The Great Lakes Conference was an Ohio High School Athletic Conference athletic league, that began conference play in 2015 and disbanded in 2024 and was made up of member schools from Cuyahoga, Medina and Lorain Counties in Ohio.[1]
.[2]
All members
| School | Nickname | Location | Colors[3] | Tenure | Division | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay | Rockets | Bay Village, Ohio | Blue, White, & Red | 2015-2024 | West | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Buckeye | Bucks | York Township, Ohio | Brown, Orange, & White | 2019-2024 | East | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Elyria Catholic | Panthers | Elyria, Ohio | Green & White | 2015-2024 | West | left for North Coast Conference |
| Fairview | Warriors | Fairview Park, Ohio | Scarlet & Gray | 2019-2023 | West | Left for Chagrin Valley Conference |
| Holy Name | Green Wave | Parma Heights, Ohio | Green & White | 2015-2024 | East | left for North Coast Conference |
| Lakewood | Rangers | Lakewood, Ohio | Purple & Gold | 2020-2024 | East | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Normandy | Invaders | Parma, Ohio | Orange & White | 2015-2024 | East | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| North Olmsted | Eagles | North Olmsted, Ohio | Orange & Black | 2021-2024 | West | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Parma Senior | Redmen | Parma, Ohio | Red & Gray | 2015-2023 | East | school closed |
| Rocky River | Pirates | Rocky River, Ohio | Maroon & White | 2015-2024 | West | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Valley Forge | Patriots | Parma Heights, Ohio | Navy Blue & White | 2015-2024 | East | left for Cleveland West Conference |
| Westlake | Demons | Westlake, Ohio | Forest Green & White | 2021-2024 | West | left for Cleveland West Conference |
History
The Great Lakes Conference was formed in 2015, with its founding members of Normandy, Parma, Valley Forge Bay, Elyria Catholic, Rocky River and Holy Name.[4]
The league added Buckeye and Fairview in 2019.[5] Buckeye and Fairview were two of four schools being left out after eight of the 12 Patriot Athletic Conference schools decided to form a new league with more compact traveling distances.
In 2019, Lakewood would announce their intention to join the Great Lakes Conference beginning the 2020-21 school year.
In 2020, the GLC split into two separate divisions following the additions of North Olmsted and Westlake in the 2021-22 school year.[6] The East Division consisted of Buckeye, Holy Name, Lakewood, Normandy, Parma, and Valley Forge; the West Division consisted of Bay, Elyria Catholic, Fairview, North Olmsted, Rocky River, and Westlake.[7]
In June 2022, Parma City Schools approved a consolidation plan that would close Parma Senior High School along with two elementary schools following the 2022-23 school year, ending Parmas tenure in the GLC.[8]
In March 2023, Fairview announced that they would be joining the Chagrin Valley Conference starting with the winter sports season of the 2023-2024 school year.[9] This came following a concern that Fairview would be "the smallest public school in an increasingly growing pool of larger ones."
In May 2023, eight GLC members (Bay, Buckeye, Lakewood, Normandy, North Olmsted, Rocky River, Valley Forge, and Westlake) announced that they would be leaving to form the Cleveland West Conference starting the 2024-2025 school year.[10][11] With only two schools in the GLC remaining, Elyria Catholic and Holy Name would leave from the North Coast Conference along with five other schools, which would lead to the end of the Great Lakes Conference.[12]
References
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-17.
- ^ Leonard, Michael (June 28, 2015). "Northeast Ohio Conference Fades Into History With a Whimper". Tallmadge Express. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
- ^ "Schedules - Search School"
- ^ Rozboril, Robert (April 28, 2014). "New Great Lake Conference to include seven local schools for 2015-16 season". Northeast Ohio Media Group. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Goul, Matt (May 10, 2018). "Fairview, Buckeye joining the Great Lakes Conference in 2019". www.cleveland.com. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ "North Olmsted, Westlake to move to Great Lakes Conference in 2021". Morning Journal. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ "Great Lake Conference 2021-22: 12 Schools - 2 Divisions". greatlakesconference.org. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ Kosich, John & Ross, Catherine (June 10, 2022). "Parma Senior High School and 2 elementary schools closing at end of 2022-23 school year". WEWS-TV. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ "OFFICIAL: Fairview to Join Chagrin Valley Conference Beginning Winter 2023". FairviewAthletics.com. March 3, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ McKee, Vince (May 13, 2023). "8 Schools Depart GLC to Form New Conference". Kee On Sports Media Group. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Goul, Matt (July 15, 2024). "Former GLC public schools formally announce Cleveland West Conference". cleveland.com. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Shapiro, Todd (May 31, 2023). "Elyria Catholic finds home in new conference (UPDATED)". The Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. Retrieved June 7, 2023.