of it. Instead, Kent Roosevelt and Kent State helped form the Western Reserve League in 1932, which was later joined by Ravenna and Cuyahoga Falls.

Trumbull Interscholastic Conference/Association

The TIC/TIA was a former OHSAA athletic conference that existed between the early 1920s until the 1960s.

Trumbull AA League/Trumbull Athletic Conference

The Trumbull Athletic Conference began in 1952 as the Trumbull A League. The three original members were Brookfield, Howland, and Newton Falls. When the OHSAA changed the names of its size classes in 1956, the Trumbull A League was renamed the Trumbull AA League. It became the Trumbull Athletic Conference in 1990. Conference football competition began in 1968. Newton Falls was the only school that remained in the league from its beginning until its merger with the Metro Athletic Conference in 2008, forming the All-American Conference.

Western Reserve Conference (1996–2007)

The Western Reserve Conference was an OHSAA athletic conference that existed from 1996 until 2007. The remaining members of the conference merged with the Pioneer Conference in 2007 to form the Northeast Ohio Conference.

Western Reserve Conference (2015–2026)

Main article: Western Reserve Conference

West Shore Conference

The current member schools of the West Shore Conference through 2012 are in red.

Youngstown City Series

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 3 Crestwood was known as Mantua–Shalersville from 1951 to 1955
  2. ↑ Suffield was also known as the 'Red Devils' or 'Red Riders'
  3. ↑ Field used the 'Big Red' nickname from Suffield until 1975 and were known as the 'Big Red Falcons' for the 1975–76 school year
  4. ↑ Kent State joined during the 1920–21 basketball season and the 1921 football season
  1. ↑ "Buckeye Bucks Football: Team History". Eteamz.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  2. ↑ "N.O.C. Welcomes New Member the Mentor Cardinals!". NortheastOhioConference.org. Northeast Ohio Conference. July 6, 2011. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Northeast Ohio Conference accepts Shaker Heights". Plain Dealer. December 17, 2010. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Southview basketball conference history" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 6, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Clearview Five is Champion of Northern League". Elyria Chronicle Telegram, Elyria, OH. February 15, 1940. Retrieved January 8, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Scholastic Grid Loop Fails to Add New League Members". Toledo Blade, Toledo, OH. May 28, 1949. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Ohio High School Grid Loop Folds". Youngstown Vindicator, Youngstown, OH. May 11, 1952. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Organize School Basketball League". Akron Evening Times. November 19, 1918. p. 13.
  9. ↑ "Trolley League to Promote Football". Akron Evening Times. September 22, 1919. p. 15. This Trolley league is composed of sixteen schools, which are as follows: Barnerton, Kent, Springfield Center, Kenmore, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Atwater, Copley, Rittman, Ghent, Stow Corners, Millersburg, Tallmadge, Ravenna and Bath.
  10. ↑ "Wins Trolley Crown". The Plain Dealer. November 27, 1919. ...of the Trolley League, which is composed of the high schools of Kent, Bedford, Ravenna, Falls and Kenmore.
  11. ↑ "Historic Trolley League Now Passe As All But Kent Schools Drop Out". Akron Beacon Journal. August 1, 1929. p. 26.