OVC & SOC Merge Talk

[Dundas]

Would River Valley be interested in coming back to the OVC? They seem pretty happy in the TVC.

[TigerBob]

The schools that might be interested in the OVC don’t make sense for multiple members. The schools the OVC is interested in don’t make sense for those schools.

A lot of people on here assuming Ironton is the primary mover here but I have heard otherwise. Ironton wouldn’t hate opening up some dates for football. Some schools (CG specifically) looking for more competitive balance, especially in football. The scenario Matt just posted (taking 4 schools and putting them in the bottom half with two current members) might be the only realistic scenario that works for enough parties.

[goUK]

i dont see any way to make this league any better unless you add jackson or waverly. The only reason to expand is to beef up the football side of the OVC. THE OVC IS A GREAT BASKETBALL LEAGUE, EVEN ROCK HILL SHOWED IMPROVEMENT THIS YEAR. I disagree with a merger. Tradition should mean something. The OVC and SOC should live on forever based on location and rivalries. What is the point in CG playing Northwest in a conference game? If they wanted to play so badly, they can schedule a non-conference game. Just split the OVC in to 2 football divisions and keep everything else the same. If the below would happen, all other sports should be one conference.

Jackson
Waverly
Ironton
Gallia Academy
Fairland

Portsmouth
South Point
Chesapeake
Rock Hill
Coal Grove

[TigerBob]

Why on earth would Waverly leave the SOC to join the OVC?

[2trap_4ever]

Lets go all out
OVC 1
Ironton
Gallia
Huntington High
Cabell Midland
Spring Valley
Fairland

OVC2
Portsmouth
Peake
South Point
Rock Hill
Coal Grove
Wayne

When you can't get Ohio schools look at West Virginia.

[Mulga Roadrunner]

I’d be up for Wellston joining if oak hill and River valley went with us.

[Vegeta]

Hear Jackson is interested

If that is true, I'm thinking Jackson and Oak Hill might be exactly what the league had in mind when this expansion was announced.

Ironton
Portsmouth
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Fairland

South Point
Rock Hill
Oak Hill
Dawson-Bryant
Chesapeake

[art_vandelay]

Hear Jackson is interested

If that is true, I'm thinking Jackson and Oak Hill might be exactly what the league had in mind when this expansion was announced.

Ironton
Portsmouth
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Fairland

South Point
Rock Hill
Oak Hill
Dawson-Bryant
Chesapeake

That's pretty good. Still think 4 additions would be best for OVC for football scheduling purposes, though. Jackson, River Valley, Oak Hill, and Symmes Valley would be perfect mix for big school/small school divisions.*

[Speedy991]

[media][/media]

Call Ironton. I’d guarantee they would entertain the move to the SOC. I don’t think Wheelersburg would want them in though.

Yeah the burgs obviously ducking them

I’m not a burg fan. But burg isn’t ducking anyone. Portsmouth won’t go to the soc because burg is there every year. After burg beat them at Portsmouth new field on opening night they haven’t played again. If Portsmouth wasn’t afraid of burg they would played this year 2022 they both had an open week. And Portsmouth wouldn’t play. Burg scheduled some team from Cinncinatti

[mattash]

Would be legit for travel and competition

Ironton
Portsmouth
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Fairland
River Valley

South Point
Rock Hill
Oak Hill
Dawson-Bryant
Chesapeake
Symmes Valley

[trojandave]

To expand with whomever takes a vote of the member schools.......does the OVC require a unanimous yes vote or a majority yes vote?

[BuckeyeBlood]

Would be legit for travel and competition

Ironton
Portsmouth
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Fairland
River Valley

South Point
Rock Hill
Oak Hill
Dawson-Bryant
Chesapeake
Symmes Valley

Why would RV want to do this? Most years that’s a guaranteed 0-5 blood bath conference schedule, maybe occasionally beating a down Portsmouth or Fairland once in a blue moon. They’d get beat up against most of those schools. I know they fit size wise, but competition wise not at all in football.

[BuckeyeBlood]

[media][/media]

Call Ironton. I’d guarantee they would entertain the move to the SOC. I don’t think Wheelersburg would want them in though.

