The Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC) is a high school athletic conference located in northwest Ohio, with member schools stretched across Lucas, Williams, and Wood counties. It was formed in 1988, [1] and the league sponsors football, cross country, volleyball, golf, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.
| School | Nickname | Location | Boys Enrollment | Girls Enrollment | Colors | Type | Membership Type | Tenure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardinal Stritch Catholic [2] | Cardinals | Oregon | 60 | 52 | Red, Black | Parochial | No football | 1995- |
| Edon | Bombers | Edon | 57 | Blue, White | Public | Football-only | 2005- | |
| Emmanuel Christian | Warriors | Toledo | 61 | 48 | Green, White | Parochial | No football | 1988- |
| Hilltop | Cadets | West Unity | 54 | Red, White | Public | Football-only | 2005- | |
| Maumee Valley Country Day | Hawks | Toledo | 87 | 76 | Navy, White | Independent | No football | 1988- |
| Montpelier | Locomotives | Montpelier | 92 | Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, White | Public | Football-only | 2016- | |
| Northwood | Rangers | Northwood | 122 | 131 | Blue, Yellow | Public | Full | 2000-2025 |
| Ottawa Hills | Green Bears | Ottawa Hills | 145 | 114 | Kelly Green, White | Public | Full | 1988- |
| Toledo Christian | Eagles | Toledo | 69 | 76 | Blue, Gold | Parochial | No football | 1988- |
Edon, Hilltop, and Montpelier are primarily members of the Buckeye Border Conference for all sports, except for football, which is the only sport that they compete in the TAAC for.
Emmanuel Christian and Maumee Valley currently do not have football teams. Maumee Valley dropped football after the 1978 season.
Toledo Christian participates in 8-man football as a member of the Northern 8 Football Conference.
| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Type | Membership Type | Tenure in League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiffin Calvert | Senecas | Tiffin | Royal Blue, White | Parochial | Full | 2014-2016 |
| Danbury | Lakers | Lakeside | Blue, White | Public | Full | 1988-2018 |
| Gibsonburg | Golden Bears | Gibsonburg | Orange, Black | Public | Full | 2011-2018 |
| Lorain Catholic | Spartans | Lorain | Scarlet, Gray | Parochial | Football-only | 1999-2004 |
| Stryker | Panthers | Stryker | Blue, White | Public | Football-only | 2018-2019 |
The TAAC began in 1988 when long-time rivals Danbury, Emmanuel Christian (then known as Emmanuel Baptist), Maumee Valley, and Ottawa Hills joined together with the recently expanded Toledo Christian (formerly McAuley High School) to compete in basketball. When Cardinal Strich joined in 1995 after going without sports for a while, the league teamed with the Buckeye Border Conference to create the 12-team Toledo Buckeye League, which involved cross-over games with both leagues' members. [3] This setup only lasted until June 1998, but both leagues continue to have members compete against each other. [4]
The first season for TAAC football was in 1999 with Cardinal Stritch, Danbury, Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian and the recently added football-only Lorain Catholic competing for the inaugural title. [5]
In 2000, Northwood left the Suburban Lakes League for the TAAC, wanting to compete with schools closer to their size. [6] They initially joined in all sports but football (competing as an independent in 2000), but fully joined the league the next year.
The TAAC lost its first member when Lorain Catholic closed at the end of the 2003-04 school year. [7]
Tired of competing in the Southern Central Athletic Association that was composed of several Michigan schools, Edon and Hilltop left to compete as football-only members in the TAAC in 2005. Former ties created in the old TBL made for the easy transition.
Emmanuel Baptist changed its name to Emmanuel Christian in the spring of 2006. [8]
In September 2009, Gibsonburg applied for membership when it became evident that the Suburban Lakes League was going to fold in the spring of 2011. On October 7, they were admitted as the 8th full member school in the league, after being complimented for their facilities and comparable enrollment to current members. They became a full-voting member on January 1, 2010 and joined the league for the 2011-12 school year. [9]
Former commissioner Dick Nowak noted that although the league was set with members, their five-year plan involved adding two more members and possibly going to a two-division format. He would not indicate which schools are interested in TAAC membership at the time. Rick Kaifas became the new TAAC commissioner on April 6, 2011.
