Southwestern Conference (Ohio)
The Southwestern Conference is a Ohio High School Athletic Association athletic league that began conference play in 1937 and is made up of member schools of Cuyahoga and Lorain counties in Ohio. [1]
Current members
| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avon | Eagles | Avon | Purple & gold |
2015– | |
| Avon Lake | Shoremen | Avon | Maroon & gold |
1964– | |
| Berea-Midpark | Titans | Berea | Blue & orange |
2013– | |
| Elyria | Pioneers | Elyria | Red & white
|
2021– | |
| Marion L. Steele | Comets | Amherst | Forest green & gold |
1947–1958; 1986– | |
| Midview | Middies | Grafton | Blue & silver |
2015– | |
| North Ridgeville | Rangers | North Ridgeville | Navy blue & yellow |
2015– | |
| Olmsted Falls | Bulldogs | Olmsted Falls | Navy blue & yellow |
1954– |
Former members
| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay | Rockets | Bay Village | Blue, white and red
|
1954–2005 | left for West Shore |
| Berea | Braves | Berea | Scarlet and blue
|
1937–1950; 2005–2013 | left in 1950 for Greater Cleveland, consolidated into Berea-Midpark |
| Brecksville-Broadview Heights | Bees | Broadview Heights | Crimson and gold |
2005–2015 | left for Suburban |
| Clearview | Clippers | Lorain | Blue and gold
|
1945–1954 | left for Lakeland |
| Fairview | Warriors | Fairview Park | Scarlet and gray
|
1940–2005 | left for West Shore |
| Medina | Bees | Medina | Green and gold
|
1947–1986 | left for Pioneer |
| Midpark | Meteors | Middlesburg Heights | Brown and orange
|
2005–2013 | consolidated into Berea-Midpark |
| North Olmsted | Eagles | North Olmsted | Orange and black | 1954–2021 | left for Great Lakes |
| Oberlin | Indians | Oberlin | Blue, white and red
|
1937–1964 | left for Lakeland |
| Lakewood | Rangers | Lakewood | Purple & gold |
2015–2020 | left for Great Lakes |
| Rocky River | Pirates | Rocky River | Maroon and white
|
1937–2005 | left for West Shore |
| Wellington | Dukes | Wellington | Maroon and white
|
1945–1954 | left for Lakeland |
| Westlake | Demons | Westlake | Forest Green and white
|
1954–2021 | left for Great Lakes |
Membership Timeline
Source:[2]
History
The Southwestern Conference (SWC) was established during the 1937 school year with founding members Berea, Oberlin, and Rocky River. Three years later, in 1940, Fairview joined the league. Expansion continued in 1945 with the addition of Wellington and Clearview. Just two years later, in 1947, Medina and Steele were also admitted, further strengthening the conference.
The SWC saw its first major change in 1950 when founding member Berea departed for the Greater Cleveland Conference. In 1954, Olmsted Falls, Westlake, and Bay joined the league, replacing Clearview, Steele, and Wellington, which had left for the Lakeland Conference.
In 1964, Avon Lake became a member of the SWC, while founding member Oberlin exited the conference that same year.
The conference remained relatively stable until 1986, when Steele rejoined the SWC, coinciding with Medina’s departure to the Pioneer Conference.
A significant shift occurred in 2005 when Bay, Fairview, and the final founding member, Rocky River, left to form the West Shore Conference. To fill the void, Brecksville-Broadview Heights and Midpark were added that same year.
Another major transition came in the 2013–2014 school year, when Midpark High School merged with Berea High School to create Berea-Midpark High School.[3] To accommodate this change, Avon High School joined the SWC in 2015–2016, along with Lakewood and Midview.[4] During this period, Brecksville-Broadview Heights accepted an invitation to join the Suburban League in 2013 and departed the SWC after the 2014–2015 school year.[5] North Ridgeville was subsequently approved to join the conference in 2015–2016 as its replacement.[6]
In 2019, Lakewood announced it would leave the SWC following the 2019–2020 school year to join the Great Lakes Conference. Elyria was then accepted as its replacement, beginning in the 2021–2022 season.[7] Further changes came in February 2020, when North Olmsted and Westlake announced their departures from the SWC to also join the Great Lakes Conference starting in the 2021–2022 school year.[8]
References
- ^ Perry, Mike (March 20, 2013). "Midview to join SWC in 2015-16". Ohio Prep Zone. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ^ "History - SWC Athletics". SWC Athletics. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
- ^ The 'Titans' is the Berea school district's new mascot starting in 2013-14
- ^ Perry, Mike (March 20, 2013). "Midview to join SWC in 2015-16". Ohio Prep Zone. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ^ "Elyria and Lorain County news | Chronicle Telegram".
- ^ "Ohio Prep Zone". www.ohioprepzone.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013.
- ^ "Southwestern Conference to welcome Elyria in 2021-22". SWC Athletics. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
- ^ Goul, Matt; clevel; .com (February 20, 2020). "North Olmsted, Westlake leaving Southwestern Conference for Great Lakes Conference". cleveland. Retrieved February 20, 2020.