The first Greater Cleveland Conference was formed by six high schools in 1950, Bedford, Berea, Euclid, Garfield Heights, and Maple Heights and Willoughby Union. In 1957, Willoughby Union split into two separate schools: Eastlake North and Willoughby South. Eastlake North assumed the spot of Willoughby Union in the GCC, while Willoughby South joined a separate league. Midpark joined the GCC in 1962, while founding members Euclid and Garfield Heights departed for the Lake Erie League.
In 1968 the GCC expanded into eight teams, with the additions of Willoughby South, Mentor, and Mayfield. Berea and Midpark both respectively left the conference in favor of the Lake Erie League in 1975. Euclid rejoined along with Brush as their replacements. Mentor also joined its previous member schools in joining the Lake Erie League in 1993, meanwhile Nordonia joined the GCC the next year; they left in 1997 for the Western Reserve Conference. The following year, 1998, the first version of the GCC came to an end, as the remaining eight schools went on to join separate leagues, with Bedford, Euclid, and Maple Heights all joining the Lake Erie League, Nordonia, Brush, and Mayfield joining the Western Reserve Conference and North and South joining the Premier League.
The process to form a new Greater Cleveland Conference began in 2013.[1] The new GCC officially began play in August 2015 with Brunswick, Elyria, Euclid, Medina, Mentor, Shaker Heights, Solon, and Strongsville.[2]
Shaker Heights announced in 2019 their intention of rejoining the Lake Erie League effective the 2020-21 school year. citing better geography and travel times, but also diversity/cultural sensitivity issues" as reasons for leaving.[3] Elyria accepted an invitation in 2020 to join the Southwestern Conference and left the following school year, leaving the newly formed GCC with six remaining members.
In 2022, Cleveland Heights and Shaker Heights were accepted into the GCC effective the 2023-24 school year,[4] Later that year, Solon announced their intention of leaving for the Suburban League and joined in 2023 as a member school for football only. In 2024, Solon left for all remaining sports and became a full-time member of the league.[5] Lorain was accepted into the conference in 2024 and began conference play during the 2025-26 school year. Riverside announced in 2025 their intention of joining the GCC beginning in the 2026-27 school year, with Medina being set to leave for the Suburban League the same year.[6]
