SOC to vote on 3 Football Divisions (Thurs.)

[CuckooNest]

Never quite understood the SOC 1 and 2 being considered 1 conference. SOC 1 should take care of their affairs and SOC2 theirs. Also, non football schools shouldn't even have a say what conferences football school play football in.

Besides, rumor has that the vote was shadier than 2020's Mail in and drop box votes. What the hell is a secret vote all about? Are the powers that be really that spineless?

I've said it before though, if OH and NW don't want to play with the big boys, find another conference. They could already have 2 charter members.

Submit a Sunshine Act request to your member district for any and all conference related communications, records, votes etc and you’ll find out. About as bad as the OHSAA masquerading as a quasi government agency with no oversight.

[Vegeta]

I have no idea why the SOC and OVC refuse to compromise on a blended football only conference. There is a solution to this competitive balance issue, but it's like the powers that be won't take yes for an answer. Times change and so do traditions. Southeast Ohio needs to get with the times.

SOVC
Ironton
Portsmouth
Gallia Academy
Fairland
Waverly
Wheelersburg
Portsmouth West

SOVC
Minford
Northwest
Valley
Oak Hill
Coal Grove
South Point
Chesapeake
Rock Hill

[bfry]

Did the Athletic Directors or Superintendents vote?

[Sonny Weaver]

Does anyone know the results of what happened at the meeting?

Officially voted down.

it's never gonna happen. Would need to add too many teams to the conference.

[CuckooNest]

I have no idea why the SOC and OVC refuse to compromise on a blended football only conference. There is a solution to this competitive balance issue, but it's like the powers that be won't take yes for an answer. Times change and so do traditions. Southeast Ohio needs to get with the times.

SOVC
Ironton
Portsmouth
Gallia Academy
Fairland
Waverly
Wheelersburg
Portsmouth West

SOVC
Minford
Northwest
Valley
Oak Hill
Coal Grove
South Point
Chesapeake
Rock Hill

Would just make too much sense I guess.

[jujubean]

I don't understand the expedience in getting 3 conferences for basketball and baseball where a split was not warranted. Competition in basketball and baseball was fairly even. Football is the only sport where there has been total dominance by a couple of schools and traditionally 2 others that have not had much success in SOC2. IMO football was the only conference that needed fixed.

[greygoose]

I don't understand the expedience in getting 3 conferences for basketball and baseball where a split was not warranted. Competition in basketball and baseball was fairly even. Football is the only sport where there has been total dominance by a couple of schools and traditionally 2 others that have not had much success in SOC2. IMO football was the only conference that needed fixed.

And how do you fix it if you keep all teams and add none status quo?? Easy to say without a plan.

[greygoose]

I have no idea why the SOC and OVC refuse to compromise on a blended football only conference. There is a solution to this competitive balance issue, but it's like the powers that be won't take yes for an answer. Times change and so do traditions. Southeast Ohio needs to get with the times.

SOVC
Ironton
Portsmouth
Gallia Academy
Fairland
Waverly
Wheelersburg
Portsmouth West

SOVC
Minford
Northwest
Valley
Oak Hill
Coal Grove
South Point
Chesapeake
Rock Hill

This ship has sailed, neither have interest in it especially the OVC they already voted down an expansion earlier this year. They got rid of the problem and they’re set no need in saying this is what they should do.

[jujubean]

I don't understand the expedience in getting 3 conferences for basketball and baseball where a split was not warranted. Competition in basketball and baseball was fairly even. Football is the only sport where there has been total dominance by a couple of schools and traditionally 2 others that have not had much success in SOC2. IMO football was the only conference that needed fixed.

And how do you fix it if you keep all teams and add none status quo?? Easy to say without a plan.

My point is, greygoose, that if you are able to change baseball and basketball then you should have already had a plan for football. Several ideas are floating around to add OVC schools. Apparently OVC schools weren't willing to join or weren't asked. As stated in previous post, my advice to Northwest and Oak Hill is to leave the conference all together. I can't rehash all that I've posted on what I think the SOC2 should like. Not sure what you are getting at by "easy to say without a plan" No sh!+ sherlock, this is an opinion forum.

[greygoose]

I don't understand the expedience in getting 3 conferences for basketball and baseball where a split was not warranted. Competition in basketball and baseball was fairly even. Football is the only sport where there has been total dominance by a couple of schools and traditionally 2 others that have not had much success in SOC2. IMO football was the only conference that needed fixed.

And how do you fix it if you keep all teams and add none status quo?? Easy to say without a plan.