In July 2012, Lakota High School and Fremont St. Joseph CC both sent letters of inquiry about joining the TAAC, concerned that the Midland Athletic League would dissolve after losing many members to other new leagues.[ citation needed ]
On May 13, 2013, Tiffin Calvert announced that they would join the TAAC right after the Midland Athletic League disbanded in the spring of 2014. [10]
In May 2014, the TAAC approved adding NWOAL member Montpelier to its league for football only beginning with the 2016 season. Montpelier's school board approved the move in June 2014. [11] [12]
On December 10, 2014, Tiffin Calvert announced plans to leave the TAAC early and join the Sandusky Bay Conference beginning with the 2016-17 school year as part of the SBC's expansion plans. [13]
On March 16, 2017, Danbury announced plans to join the Sandusky Bay Conference in the River Division of the Conference beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. They will be exiting the TAAC as one of the first original members of the conference when it first formed in 1988. [14]
On March 20, 2017, Gibsonburg also announced plans to leave the TAAC with Danbury to join the Sandusky Bay Conference in the River Division of the Conference beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. They will be exiting the TAAC as members since the 2011-2012 school year. [15]
In May 2017, it was announced that Stryker will join the league as a football-only member for the 2018 season. [16]
In October 2019, Stryker and Toledo Christian agreed at a meeting to form the new Northern 8 Football Conference for OHSAA schools that are committing to play 8-man football for the future. [17] The OHSAA does not currently sponsor the 8-man game, [18] but several member schools resorted to that option recently instead of playing the traditional 11-man game or choosing not to play out the season. [19] Stryker and Toledo Christian will forfeit their football membership in the TAAC, but will remain members of the Buckeye Border Conference and the TAAC respectively, for all other sports.
Beginning in the fall of 2020, Pettisville has joined the league in boys soccer only.
In June, 2022 the TAAC met with the Tri-County Conference (Michigan) to discuss a possible merger between the two leagues. [20] Around this time Cardinal Stritch announced that they would not field an 11-man football team for the 2022 season. They were able to return to 11-man for the 2023 season. [21]
In January 2024, Northwood and the Sandusky Bay Conference announced that the Rangers would be joining the SBC River Division for the 2025-26 school year. [22]
| Year | Champions |
|---|---|
| 1999 | Cardinal Stritch |
| 2000 | Ottawa Hills |
| 2001 | Northwood |
| 2002 | Northwood |
| 2003 | Northwood |
| 2004 | Northwood, Ottawa Hills |
| 2005 | Ottawa Hills |
| 2006 | Cardinal Stritch |
| 2007 | Northwood |
| 2008 | Northwood |
| 2009 | Northwood |
| 2010 | Toledo Christian |
| 2011 | Northwood |
| 2012 | Northwood |
| 2013 | Northwood |
| 2014 | Calvert |
| 2015 | Gibsonburg |
| 2016 | Gibsonburg, Montpelier |
| 2017 | Gibsonburg, Ottawa Hills |
| 2018 | Northwood |
| 2019 | Northwood |
| 2020 | Northwood |
| 2021 | Edon |
| 2022 | Ottawa Hills |
| 2023 | Ottawa Hills |
| Year | Champion(s) | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1988-89 | Ottawa Hills, Emmanuel Baptist | 6-2 |
| 1989-90 | Ottawa Hills, Emmanuel Baptist | 7-1 |
| 1990-91 | Ottawa Hills | 7-1 |
| 1991-92 | Toledo Christian | 8-0 |
| 1992-93 | Maumee Valley | 6-2 |
| 1993-94 | Danbury | 8-0 |
| 1994-95 | Danbury | 7-1 |
| 1995-96 | Ottawa Hills | 9-1 |
| 1996-97 | Ottawa Hills | 10-0 |
| 1997-98 | Emmanuel Baptist | 10-0 |
| 1998-99 | Danbury | 8-2 |
| 1999-00 | Danbury | 8-2 |
| 2000-01 | Danbury | 9-3 |
| 2001-02 | Maumee Valley | 9-3 |
| 2002-03 | Danbury, Ottawa Hills | 10-2 |
| 2003-04 | Ottawa Hills | 11-1 |
| 2004-05 | Danbury | 12-0 |
| 2005-06 | Toledo Christian | 12-0 |
| 2006-07 | Toledo Christian | 12-0 |
| 2007-08 | Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian | 11-1 |
| 2008-09 | Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian | 11-1 |
| 2009-10 | Ottawa Hills | 12-0 |
| 2010-11 | Ottawa Hills | 11-1 |
| 2011-12 | Maumee Valley | 13-1 |
| 2012-13 | Toledo Christian | 13-1 |
| 2013-14 | Ottawa Hills | 14-0 |
| 2014-15 | Gibsonburg | 16-0 |
| 2015-16 | Ottawa Hills | 15-1 |
| 2016-17 | Toledo Christian | 14-0 |
| 2017-18 | Cardinal Stritch | 14-0 |
| 2018-19 | Cardinal Stritch | 9-1 |
| 2019-20 | Toledo Christian | 9-1 |
| 2020-21 | Cardinal Stritch | 5-0 |
| 2021-22 | Ottawa Hills | 8-2 |
Ohio High School Athletic Conferences
This is a list of high school athletic conferences in Ohio, separated by Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) region. Some conferences have schools in multiple regions, and will be listed in all applicable regions. However, the conference information is on the region page where the most schools are classified in.
