Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference
High school athletic conference from Ohio
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference is an athletic conference that is part of the Ohio High School Athletic Association, with member schools from Trumbull, Portage, Mahoning and Columbiana Counties.[1]
Members
| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Tier | |||||
| Brookfield | Brookfield | Warriors | Blue & gold
|
2020– | Leaving for Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2027 |
| Champion | Champion Township | Flashes | Purple & gold
|
2020– | Leaving for Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2027 |
| Crestview | Columbiana | Rebels | Black & gold
|
2020– | Joining Scarlet Tier, new league or will become independent by or before 2027 |
| Garfield | Garrettsville | G-Men | Black & yellow
|
2021– | Joined in 2021 from Portage Trail Conference, leaving in 2027 for Greater Portage Athletic Conference |
| LaBrae | Leavittsburg | Vikings | Red & gray
|
2020– | Leaving for Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2027 |
| Liberty | Liberty Township | Leopards | Maroon & gold
|
2020– | Leaving for Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2027 |
| Newton Falls | Newton Falls | Tigers | Orange & black
|
2020– | Moving to Scarlet Tier in 2027 |
| Southeast | Palmyra Township | Pirates | Maroon & gold
|
2024– | Joined in 2024 from Portage Trail Conference, leaving in 2027 for Greater Portage Athletic Conference |
| Scarlet Tier | |||||
| Jackson-Milton | North Jackson | Blue Jays | Royal blue & white
|
2017– | |
| Lowellville | Lowellville | Rockets | Navy & gold
|
2017– | |
| McDonald | McDonald | Blue Devils | Blue & white
|
2017– | |
| Sebring McKinley | Sebring | Trojans | Purple & gold
|
2017– | 2017–2023 for football; moved to Northern 8 Football Conference |
| Campbell Memorial | Campbell | Red Devils | Red & black
|
2020– | moved to Scarlet Tier from Gray Tier in 2024 |
| Mineral Ridge | Weathersfield | Rams | Orange & black
|
2017– | |
| Springfield | New Middletown | Tigers | Orange & black
|
2017– | |
| Waterloo | Atwater | Vikings | Burgundy & white
|
2017– | Leaving in 2027 for Greater Portage Athletic Conference |
| Western Reserve | Berlin Center | Blue Devils | Blue, red & white
|
2017– | Leaving in 2027 for Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference |
Membership timeline
History
The Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference was formed by several schools in the Trumbull and Mahoning County area in the 2017–18 school year after the Inter-Tri County League disbanded.[2]
The remaining members of the Blue Tier Schools of the All-American Conference joined to create the Gray Tier of the MVAC in 2020.[3] Garrettsville Garfield would also be joining the former AAC schools, however they wouldn't participate in conference play until the 2021–22 school year due to a scheduling commitment they had with their former conference, the Portage Trail Conference.[4]
Sebring McKinley, after struggling with football roster numbers for several seasons, announced in 2022 their departure from the conference as a football member and that they would be joining the Northern 8 Football Conference in 2023. They, however, remained a part of the conference for other sports.[5] Southeast announced in 2023 they would be leaving the Portage Trail Conference and join the Gray Tier of the MVAC. Campbell Memorial moved to the Scarlet Tier after the 2022–23 school year.[6]
The school boards of Waterloo, Garfield, and Southeast approved plans in 2026 to leave the MVAC after the 2026–27 school year in favor of the newly formed Greater Portage Athletic Conference, which is set to begin conference play in the 2027–28 school year.[7] Brookfield, Champion, LaBrae and Liberty announced on March 17, 2026, that they intend to leave the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference to join the Northeastern Athletic Conference beginning the 2027–28 school year.[8] Newton Falls announced that they would be moving over to the Scarlet Tier, once the remaining Gray Tier members leave,[9] Crestview has also applied to join the Scarlet Tier, along with the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference and Northeast 8 Athletic Conference with the option of becoming independent if they cannot find a new league in time.[10] Western Reserve announced on April 11th that they will be leaving the MVAC after the 2026–27 school year. The Western Reserve board of education voted on May 11th to join the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference beginning the 2027–28 school year.[11]