My point is, greygoose, that if you are able to change baseball and basketball then you should have already had a plan for football. Several ideas are floating around to add OVC schools. Apparently OVC schools weren't willing to join or weren't asked. As stated in previous post, my advice to Northwest and Oak Hill is to leave the conference all together. I can't rehash all that I've posted on what I think the SOC2 should like. Not sure what you are getting at by "easy to say without a plan" No sh!+ sherlock, this is an opinion forum.

A lot easier to do it in baseball and basketball when you have what 4 other schools who you add into the mix with baseball and basketball but don't have that option for football because well they don't have football. NW and OH should leave it's their only option, as I stated above the OVC wasn't interested in entertaining a merger now does that mean in 4 months they won't be, no but with Ironton out of the mix in football I believe they're set. Seemed pretty straight and forward on the easy without a plan comment, I mean you said if baseball and basketball can then football can too. Like POOF it's fixed without any semblance of a idea on how. Best idea is just OH head to the TVC and NW can figure their own crap out because both TVC and OVC isn't really feasible from a driving standpoint overall.

[art_vandelay]

I don't understand the expedience in getting 3 conferences for basketball and baseball where a split was not warranted. Competition in basketball and baseball was fairly even. Football is the only sport where there has been total dominance by a couple of schools and traditionally 2 others that have not had much success in SOC2. IMO football was the only conference that needed fixed.

And how do you fix it if you keep all teams and add none status quo?? Easy to say without a plan.

My point is, greygoose, that if you are able to change baseball and basketball then you should have already had a plan for football. Several ideas are floating around to add OVC schools. Apparently OVC schools weren't willing to join or weren't asked. As stated in previous post, my advice to Northwest and Oak Hill is to leave the conference all together. I can't rehash all that I've posted on what I think the SOC2 should like. Not sure what you are getting at by "easy to say without a plan" No sh!+ sherlock, this is an opinion forum.

You guys are both right. Oak Hill and Northwest's only other option at this point is to leave the SOC. Think that option is more likely for Oak Hill with the TVC being a perfect fit. SVC the only real option I see for Northwest, but again, not sure if SVC would be interested in adding Northwest.

OVC may be interested in adding one or both schools, but like greygoose said, Ironton football leaving solved all of the OVC's problems. They're definitely not concerned now with solving the SOC's problems via a merger.*

[RollCoal]

I think the biggest issue with any possible merger between the SOC and OVC is this;

Logistics. It would make some of the travel between schools kinda difficult. Especially if it were divided by enrollment numbers or competition levels. Gallia/Fairland to Waverly for example. Or Northwest to Chesapeake.
As stated above, Ironton exiting in football only appeased some of the OVC schools. A few of them decided to keep Ironton on the schedule.

[TigerBob]

Football is the driver of all these moves even though it is one of a dozen or so sports at each school. It’s no different from the NCAA where UCLA’s volleyball team will now be traveling to Rutgers because of football. It’s silly.

If the SOC and OVC could do a football only merger, that would solve all problems. Even leaving Ironton out of it, as I’m sure a bunch of SOC schools would require, would leave you the possibility of making 3 good leagues.

Top:

Wheelersburg
Waverly
West
Valley/Minford
Portsmouth
Gallia
Fairland

Middle:

Valley/Minford
Oak Hill
Northwest
Coal Grove
Rock Hill
South Point
Chesapeake

Bottom: Current SOC1

Either send Valley and Minford to the top or middle to even out the top and middle league. SOC1 wouldn’t have to worry about Northwest or Oak Hill ever playing down again, so even with no change for them they should support it.

[FIDO]

Football is the driver of all these moves even though it is one of a dozen or so sports at each school. It’s no different from the NCAA where UCLA’s volleyball team will now be traveling to Rutgers because of football. It’s silly.

If the SOC and OVC could do a football only merger, that would solve all problems. Even leaving Ironton out of it, as I’m sure a bunch of SOC schools would require, would leave you the possibility of making 3 good leagues.

Top:

Wheelersburg
Waverly
West
Valley/Minford
Portsmouth
Gallia
Fairland

Middle:

Valley/Minford
Oak Hill
Northwest
Coal Grove
Rock Hill
South Point
Chesapeake

Bottom: Current SOC1

Either send Valley and Minford to the top or middle to even out the top and middle league. SOC1 wouldn’t have to worry about Northwest or Oak Hill ever playing down again, so even with no change for them they should support it.

The solutions are there but the will isn't. The top division I wanna see more than anything else, minus Minford and Valley. They couldn't realistically compete annually. 5 league games and you allow teams to play opponents in the middle tier, traditional competition and/or schedule up.

