Ohio Capital Conference
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Conference | Ohio High School Athletic Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968 |
| Commissioner | Steve Petros |
| Sports fielded |
|
| Division | OHSAA Division I & II |
| No. of teams | 33 |
| Headquarters | Columbus, Ohio |
| Region | Central Ohio |
| Official website | |
| Locations | |
.jpg) Ohio Capital Conference: Divisional Map | |
The Ohio Capital Conference is a high school athletic conference located in Central Ohio. It comprises 33 public high schools located primarily in suburban Columbus, Ohio, encompassing Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Pickaway and Union counties. The league is geographically divided into three divisions of six teams each (Cardinal, Central, and Ohio) one division of seven teams (Capital) and one division of eight teams (Buckeye). Twenty-four schools compete in the OHSAA's Division I classification for football while nine schools compete in Division II. All conference members compete in the Central District postseason tournaments prior to the regional and state tournaments.
The newest schools to join the OCC are Teays Valley and Logan (2024–25). The most recent school to leave is Franklin Heights (moved to the Central Buckeye League in 2024-25). The conference re-aligned with the 2024-25 school year.
Former members
| School | Location | Joined | Left | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleasant View | Grove City, Ohio | 1968 | 1970 | 873 | Panthers | None; Converted to a middle school; Replaced by Westland | |
| Whitehall-Yearling | Whitehall, Ohio | 1968 | 2001 | 867 | Rams | Central Buckeye League | |
| Chillicothe | Chillicothe, Ohio | 1976 | 2006 | 845 | Cavaliers | Frontier Athletic Conference | |
| Watkins Memorial | Pataskala, Ohio | 1991 | 2013 | 1,270 | Warriors | Licking County League | |
| Mount Vernon | Mount Vernon, Ohio | 1968 | 2016 | 1,074 | Yellow Jackets | Ohio Cardinal Conference | |
| Franklin Heights | Columbus, Ohio | 1981 | 2024 | 1,338 | Falcons | Central Buckeye League | |
Membership timeline
Full members Full members (non-football) Sport Affiliate Assoc. members (football only) Other Conference Other Conference
Sports
The Ohio Capital Conference sponsors the following 23 varsity sports.
History
On December 6, 1966, five (5) schools met at Millers Village Inn in Gahanna to discuss the formation of a new athletic conference and develop a proposed conference constitution. The following Principals and Athletic Directors were in attendance:
- Gahanna Lincoln: Ben Webb and Byron Prushing
- Reynoldsburg: Joe Endry and Bill Starner
- Westerville: Dana Aukerman and Walt Bahorek
- Whitehall: Bob Strohm and Ray Schick
- Worthington: Lou Koloze and Dick West
The purpose was to approve the proposed constitution for the new league. Joe Endry, Acting Chairman of the group, asked for suggestions for a name for the new league. Several suggestions were made and the name Ohio Capital Conference was unanimously chosen.
Chairman Endry called for a discussion of the proposed constitution of the Ohio Capital Conference. After a review and discussion. the Schools’ representatives stated that they were in agreement and were ready to sign the document. Copies of the constitution were signed and the new constitution became a reality.
Original Members: Gahanna Lincoln, Reynoldsburg, Westerville, Whitehall-Yearling & Worthington Invited to join: Delaware Hayes, Mount Vernon, Pleasant View (now Westland)
1968-69 school year League Competition began with Gahanna Lincoln, Reynoldsburg, Whitehall-Yearling, Westerville, Worthington, Delaware Hayes, Mount Vernon and Pleasant View (Westland) competing.
1974-75: Groveport Madison & Hilliard join; Westerville becomes "Westerville South";
1977-78: Chillicothe & Westerville North join. League begins play in two divisions.
1981-82: Franklin Heights, Grove City, Upper Arlington, and Pickerington join. League votes to determine divisions by enrollment and "no sister schools in same division" rules.
1991-92: Dublin, Marysville, Watkins Memorial, Worthington Kilbourne join. "Worthington" becomes Thomas Worthington. League divides into 3 divisions.
1995-96: Newark and Dublin Scioto join the league. "Dublin" becomes Dublin Coffman.
1997-98: Big Walnut, Lancaster, Olentangy, Hilliard Darby join league. "Hilliard" becomes Hilliard Davidson. League divides into 4 divisions.
2002-03: Whitehall-Yearling leaves league. Central Crossing joins in their place.
2004-05: League divides into 5 divisions and abolishes the enrollment rule in determining divisions. Dublin Jerome, Olentangy Liberty, Pickerington North, and Westerville Central join league. "Pickerington" becomes Pickerington Central.
From "History of the Ohio Capital Conference": Mr. Workman, Chairman of the Alignment Committee, reviewed the proposed divisional alignment for the 2004-05 2005-06 seasons. Mr. Workman stated that the Committee was aware that the proposed alignment is in violation of the enrollment concept but felt that there was no other choice because of the more important “sister school” concept.
2006-07: Chillicothe leaves league. New Albany joins league.
2008-09: Hilliard Bradley and Olentangy Orange join league. League switches from 5 divisions to 4 divisions. League abandons rule against sister schools in same division. (hence, schools from same district could be placed in same division.)
2013-14: Watkins Memorial leaves league. Canal Winchester joins league.
2016-17: Mount Vernon leaves league. League switches back to 5 divisions.[1]
2018-19: Olentangy Berlin joins league.[2]
2024-25: Logan and Teays Valley join the league. Franklin Heights participates in football only for one final season and leaves the league for all other sports.[3]