Ohio Valley Athletic Conference

Ohio Valley Athletic Conference
ClassificationOHSAA Divisions I-VII
WVSSAC Divisions A-AAA
Founded1943
Sports fielded
  • Football, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Swimming, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field
Region Ohio
 West Virginia
Official websitehttp://www.ovac.org

The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference is a high school sports league in parts of southeastern Ohio and northern West Virginia. The OVAC is the largest conference of its kind in the United States.[1] Schools in the upper Ohio Valley supply over 18,000 athletes in various competitive athletic areas. The conference was organized in 1943.[2]

Classification

Schools are categorized by enrollment of eligible athletes, where Class A is the smallest enrollment and Class AAAAA is the largest enrollment.[3] As of the 2020-2021 school year, there are 18,332 eligible athletes in grades 9 through 11.[4]

Class Enrollment Members
A (1A) 0-149 11
AA (2A) 150-220 10
AAA (3A) 221-336 9
AAAA (4A) 337-496 10
AAAAA (5A) 497+ 10

Member schools

School Nickname Location Colors Joined Class
Barnesville Shamrocks Barnesville, Ohio Green, Red, White
      		1953 AAA
Beallsville Blue Devils Beallsville, Ohio Royal Blue, White
    		1960 A
Beaver Local Beavers East Liverpool, Ohio Red, White
    		1991 AAAA
Bellaire Big Reds Bellaire, Ohio Red, Black
    		1943 AAA
Bridgeport Bulldogs Bridgeport, Ohio Columbia Blue, White, Black
      		1946 AA
Brooke Bruins Wellsburg, West Virginia Green, Gold
    		1969 AAAAA
Buckeye Local Panthers Rayland, Ohio Navy, Silver
    		1990 AAA
Buckeye Trail Warriors Lore City, Ohio Royal Blue, White
    		1977 AAA
Caldwell Redskins Caldwell, Ohio Red, White
    		1977 AA
Cambridge Bobcats Cambridge, Ohio Royal Blue, White
    		1974 AAAA
Cameron Dragons Cameron, West Virginia Navy, Gold
    		1950 A
Clay-Battelle Cee-Bees Blacksville, West Virginia Navy, Grey
    		2011 AA
Conotton Valley Rockets Bowerston, Ohio Kelly Green, White
    		1991 A
Dover Crimson Tornadoes Dover, Ohio Crimson, Gray
    		2019 AAAAA
East Liverpool Potters East Liverpool, Ohio Blue, White
    		1973 AAAA
Edison Wildcats Richmond, Ohio Silver, Black
    		1993 AAAA
Fort Frye Cadets Beverly, Ohio Scarlet Red, Dover White, Royal Blue
      		1977 AAA
Frontier Cougars New Matamoras, Ohio Columbia Blue, Vegas Gold
    		1975 AA
Harrison Central Huskies Cadiz, Ohio Black, Silver, Royal Blue
      		1999 AAAA
Hundred Hornets Hundred, West Virginia Navy, Red, White
      		1997 A
Indian Creek Redskins Wintersville, Ohio Red, Gold
    		1993 AAAA
John Marshall Monarchs Glen Dale, West Virginia Vegas Gold, Brown
    		1968 AAAAA
Linsly Cadets Wheeling, West Virginia Orange, Black
    		1943 AAA
Madonna Blue Dons Weirton, West Virginia Navy, Silver, White
      		1958 A
Magnolia Blue Eagles New Martinsville, West Virginia Blue, Gold
    		1949 AAA
Martins Ferry Purple Riders Martins Ferry, Ohio Purple, White
    		1943 AAA
Monroe Central Seminoles Woodsfield, Ohio Red, Vegas Gold, Black, White
        		1994 AAA
Morgantown Mohigans Morgantown, West Virginia Red, Royal Blue
    		2010 AAAAA
New Philadelphia Quakers New Philadelphia, Ohio Red, Black
    		2019 AAAAA
Oak Glen Golden Bears New Cumberland, West Virginia Columbia Blue, Gold, White
      		1964 AAAA
Paden City Wildcats Paden City, West Virginia Forest Green, White
    		1957 A
Parkersburg South Patriots Parkersburg, West Virginia Blue, Scarlet, White
      		1975 AAAAA
River Pilots Hannibal, Ohio Scarlet, Gray
    		1958 AA
Shadyside Tigers Shadyside, Ohio Orange, Black
    		1943 AA
Shenandoah Zeps Sarahsville, Ohio Forest Green, White
    		1973 AA
Southern Local Indians Salineville, Ohio Royal Blue, Athletic Gold
    		2015 AA
St. Clairsville Red Devils St. Clairsville, Ohio Scarlet, Gray
    		1947 AAAA
St. John Fighting Irish Bellaire, Ohio Kelly Green, White
    		1943 A
Steubenville Big Red Steubenville, Ohio Crimson Red, Black
    		1943 AAAAA
Steubenville Catholic Crusaders Steubenville, Ohio Royal Blue, Gold
    		1943 A
Toronto Red Knights Toronto, Ohio Red, White
    		1950 AA
Trinity Christian Warriors Morgantown, West Virginia Cardinal Red, Vegas Gold
    		2009 A
Union Local Jets Belmont, Ohio Red, White
    		1959 AAAA
University Hawks Morgantown, West Virginia Crimson, Gold, Black
      		2010 AAAAA
Valley Lumberjacks Pine Grove, West Virginia Black, Gold
    		1977 A
Warren Warriors Vincent, Ohio Royal Blue, White
    		2015 AAAAA
Weir Red Riders Weirton, West Virginia Red, Black
    		1943 AAAA
Wellsville Tigers Wellsville, Ohio Orange, Black
    		1954 AA
Wheeling Central Maroon Knights Wheeling, West Virginia Maroon, White
    		1943 AA
Wheeling Park Patriots Wheeling, West Virginia Red, White, Royal
      		1976 AAAAA

Conference affiliations

  • Buckeye 8 Athletic League - Beaver Local, Bellaire, Cambridge, East Liverpool, Edison, Harrison Central, Indian Creek, Martins Ferry, St. Clairsville, Union Local
  • East Central Ohio League - Dover, New Philadelphia, Warren
  • Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference - Southern Local, Wellsville
  • Mason Dixon Conference - Cameron, Clay-Battelle, Hundred, Weirton Madonna
  • Pioneer Valley Conference - Buckeye Trail, Caldwell, Fort Frye, Frontier, Monroe Central, Shenandoah
  • Two Rivers Athletic Conference - John Marshall, Morgantown, Parkersburg South, University, Wheeling Park

References

  1. ^ "OVAC History". Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  2. ^ Ohio Valley Athletic Conference- History
  3. ^ Ohio Valley Athletic Conference - History
  4. ^ Ohio Valley Athletic Conference - Classification Enrollment