[jujubean]

Greygoose, I don't think I said if baseball and basketball made the change then POOF so could football. What I wrote was that I didn't understand how it could be done or even WHY it was done in basketball and baseball and football (which is the sport that needed the change) wasn't.

Sounds like you may be an AD. It's ok, WB and West will continue to smack the others around in football...even in our "down" years.

[TigerBob]

Football is the driver of all these moves even though it is one of a dozen or so sports at each school. It’s no different from the NCAA where UCLA’s volleyball team will now be traveling to Rutgers because of football. It’s silly.

If the SOC and OVC could do a football only merger, that would solve all problems. Even leaving Ironton out of it, as I’m sure a bunch of SOC schools would require, would leave you the possibility of making 3 good leagues.

Top:

Wheelersburg
Waverly
West
Valley/Minford
Portsmouth
Gallia
Fairland

Middle:

Valley/Minford
Oak Hill
Northwest
Coal Grove
Rock Hill
South Point
Chesapeake

Bottom: Current SOC1

Either send Valley and Minford to the top or middle to even out the top and middle league. SOC1 wouldn’t have to worry about Northwest or Oak Hill ever playing down again, so even with no change for them they should support it.

The solutions are there but the will isn't. The top division I wanna see more than anything else, minus Minford and Valley. They couldn't realistically compete annually. 5 league games and you allow teams to play opponents in the middle tier, traditional competition and/or schedule up.

It seems clear to me that Oak Hill and Northwest have no place in the SOC as currently set up. Oak Hill and Northwest want no part of being in SOC2, and I imagine most of the rest of those teams aren't thrilled with playing them every year. The SOC1 teams have no interest in playing them or they'd already be there. So those two schools are leaving at the first chance they get. Northwest probably doesn't have a great option, but Oak Hill does.

So, the SOC2 in football will be left with Wheelersburg, West, Waverly, Valley, and Minford. That's a league I guess, but not a great one. You're guaranteed a team on a bye every week and you don't start league play until W6. You're still finding six games a year, which is a lot, and these need to be found during the back half of the year when everyone is in their league play. Maybe Northwest stays in, which fixes your bye issues and makes a clean 5 game schedule, but they offer little to nothing from a competition standpoint.

Either way Northwest decides, the SOC2 should be looking to improve their football league. Jackson would be a great fit but they seem to have finally found a place. Someone should make the call and be told no, but the call should be made. The OVC schools are the only other options that make sense. Chesapeake, Rock Hill, South Point, and Coal Grove would likely have no interest in becoming the SOC2's newest version of Oak Hill and Northwest. Gallia wouldn't be a great fit in all sports, but as a football only option it makes more sense. Fairland is much of the same story. Portsmouth is by far the best option and should have been in the SOC2 years ago if not for, we will say, bad reasons.

Change is coming for the SOC2 in football. You can stick with what you have and have a poor league or you can look to improve and make a great league for our part of the state.

[FIDO]

Football is the driver of all these moves even though it is one of a dozen or so sports at each school. It’s no different from the NCAA where UCLA’s volleyball team will now be traveling to Rutgers because of football. It’s silly.

If the SOC and OVC could do a football only merger, that would solve all problems. Even leaving Ironton out of it, as I’m sure a bunch of SOC schools would require, would leave you the possibility of making 3 good leagues.

Top:

Wheelersburg
Waverly
West
Valley/Minford
Portsmouth
Gallia
Fairland

Middle:

Valley/Minford
Oak Hill
Northwest
Coal Grove
Rock Hill
South Point
Chesapeake

Bottom: Current SOC1

Either send Valley and Minford to the top or middle to even out the top and middle league. SOC1 wouldn’t have to worry about Northwest or Oak Hill ever playing down again, so even with no change for them they should support it.

The solutions are there but the will isn't. The top division I wanna see more than anything else, minus Minford and Valley. They couldn't realistically compete annually. 5 league games and you allow teams to play opponents in the middle tier, traditional competition and/or schedule up.

It seems clear to me that Oak Hill and Northwest have no place in the SOC as currently set up. Oak Hill and Northwest want no part of being in SOC2, and I imagine most of the rest of those teams aren't thrilled with playing them every year. The SOC1 teams have no interest in playing them or they'd already be there. So those two schools are leaving at the first chance they get. Northwest probably doesn't have a great option, but Oak Hill does.

