Northeastern Athletic Conference
The Northeastern Athletic Conference is a high school athletic conference made up of several schools from Trumbull, Portage, Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties in Ohio. They compete in the Ohio High School Athletic Association.[1]
History
[edit]The Northeastern Athletic Conference (NAC) was founded in 2002 and formed by members of the now-defunct East Suburban Conference Bristol, Bloomfield, Chalker, Lordstown, Maplewood and Pymatuning Valley. The East Suburban Conference continued to operate for football until the fall 2008 season.[2][3]
Two additional nearby schools, Badger and Mathews, joined in the 2003-04 school year.
In 2008, the former Ledgemont High School was accepted into the NAC after leaving the East Suburban Conference.
In 2009, the league added two more members Grand Valley High School and Lutheran East. The league would also begin conference play for the first time for football this year. Lutheran East joined the league for football only the same year. they left the conference in 2012.
in 2013, Windham High School was accepted into the NAC, leaving their former Portage Trail Conference.[4]
Ledgemont High School closed after the 2013–2014 school year after a territory transfer with Berkshire High School.[5] Newbury High School replaced their spot NAC in 2014 after leaving the Chagrin Valley Conference.[6]
The NAC didn't see any changes until the 2019-20 school year. After 10 years of being in the conference, Grand Valley left the NAC, in favor of joining the Chagrin Valley Conference.[7]
in 2020, Fairport Harding High School, joined the league after their 15-year long tenure in the Chagrin Valley Conference.[8] Newbury High School closed following the 2019-20 school year, merging with West Geauga High School.[9]
in 2021, Chalker left the NAC for football, after cancelling their 2021 season due to lack of players.[10] Chalker will likely remain out of the league as a conference opponent for football for at least a few more seasons with them now being a part of the Northern 8 Football Conference. (8-man football) as of 2024.[11]
in 2022, despite playing a conference schedule in all sports with the league for years, Ashtabula St. John High School officially joined the NAC[12]
in 2024, Grand Valley re-joined the NAC after a 5-year tenure with the Chagrin Valley Conference.[13]
in 2025, the NAC added Cardinal High School in Middlefield, who joined after leaving the Chagrin Valley Conference.[14]
Fairport Harding had announced their intention in 2025 to play one more year with the NAC before re-joining their former Chagrin Valley Conference, ending their tenure with the NAC after 6 years.[15]
On September 24th, 2025, Leetonia High School announced that they have accepted their invitation to join the NAC, leaving the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference, and will begin conference play in the 2026-27 school year. They will be a part of the NAC Stripes Division.[16]
On November 26th, 2025, the Northern 8 Football Conference, an 8-man football conference not sponsored by the OHSAA, announced Windham's acceptance into their league, leaving the NAC for Football.[17]
Current members
[edit]Stripes Conference
| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Division | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol High School | Bristolville | Panthers | Black & Gold
|
Stripes | 2002- | no football |
| Bloomfield High School | Bloomfield | Cardinals | Red & Black
|
Stripes | 2002- | no football |
| Chalker High School | Southington | Wildcats | Orange & black
|
Stripes | 2002-
(Football 2009-2020) |
Football didnt field varsity team from 2021-2024, plays for Northern 8 Football Conference as of 2024. |
| Lordstown High School | Lordstown | Red Devils | Red & Blue
|
Stripes | 2002- | no football |
| St. John High School | Ashtabula | Heralds | Navy Blue & White
|
Stripes | 2022- | |
| Windham High School | Windham | Bombers | Black & Gold
|
Stripes | 2013-
(Football 2013-2026) |
Windham in Northern 8- Football Conference for Football |
Stars Conference
| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Division | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Badger High School | Kinsman | Braves | Red & white
|
Stars | 2003- | no football |
| Cardinal High School | Middlefield | Huskies | Red Black & White
|
Stars | 2025- | |
| Grand Valley High School | Orwell | Mustangs | Royal Blue, Navy Blue, White and Grey
|
Stars | 2009-2019;2024- | |
| Fairport Harding High School | Fairport Harbor | Skippers | Maroon & White
|
Stars | 2020-2026 | Leaving for Chagrin Valley Conference in 2026. |
| Maplewood High School | Mecca | Rockets | Blue & White
|
Stars | 2002- | no football |
| Mathews High School | Vienna | Mustangs | Red Black & White
|
Stars | 2003-
(Football 2009-) |
|
| Pymatuning Valley High School | Andover | Lakers | Maroon & Gold
|
Stars | 2002-