The Sandusky Bay Conference is a high school athletic conference in the Sandusky Bay area of north central Ohio. It is affiliated with the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The Greater Buckeye Conference was a high school athletic conference with six members, all located in a large area of northern and northwest Ohio. It was affiliated with the Ohio High School Athletic Association. The conference was created for the 2003-2004 school year after the Great Lakes League folded, and lasted until the end of the 2010-11 school year.
The Northern Lakes League (NLL), is an OHSAA high school athletic conference that was formed in 1956 and comprises eleven high schools in Northwest Ohio.
The Toledo City League is an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) high school athletic conference that was formed in 1926 and comprises the six high schools in Toledo that are from Toledo Public Schools, along with one high school from Lima, Ohio.
The Northwest Ohio Athletic League (NWOAL) is a high school sports league in the U.S. state of Ohio. Beginning in 1926, it is officially the oldest athletic league in the state of Ohio. The league sponsors many sports, including: football, boys & girls cross country, volleyball, boys & girls soccer, wrestling, golf, boys & girls basketball, baseball, softball, and boys & girls track & field. The average school enrollment ranges from 250 to 450 students making it a small to mid-size school league. The NWOAL members have won a total of 26 team state championships.
The Buckeye Border Conference is a high school athletic league located in extreme northwest Ohio. The conference sponsors basketball, cross country, golf, and track and field for both boys and girls. In addition, baseball is sponsored for the boys, and softball and volleyball are sponsored for the girls.
The Suburban Lakes League (SLL) was an OHSAA athletic league with 7 member schools located in northwest Ohio. The league was formed in 1972 by former members of the Northern Lakes League, Sandusky Bay Conference, and the Lakeshore Conference.
The Blanchard Valley Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association affiliated athletic league located in Hancock, Putnam, and Wood Counties in northwest Ohio. Its name derives from the Blanchard River, which runs through the area in which the schools are located. Findlay, which is part of the Northern Lakes League, and Cory-Rawson, which is a part of the Northwest Central Conference, are the only high schools in Hancock County that are a member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association that aren't part of the BVC.
The Midland Athletic League was an OHSAA athletic league located in northwest Ohio that was formed in 1985. Mark King was the last commissioner. The league folded following the 2013-14 school year as its members found new league homes. The last day of league operation was June 30, 2014.
The Northern Ohio League (NOL) was an OHSAA athletic league in north central Ohio that began competition in 1944 and disbanded in 2017 after six of its seven members joined the Sandusky Bay Conference.
Montpelier High School is a public high school in Montpelier, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Montpelier Exempted Village School district. Their nickname is the Locomotives. They are primarily members of the Buckeye Border Conference.
Stryker High School is a public high school in Stryker, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Stryker Local Schools district. Their nickname is the Panthers. They are members of the Buckeye Border Conference.
Emmanuel Christian School is an evangelical Christian school in Toledo, Ohio, for grades K–12. The school was founded in 1967 under the name Emmanuel Baptist Christian School by Emmanuel Baptist Church. It was renamed Emmanuel Christian School in the spring of 2006. It is an accredited member of the Association of Christian Schools International.
The Northern Buckeye Conference (NBC) is an OHSAA high school athletic conference that began athletic competition in 2011 with 8 high schools from Northwest Ohio's Ottawa and Wood counties as members.
The Three Rivers Athletic Conference was an Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) high school athletic conference that began athletic competition in 2011 and lasted until 2023 with 10 high schools from Northwest Ohio, seven of which were from the Toledo metropolitan area, and one each from the cities of Findlay, Fremont and Lima. Ken Myers, former director of public safety and public services in Fremont, was the league's inaugural commissioner. The three rivers from which the conference derived its name are the Maumee, Sandusky, and Blanchard.
The Sandusky River League was an OHSAA-sponsored league that began athletic play in the 2014-15 school year. The league sponsored football, cross country, volleyball, golf, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field. The following were the inaugural members:
This is a list of high school athletic conferences in the Northwest Region of Ohio, as defined by the OHSAA. Because the names of localities and their corresponding high schools do not always match and because there is often a possibility of ambiguity with respect to either the name of a locality or the name of a high school, the following table gives both in every case, with the locality name first, in plain type, and the high school name second in boldface type. The school's team nickname is given last.
This is a list of former high school athletic conferences in the Northwest Region of Ohio, as designated by the OHSAA. If a conference had members that span multiple regions, the conference is placed in the article of the region most of its former members hail from. Because the names of localities and their corresponding high schools do not always match and because there is often a possibility of ambiguity with respect to either the name of a locality or the name of a high school, the following table gives both in every case, with the locality name first, in plain type, and the high school name second in boldface type. The school's team nickname is given last.
The Northern 8 Football Conference is an 8-man football conference that began competition in the fall of 2020 and is made up of 8-man teams from high schools located in Ohio.