Great Lakes Conference (Michigan and Ohio)
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The Great Lakes Conference is a football-only high school conference that will begin play in the fall of 2026 and will be made up of eight schools, four of each that are members of the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) and the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).
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| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Joined | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edon | Bombers | Edon | Royal Blue, White |
2026 | Buckeye Border Conference |
| Erie Mason | Eagles | Erie Township | Blue, Gold |
2026 | Tri-County Conference |
| Hilltop | Cadets | West Unity | Red, White |
2026 | Buckeye Border Conference |
| Montpelier | Locomotives | Montpelier | Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, White |
2026 | Buckeye Border Conference |
| North Central | Eagles | Pioneer | Maroon, Black, White |
2026 | Buckeye Border Conference |
| Sand Creek | Aggies | Sand Creek, Madison Charter Township | Green, White |
2026 | Tri-County Conference |
| Summerfield | Bulldogs | Summerfield Township | Orange, Black |
2026 | Tri-County Conference |
| Whiteford | Bobcats | Whiteford Township | Blue, Gold |
2026 | Tri-County Conference |
History
In November 2025, the seven football-only members of the Toledo Area Athletic Conference (Edon, Erie Mason, Hilltop, Montpelier, North Central, Summerfield, and Whiteford) announced they were leaving the TAAC after the 2025-26 school year to form a football-only league with Sand Creek beginning in the Fall of 2026.[1][2]
The TAAC had lost several members in recent years, including Tiffin Calvert (2016), Danbury and Gibsonburg (2018), Stryker (2019), Northwood (2025), and eventually Ottawa Hills in 2026, while also having two schools (Cardinal Stritch Catholic and Toledo Christian) struggle with roster numbers for traditional 11-man football. Cardinal Stritch currently plays 8-man football, and Toledo Christian returned to 11-man football in 2025 after playing 8-man football from 2020-2024. With the formation of the GLC, members will be made up of schools that consistently field 11-man football programs, while the TAAC will be left with Cardinal Stritch, Toledo Christian, and non-football schools Emmanual Christian and Maumee Valley as its only members.
References
- ↑ "Whiteford Board of Education approves football move to new Great Lakes Conference". Whiteford Bobcats Sports. Doug Donnelly. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ↑ "7 Schools leave TAAC to form new Great Lakes Conference for football". WTOL. Troy Gingerich. Retrieved 22 November 2025.