Yeah the burgs obviously ducking them

I’m not a burg fan. But burg isn’t ducking anyone. Portsmouth won’t go to the soc because burg is there every year. After burg beat them at Portsmouth new field on opening night they haven’t played again. If Portsmouth wasn’t afraid of burg they would played this year 2022 they both had an open week. And Portsmouth wouldn’t play. Burg scheduled some team from Cinncinatti

Portsmouth beat West to open up their new stadium, so clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about there. As far as this past season Portsmouth picking up Waverly made more sense than picking up Burg even though both were open week 4. Both schools had seen one another in a scrimmage, didn’t need a ton of preparation to play since they had seen one another 5 weeks earlier. Kalb the Portsmouth coach had ties to Waverly. Waverly had one heck of a good season. Portsmouth could’ve won that game. It was the correct choice. 2022 could’ve been a nice matchup. Burg will be good, Portsmouth will likely take a step back. We don’t know if either school reached out to one another, and if so who said no. Portsmouth plays Spring Valley who is no joke, so it’s not like they told Burg no so they could play Green. Burg picked a nice tough game as well. As far as Portsmouth dropping Burg idk who dropped who. If Burg dropped Portsmouth it was because playing better competition benefitted them more than the gate. If Portsmouth dropped Burg I assume it was to gain a more winnable game as opposed to gaining the gate. I think both schools should play. 2021 Burg wins imo but it would’ve been much more of a competitive game than we seen the last several years they played. I wish they would renew the series. But no, that’s not why Portsmouth won’t go to the SOC. It’s because the SOC said no. Clearly you don’t think Portsmouth can just say okay we would join but Burg is there so hard pass? Portsmouth is a great fit in the SOC and should be there. They would be there currently if the school in the SOC 1 would’ve said yes.

[trojandave]

BuckeyeBlood: I totally agree that Portsmouth should play Wheelersburg and it shouldn't have been discontinued in the first place. I can say that when the Trojans played at Rock Hill a number of years ago, I was told by an unimpeachable source that Portsmouth decided to drop the Burg on account of not being competitive against them any more. The year the series was discontinued was supposed to be a home game for the Trojans, so PHS lost out on a big gate regardless of how the game would have turned out.

[Vegeta]

Hear Jackson is interested

If that is true, I'm thinking Jackson and Oak Hill might be exactly what the league had in mind when this expansion was announced.

Ironton
Portsmouth
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Fairland

South Point
Rock Hill
Oak Hill
Dawson-Bryant
Chesapeake

That's pretty good. Still think 4 additions would be best for OVC for football scheduling purposes, though. Jackson, River Valley, Oak Hill, and Symmes Valley would be perfect mix for big school/small school divisions.*

4 additions would be nice, but I think the OVC should make Jackson and Oak Hill top priorities. I think it makes sense for all schools involved from a travel and competition perspective. With basically everyone making the playoffs the way they are now set-up, Jackson playing against smaller schools really isn't that big of a deal. The league would be easy on travel and highly competitive in all sports. Jackson would still have plenty of non-league games to play larger schools like Logan, Chillicothe, Athens etc. Oak Hill would automatically get away from playing Wheelersburg and Waverly every year which has to be attractive to them. All the schools in the smaller OVC division are around the same size and competition level. As with Jackson, they could still schedule any school they like from the SOC as a non-league game. The only real downside is travel up and down 93.

Based on River Valley's size and location, the TVC Ohio is the absolute best league for them. They honestly can't do any better. I would be shocked if they ever left for another conference. The OVC would be great for Symmes Valley for travel, but I think they might be a bit undersized. Sure, they could compete from time to time. However, most years I think they find themselves on the wrong side of some lopsided losses in all sports. The SOC I is probably a better fit for them. Especially now that their old rival South Gallia is a member.

[GoBucks1047]

If River Valley doesn't want to join and Jackson is pursued, how about Point Pleasant for the 2nd large school while Oak Hill and Symmes Valley joins the smaller schools.

[mattash]

Could you play two leagues? Could Jackson play OVC and FAC?

[noreply66]

Could you play two leagues? Could Jackson play OVC and FAC?

Wasn't Warren playing in two leagues at once before the SEOAL shutdown?

[Shoedaddy]

What is the status of Northwest as far as football goes in the SOC? Are they being forced to make that move back to SOC II soon?
If so then I could possibly see them interested in parting ways and joining the OVC.. playing a football schedule consisting of South Point, Chesapeake, Rock Hill etc as opposed to Burg, Waverly, West, Minford..
The gates would not be as large at home games from visiting Lawrence Co teams as you would get from SOC II, but the success rate could increase.

On average, every trip would be 50 miles more. Sometimes we only think of Friday nights in the fall. But this includes JR. High bus trips on Monday nights and Girls Basketball on Thursday. Would cost NW thousands of $$$

[Shoedaddy]

I would like to see a league outside of a league for Football: For example, everyone stays in their league but schools like Jackson, Ironton, Chillicothe, Logan, and Burg play each other (many of these matchups already exist) it would help for scheduling and probably be a more difficult title to obtain than their current league title. I don't think it is needed for the other sports, football seems to be the concern for most.