Future TVC Divisions

[teach1coach2]

I frequent this site during football season and occasionally in between. I knew that River Valley was joining the TVC in 2014, but until recently had missed the new divisions split. Looked at it recently on wikipedia. I have to say, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? A 16 team league with a 6 team Ohio, 5 team Hocking North, and 5 team Hocking South. Since gas prices could realistically be $5 a gallon by the time RV joins, I know why I am hearing school(s) are looking at other league possibilities. As a grad of a TVC school who lives in a county outside of TVC country, I first wonder why they did not do like pretty much all 16 team leagues and have two 8 team divisions. Likely it would be done by school size (versus geography due to the range of school sizes). Looking at the number of boys in those 16 schools (grades 9-11 from two years ago used by OHSAA to determine divisions) the divisions would look like this:

Ohio
Athens (297)
Vinton County (271)
Meigs (209)
River Valley (190)
Wellston (188)
Alexander (171)
Nelsonville-York (151)
Belpre (145)

Hocking
Federal Hocking (138)
Wahama (109 - estimated based on 7-12 total enrollment)
Trimble 107
Miller 104
South Gallia 91
Waterford 89
Eastern Meigs 87
Southern Meigs 76

A policy could be put in place that the divisions be changed every two years based on school size. Current Ohio division schools could be grandfathered into the Ohio in case NY dropped into the bottom 8. Belpre and FH would likely change/swap divisions every few years.

I have some "other thoughts" on how divisions could be split, but I would like to see the thoughts/reactions to this first.

[fortdawg]

I don't see anything terrible with this----Belpre may not be wild about being back in the Ohio for football but would be competitive in most other sports----These bigger number leagues are playoff generating machines---look at the Hocking, everyone but Southern has made it in football----I sure hope your wrong on one thing---gas prices.

If gas hits your prediction then it starts to hurt when you send buses to some of the schools on the edge.

I could see the league splitting up among sports----does it make economic sense to have Miller and South Gallia competing against each other in spring sports? Girls basketball and volleyball also take it on the chin due to travel (the day after is a school night)----I think your set up would be good for football and boys basketball and these are the driving forces in league formation and retention---Wahama might argue this last statement.

[Orange and Brown]

Well as of right now, River Valley will be joining the Ohio and the Hocking will stay just as it is.

[A-Town Big Dog]

Not to beat a dead horse on the subject but I really believe that the TVC will expand to 18 teams and likely 3 divisions of 6 in the near future. I feel that with the departure of Chillicothe and I believe I heard Portsmouth also from the SEOAL will leave the remaining schools with little option but to seek out other league affiliations. I'd say Gallia and Jackson could/would likely find homes in the SOC and Logan likely to look for something closer to central Ohio but I don't see a better option than the TVC for Warren. Of course this is all speculation and fun to talk about (unless you are in the SEOAL) but I think everyone knows something will have to give.

[Orange and Brown]

Not to beat a dead horse on the subject but I really believe that the TVC will expand to 18 teams and likely 3 divisions of 6 in the near future. I feel that with the departure of Chillicothe and I believe I heard Portsmouth also from the SEOAL will leave the remaining schools with little option but to seek out other league affiliations. I'd say Gallia and Jackson could/would likely find homes in the SOC and Logan likely to look for something closer to central Ohio but I don't see a better option than the TVC for Warren. Of course this is all speculation and fun to talk about (unless you are in the SEOAL) but I think everyone knows something will have to give.

Agreed!

[Neil]

Yep. It's the elephant in the room. Just a matter of time.

[NYBuckeye96]

I think the 3 division TVC layout has been put on hold for now. River Valley was originally to join the TVC OHIO and then the Hocking schools were asked who wanted to step up to the Ohio. Trimble was the only school to consider a move up to the Ohio, but ultimately declined. This created mismatched divisions in terms of number of schools, so the TVC decided to go with the 3 division split, and have River Valley join some of the Hocking schools in a division. However, since that time, the TVC changed it's mind and put the 3 division split on hold. I don't know if that means River Valley now joins the Ohio or if its still up in the air. I think it is purposefully ambiguous right now because of the collapse of the SEOAL as we know it. River Valley was voted into the TVC over a year ago, but the move doesn't take effect until the fall of 2014. That gives the TVC plenty of time to read the landscape of southeastern Ohio sports in terms of what direction to go. I think the SEOAL and TVC will eventually merge and have divisions based on size and/or competativeness.

[fortdawg]

I personally don't feel the need to rescue the SEOAL. How is that the TVC'S problem? Who will push for this in the Ohio---Certainly not VC, ALEX, or Wellston if the only thing that gets done is adding Division II Warren.

