Elmwood will join the newly-formed Northern Buckeye Conference, according to a press release sent from
the school this morning.
“We look forward to the new league competition within the NBC … and continued rivalries with our former
(Suburban Lakes League) league schools,” the release stated.
Elmwood, a current member of the SLL, will begin competition in the NBC for the 2011-12 school year. The
NBC already consists of current SLL members Eastwood, Lake, Genoa, Otsego, and Woodmore, as well as the
Northern Lakes League’s Rossford and the Northern Ohio League’s Fostoria.
Elmwood’s decision comes a day after the Midland Athletic League’s Executive Committee met to address the
request of Elmwood, as well as fellow SLL member Gibsonburg, to be admitted to the league.
The schools were denied admission into the MAL because the vote did not reach the mandatory approval of
80 percent of the member schools, or 10 of 12 votes, required by the league constitution, according to a
press release from MAL secretary John Brueggemeier.
“The opportunity to join either league, we feel, would have been a positive experience and an exciting
new chapter in Elmwood athletic competition,” the release said. “We are grateful to both leagues for
considering our applications, and the vote of confidence extended by the NBC to the Elmwood Schools and
its athletes.”
According to the president of the MAL Executive Committee, Carey superintendent Mark Vehre, items that
were discussed at the vote included distances and time for travel if Elmwood and Gibsonburg were added
to the league, as well as certain MAL schools having to give up non-league rivalry games to make room
for two additional league schools on the schedule.
“It just didn’t work out this time,” Vehre explained. “It’s nothing against (Elmwood and Gibonsburg),
they’re very good schools and have very good traditions.”
“We didn’t go out looking. They applied to us,” said Vehre of Elmwood and Gibsonburg. “If this happens
(again) we will take each on a case by case basis and see how it fits at that particular time.”