The Southern Buckeye Academic and Athletic Conference will lose its second member for the 2017-18 athletic season when Norwood joins the Miami Valley Conference.
The SBAAC Executive Council will meet Dec. 2 to accept Norwood’s resignation from the league, according to Blanchester Supt. Dean Lynch.
Norwood cited travel and transportation costs as its reasons for leaving the SBAAC. The MVC consists of Cincinnati Christian, Cincinnati Country Day, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, Clark Montessori, Lockland, New Miami, North College Hill, Seven Hills, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place and Summit Country Day.
In addition to Norwood, the Miami Valley Christian Academy is reported to be joining the MVC as well for the 2017-18 school year.
Amelia also is leaving the SBAAC for the 2017-18 school year. The Amelia school district and the Glen Este school district are consolidating into a larger district called West Clermont. Glen Este is a member of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference.
In addition to Blanchester, remaining SBAAC schools are Williamsburg, Georgetown, Felicity-Franklin, Clermont Northeastern, Bethel-Tate, Western Brown, New Richmond, Goshen and Batavia.
Fayetteville-Perry Local Schools will join the SBAAC in the fall of 2017 but will participate in football only. Fayetteville is a member of the Southern Hills Conference for the remainder of its athletic teams.
Lynch said the league’s Executive Council will have three primary items on its agenda for the Dec. 2 meeting. Aside from dealing with Norwood, Lynch said the body will “take a look at the future of the conference” and discuss future crossover scheduling between the league’s American (large school) and National (small school) divisions.
Lynch said the league met this week to get a feel for the remaining membership and whether it was committed to remain together.
“We wanted to squelch rumors that the league was breaking apart or realigning,” said Lynch. “We want to look at the direction, the future we want to take as a league.”
Lynch said all schools indicated they were committed to keeping the SBAAC together.
“We want to keep what we currently have,” Lynch said. “It’s been a good league to us.”
Other than football, Lynch said school are currently working on a 10-team format for the 2017-18 athletic season. In order to alter that scheduling process and add another school, Lynch said any additions would need to be voted on by the league’s Executive Council by the end of the current school year.