So, the SOC2 in football will be left with Wheelersburg, West, Waverly, Valley, and Minford. That's a league I guess, but not a great one. You're guaranteed a team on a bye every week and you don't start league play until W6. You're still finding six games a year, which is a lot, and these need to be found during the back half of the year when everyone is in their league play. Maybe Northwest stays in, which fixes your bye issues and makes a clean 5 game schedule, but they offer little to nothing from a competition standpoint.

Either way Northwest decides, the SOC2 should be looking to improve their football league. Jackson would be a great fit but they seem to have finally found a place. Someone should make the call and be told no, but the call should be made. The OVC schools are the only other options that make sense. Chesapeake, Rock Hill, South Point, and Coal Grove would likely have no interest in becoming the SOC2's newest version of Oak Hill and Northwest. Gallia wouldn't be a great fit in all sports, but as a football only option it makes more sense. Fairland is much of the same story. Portsmouth is by far the best option and should have been in the SOC2 years ago if not for, we will say, bad reasons.

Change is coming for the SOC2 in football. You can stick with what you have and have a poor league or you can look to improve and make a great league for our part of the state.

I agree and I'm sold, especially with the addition of GA and Fairland. Valley and Minford can't compete annually. But

Burg
Ironton
Ptown
GA
Fairland
West
Waverly

That's one heck of a league and weekly games of the week. Strong D 4 and D5 teams.

[greygoose]

Football is the driver of all these moves even though it is one of a dozen or so sports at each school. It’s no different from the NCAA where UCLA’s volleyball team will now be traveling to Rutgers because of football. It’s silly.

If the SOC and OVC could do a football only merger, that would solve all problems. Even leaving Ironton out of it, as I’m sure a bunch of SOC schools would require, would leave you the possibility of making 3 good leagues.

Top:

Wheelersburg
Waverly
West
Valley/Minford
Portsmouth
Gallia
Fairland

Middle:

Valley/Minford
Oak Hill
Northwest
Coal Grove
Rock Hill
South Point
Chesapeake

Bottom: Current SOC1

Either send Valley and Minford to the top or middle to even out the top and middle league. SOC1 wouldn’t have to worry about Northwest or Oak Hill ever playing down again, so even with no change for them they should support it.

The solutions are there but the will isn't. The top division I wanna see more than anything else, minus Minford and Valley. They couldn't realistically compete annually. 5 league games and you allow teams to play opponents in the middle tier, traditional competition and/or schedule up.

It seems clear to me that Oak Hill and Northwest have no place in the SOC as currently set up. Oak Hill and Northwest want no part of being in SOC2, and I imagine most of the rest of those teams aren't thrilled with playing them every year. The SOC1 teams have no interest in playing them or they'd already be there. So those two schools are leaving at the first chance they get. Northwest probably doesn't have a great option, but Oak Hill does.

So, the SOC2 in football will be left with Wheelersburg, West, Waverly, Valley, and Minford. That's a league I guess, but not a great one. You're guaranteed a team on a bye every week and you don't start league play until W6. You're still finding six games a year, which is a lot, and these need to be found during the back half of the year when everyone is in their league play. Maybe Northwest stays in, which fixes your bye issues and makes a clean 5 game schedule, but they offer little to nothing from a competition standpoint.

Either way Northwest decides, the SOC2 should be looking to improve their football league. Jackson would be a great fit but they seem to have finally found a place. Someone should make the call and be told no, but the call should be made. The OVC schools are the only other options that make sense. Chesapeake, Rock Hill, South Point, and Coal Grove would likely have no interest in becoming the SOC2's newest version of Oak Hill and Northwest. Gallia wouldn't be a great fit in all sports, but as a football only option it makes more sense. Fairland is much of the same story. Portsmouth is by far the best option and should have been in the SOC2 years ago if not for, we will say, bad reasons.

Change is coming for the SOC2 in football. You can stick with what you have and have a poor league or you can look to improve and make a great league for our part of the state.

Old school thoughts trapped in within the powers to be in the SOC, change isn’t coming. They had chances for change and have never jumped on board or attempted anything. Only way change happens with that group when it comes to football is if it’s forced on them and OH leaving isn’t enough to push that change either.

[mattash]

Short term solution to save oak hill from jumping ?

Soc 3
West
Burg
Waverly
Minford
Ironton

Soc 2
Valley
Northwest
Oak hill
Symmes valley
South Gallia

Soc 1
Green
East
Notre dame
Manchester
Eastern

[jujubean]

That looks about as good as I've seen. It gives Ironton football a competitive home and gives NW, OH and Valley a solid chance to compete as well. Who will not go for this alignment is Minford.