New league announcement could have reaching effect on Mahoning Valley conferences

It was a league announcement that will have far-reaching effects — now and in the future — and will likely involve at least one Youngstown-area conference.

Just a little over a week ago, officials from three separate northeastern Ohio athletic leagues announced that beginning in the fall of the 2028 season, they will form a new league which will include various schools from those three current athletic conferences.

The league, as yet unnamed, will comprise schools from Carroll, Tuscarawas and Stark counties. The new league will include current Eastern Buckeye Conference members Minerva, Carrollton and Marlington, current Principals Athletic Conference members Fairless and Tuslaw and current Inter Valley Conference members Claymont, Tusky Valley and Sandy Valley.

Moving forward, the decision may likely affect as many as four northeastern Ohio conferences with schools moving around to fill openings in various leagues, including possibly the Youngstown-based Northeast 8 Athletic Conference.

With the Eastern Buckeye Conference losing three of its members, that league is in transition as remaining members Salem, West Branch and Alliance are likely left searching for a new league to join or trying to attract new schools to its conference.

The hot button topic for the Northeast 8 is this: The NE8 is currently at seven schools and has been looking to add an eighth member. With the potential breakup of the EBC, Salem and West Branch have already applied for a spot in the NE8, but there currently is just one opening.

The current NE8 members include Poland, Struthers, Hubbard, Niles McKinley, Girard, South Range and Lakeview.

So, a key question is this: Does the NE8, which only has one opening, possibly accept Salem or West Branch, but not both rivals who would like to be admitted as a package deal, or does the league accept both and go to a 9-school league?

“I think we have a very attractive athletic program to offer the Northeast 8,” said Salem head football coach Ron Johnson. “We have all the sports they currently sponsor, we have fantastic facilities, our programs travel with great support and geographically we are close. The addition of Salem and West Branch would be a positive for all parties involved.”

Needless to say, there is a lot to be determined by the end of the current school year. Most league football schedules are set two years in advance, so one way or the other, the NE8 is likely going to have to make a spring decision regarding Salem and West Branch’s applications for league membership.

Stay tuned. It should be an interesting spring in regard to league developments.