Where's the sugar for VC or Meigs to go into a division made up of Gallia, Warren, Jackson, and Athens. VC competes right away in Boys Basketball but what else? Pick a sport where Meigs looks at this and says I can win the league right now. Both of these programs are building in football and adding teams from the SEOAL doesn't make that any easier. You could argue that it would set both programs back.

[NYBuckeye96]

I personally don't feel the need to rescue the SEOAL. How is that the TVC'S problem? Who will push for this in the Ohio---Certainly not VC, ALEX, or Wellston if the only thing that gets done is adding Division II Warren.

Where's the sugar for VC or Meigs to go into a division made up of Gallia, Warren, Jackson, and Athens. VC competes right away in Boys Basketball but what else? Pick a sport where Meigs looks at this and says I can win the league right now. Both of these programs are building in football and adding teams from the SEOAL doesn't make that any easier. You could argue that it would set both programs back.

You could take the current SEOAL and only add Athens and that gives you one division right there in terms of numbers. If any smaller school wanted to join them, it shouldn't be a problem, but it wouldn't be a requirement.

[A-Town Big Dog]

I think Warren is the only no brainer addition from the SEOAL, they are kinda stuck location wise. Gallia or Jackson could possibly gain some traction but I still feel they would most likely go the SOC route given the opportunity and the likely hood of all three is a pipe dream, I could see the TVC making a push to gain either Gallia or Jackson but certainly not both and more likely in my opinion they would go for another smaller school like maybe Fort Frey before they would go for either of them. Also I wouldn't count out the possibility of Marietta either if a bigger school is desired, I think Marietta is regretting the change they made and would be open to listening at least.

[A-Town Big Dog]

While I think Athens is VERY happy and grateful to be in the TVC and is comfortable with the current league and its members, I also wouldn't count out the possibility of Athens returning to the SEOAL now that the really long trips have been eliminated. I could see the SEOAL of the 90's making a return with Logan, Marietta, Warren, Jackson, Athens, and Gallia Academy being together again, not pulling for this by any stretch but its another possibility for sure.

[fortdawg]

I wonder if any Athens coaches are wanting to leave the TVC?

[A-Town Big Dog]

While I understand the nature of your question as pertaining to league titles, we play the most of these schools in most sports anyway. I think some would actually like to but as I said, I'm sure they are happy right where they are but as I'm sure most of you know, the AD and school board sometimes have different ideas than what the coaches think is best.

[A-Town Big Dog]

For the record, I'm all in favor of staying right where we are and hope we do for a very long time but I would like to see another larger school or two added to the Ohio division. I was only saying that I could see a scenario playing out that would have Athens moving not that I or any coaches would favor any decision of the sort.

[NYBuckeye96]

No matter what happens in the future, I would love to see NY play some of its old rivals in the SEOAL. Since leaving the SEOAL, NY has never played Gallia Academy. NY has only played Jackson 3 times - all in the early 90s - since leaving the SEOAL. NY has not played Warren since Warren left the TVC after the '85 season.

Think of the gates NY would have if this was our schedule:

Trimble
Gallia Academy
Jackson
Warren
Logan
Meigs
Wellston
Alexander
Vinton County
Athens

It might be harder to go 10-0 with that schedule, but any NY team to make the playoff with that schedule could do very well in the playoffs, even as a #7 or #8 seed.

[teach1coach2]

If 7 schools want to be in the Ohio and 9 schools want to be in the Hocking, it is really not a big deal. The big thing is having an overall even number of teams. You only need 5 crossover games for no school to be hunting for a game weeks 6-10 (better if it is 7 crossover games so no one is hunting weeks 4-10). Not a problem if the same school is in a couple of the crossover games.

So out of Athens, Vinton County, Meigs, River Valley, Wellston, Alexander, and Nelsonville-York
who could reasonable match up with Belpre, Federal Hocking, Wahama, Trimble, Miller, South Gallia, Waterford, Eastern Meigs, and Southern Meigs?

Four play this year with NY-Trimble, Alexander-FH, Meigs-Trimble, and River Valley-Southern Meigs. I would think that Belpre-Alexander would be a reasonable match up. An odd number of teams in a division can be done with some coordination.

[teach1coach2]

And PS..........I am glad the proposed North/South split of the Hocking is on "hold" or "dead". Someone needs to update wikipedia ;)

[NYBuckeye96]

And PS..........I am glad the proposed North/South split of the Hocking is on "hold" or "dead". Someone needs to update wikipedia ;)

I haven't updated it yet because there is no final notice as to what the divisions will look like in 2014. If there were to be a finalized answer to this, I would update it right away.

[Titletown TVC]

No need to change divisions around after they kick us out. Its gonna happen. My sources are convinced we are on our way out.

[A-Town Big Dog]

No need to change divisions around after they kick us out. Its gonna happen. My sources are convinced we are on our way out.

I certainly hope not, Wahama is great for the league and are a measuring stick for what the other schools in the Hocking should be striving toward.