(Football 2009-) |
Former members
[edit]| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legdemont High School | Thompson | Redskins | Red & white
|
2008-2014 | School closed in 2014. merged with Berkshire High School. |
| Lutheran East High School | Cleveland Heights | Falcons | Blue & White
|
2009-2012 | football only joined in 2009. left conference in 2012 to become independent. |
| Newbury High School | Newbury | Black Knights | Orange & black
|
2014-2020 | School closed in 2020. merged with West Geauga High School. |
Future Members
[edit]| School | Location | Nickname | Colors | Tenure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leetonia High School | Leetonia | Bears | Navy Blue and White
|
2026 | Joining in 2026 from Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference |
Championships
[edit]List of conference championships since 2002
| Year | Football | Volleyball | Girls Basketball | Boys Basketball | Baseball | Softball |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Fairport | Cardinal | ||||
| 2024-25 | Pymatuning Valley | St. John | Maplewood | Bristol | St. John | Mathews |
| 2023-24 | Pymatuning Valley | St. John | Badger | Bristol | St. John | Mathews |
| 2022-23 | Pymatuning Valley | St. John | Badger | Pymatuning Valley | Mathews | Chalker/Pymatuning Valley |
| 2021-22 | Pymatuning Valley | Maplewood | Bristol | Mathews | Mathews | Mathews |
| 2020-21 | Pymatuning Valley | Badger | Bristol | Bristol | Pymatuning Valley | Mathews |
| 2019-20 | Pymatuning Valley | Badger | Maplewood | Bristol | COVID - NO SEASON | COVID - NO SEASON |
| 2018-19 | Windham | Newbury | Bristol | Pymatuning Valley | Bristol | Bristol |
| 2017-18 | Grand Valley | Mathews | Pymatuning Valley | Bristol | ||
| 2016-17 | Grand Valley | Lordstown | Lordstown | Bristol | ||
| 2015-16 | Grand Valley | Grand Valley | Windham | Bristol | ||
| 2014-15 | Mathews | Windham | Windham | Maplewood | ||
| 2013-14 | Grand Valley | Windham | Pymatuning Valley | Maplewood | ||
| 2012-13 | Grand Valley | Ledgemont | Maplewood | Bristol | ||
| 2011-12 | Ledgemont | Pymatuning Valley | Pymatuning Valley | Mathews | ||
| 2010-11 | Ledgemont | Lordstown | Pymatuning Valley | Pymatuning Valley | ||
| 2009-10 | Chalker | Lordstown | Pymatuning Valley | Mathews | ||
| 2008-09 | N/A | Lordstown | Maplewood | Maplewood | ||
| 2007-08 | N/A | Lordstown | Maplewood | Pymatuning Valley | ||
| 2006-07 | N/A | Pymatuning Valley | Pymatuning Valley | |||
| 2005-06 | N/A | Pymatuning Valley | ||||
| 2004-05 | N/A | |||||
| 2003-04 | N/A | |||||
| 2002-03 | N/A |
References
[edit]- ^ "NAC Sports - Northeastern Athletic Conference Ohio". 2025-01-26. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Murphy, Brian (2000-12-01). "NEC seeking to increase membership". News-Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "1960s a time of change in area school athletics". tribtoday.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Bly, Denise (2012-10-29). "G-Men - Bombers Football, The End of an Era". Weekly Villager. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Ledgemont Set to Close High School". Geauga County Maple Leaf | Your News Resource in Geauga County. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Newbury to Join NAC". Geauga County Maple Leaf | Your News Resource in Geauga County. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Greco, Michael (2018-04-20). "Edgewood, Grand Valley joining CVC in 2019-20". Star Beacon. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ updated, This story will be; JKampf.com, John Kampf; JKmapf.com, John Kampf; KampfJKampf.com, John (2019-04-26). "Fairport leaving Chagrin Valley Conference for NAC". News-Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Newbury, West Geauga schools to merge beginning in 2020-21". wkyc.com. 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Chalker cancels first five contests". tribtoday.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Chalker to join 8-man league". tribtoday.com. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Greco, Michael (2021-05-11). "St. John to join NAC starting in 2022-23 school year". Star Beacon. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Dillaway, Warren; Beacon, Star; Ashtabula; read, Ohio·2 min (2023-06-29). "GV seeking return to NAC". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Ward, Jamie (2024-06-27). "Cardinal Joining Northeastern Athletic Conference in Fall 2025". Geauga County Maple Leaf | Your News Resource in Geauga County. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Matt Goul, cleveland com (2025-02-18). "Chagrin Valley Conference adding Chardon, Eastlake North, Willoughby South and Fairport Harding in 2026". cleveland. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Leetonia to leave EOAC for NAC". reviewonline.com. Retrieved 2025-09-25.
- ^ "Windham football switches to 8-man".