Ironton leaving the SEOAL

[dazed&confused]

It's old news now. Good luck to Ironton. What is the future of the SEOAL? It is a Div 4 league with Logan moving on. Why is this so hard for people to accept?

[NYBuckeye96]

I can't believe that only the Logan Daily News has reported this in any of the news markets in southeastern Ohio so far. What is up with the other newspapers not reporting on this?!?!?

[MTSWNGRVSG]

Either need to add one more school or another needs to drop to bring the league to 6 teams. If 8 teams the league is played the last 7 games of the season with the first three being non-league. If 6 teams play the league the last 5 games with the first 5 games as non-league. If you have an odd number you have an open date in the last part of the season which makes it hard to find games. Just my opinion.

[BuckeyeCAV]

Either need to add one more school or another needs to drop to bring the league to 6 teams. If 8 teams the league is played the last 7 games of the season with the first three being non-league. If 6 teams play the league the last 5 games with the first 5 games as non-league. If you have an odd number you have an open date in the last part of the season which makes it hard to find games. Just my opinion.

Who would you ask to leave?

[GalliaGrad78]

Always said that if they didn't/couldn't win the SEOAL they would bolt. 0 for 3 and probably 0 for 5 so see ya.

I must agree, to a degree.

[MTSWNGRVSG]

No one, just making a statement about scheduling. Games in the last half of the season are hard to find.

Joining the SEOAL is the best thing that could have happened to Chillicothe.

[grizzlynatural]

No one, just making a statement about scheduling. Games in the last half of the season are hard to find.

Joining the SEOAL is the best thing that could have happened to Chillicothe.

Ohhhh what a letdown for him. He had his fingers crossed that you'd say Logan.

[Army]

No one, just making a statement about scheduling. Games in the last half of the season are hard to find.

Joining the SEOAL is the best thing that could have happened to Chillicothe.

Ohhhh what a letdown for him. He had his fingers crossed that you'd say Logan.

Now that is a nice thought

[grizzlynatural]

When Logan leaves the league Chillicothe will have a chance to win it. Actually, they probably will win it. Often.

[BuckeyeCAV]

[tl895]

great we should have stayed independent all along!! always an interesting schedule of teams every year coming to the tank!!

[Ptown Playmaker]

First, I'd like to say I have traveled to all SEOAL locations.....I've had fun with the "road trips".....winning or losing (lately).......though, I can see how hard it is on some not being able to get off work early and trek 2 or 2/12 hours to get to a 7:00 or 7:30 kick off........

I would 100% be in favor of pmow3 idea in SOC........either way.....we have to be in a league......I do not believe you can schedule any closer games as an Independant, than what we travel in the SEOAL or SOC, let alone schedule a 10 game season.

[BuckeyeCAV]

I think Ironton will find out quickly that they will have to travel further or just as far for football games in the future. I wish they did not leave the SEOAL but it's already a done deal.

[Rhiannon]

Here TigerCannon. Do you believe Amen Corner now?

Loss of revenue forces Ironton to leave SEOAL

By Jim Walker | The Tribune

Originally published 09:03 a.m., November 28, 2008
Updated 09:03 a.m., November 28, 2008

IRONTON — A third return to the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League lasted about as long as a talk show hosted by Chevy Chase.

Ironton High School left the SEOAL for the second time in 1985, then returned in 2006. But spiraling costs, shrinking revenue, and extensive travel due to new members even farther away than the last stint in the league led the Ironton City School Board of Education to vote at its last regular meeting to once again leave the league.

Ironton board member Bob Vaughn made a proposal to leave the league last year, but other board members didn’t think it was necessary. When the financial numbers continued to shrink drastically, the board finally decided to rescind its decision to join the league.

The three previous season prior to joining the league the average revenue per season was approximately $170,000.

Ironton athletic director Mark Vass said the move was strictly a financial decision.

“The competition was good. We liked the competition. It was all about finances. We lost $70,000 a year in gate receipts,” said Vass.

“If we had continued, we would have put ourselves in financial jeopardy. It’s nice to be in a league for scheduling, and the schools were great to work with. They were very professional in our dealings, but you just have to look at the numbers.”

Vass repeatedly informed the board of the financial troubles that were incurred due to the membership in the league. During the past two years he probed other avenues including reviving the Ohio-Kentucky Athletic League.

“When you’re in a league, you look for three things: competition, travel, and financial gain. Two of them were not in our favor,” said Vass.

“You don’t want to wait too long to make changes. We had to do something. That was the bottom line.”

As for now, Ironton will play one more season in the league and then return to independent status.

“We hope to continue playing the normal teams like Portsmouth, Gallipolis and Jackson, and maybe someone else as long as it’s financially beneficial. We’re not going to play in non-revenue sports,” said Vass.

Next season, teams will have to play the North Division schools on a home-and-home series meaning more long trips for basketball and spring sports.

“We’re helping the other sports so those teams don’t have to travel so far and get back late on school nights,” said Vass.

[Tigercannon71]

Thanks I was just going to post this myself. Well now its offical after weeks of speculation we have our answer. Ironton is out of the league after next season.

[NYBuckeye96]

We lost $70,000 a year in gate receipts,” said Vass.

OUCH! $70 K a year loss of revenue!

[bengalfan76]

^^^^^
Does that have anything to do with the population and student enrollment dropping at Ironton?

[teach1coach2]

Football scheduling suggestion:
The TVC Ohio has 7 teams and the SEOAL will have 7 teams. Make a league to league deal to have match ups weeks 4-10. If some of the SEOAL teams are too big or TVC-O is too small, match up the teams that want to do this from weeks 10 backwards and make it easier on the others to find games earlier in the year.

The Muskingum Valley League (9 teams) and the East Central Ohio League (7 teams) cut a deal a couple years back that begins in 2009. The two most southern MVL teams are not in the deal and found games against neighboring schools (Morgan plays Warren Local week 2 and Crooksville plays Miller week 3).In weeks 4-10 the other match ups are (not in order) New Lex-Meadowbrook, Sheridan-Cambridge, Philo-RiverView, Maysville-Coshocton, West Muskingum-Claymont, Tri-Valley-Dover, and John Glenn-New Philadelphia.

Also, Zanesville lobbied hard to get in the ECOL and were turned away. They are now trying to get in the MVL. The Zanesville media has some reporters pushing for divisions and allowing Zanesville in the MVL. The league is silent on the matter.

[NYBuckeye96]

That makes too much sense, so there is no way it would ever happen!

Considering that over half of the TVC Ohio schools (4 out of 7) are former SEOAL schools, this would be very logical. In some cases, new games wouldn't need added, just changing the week the current game is played would be all that is needed. (ex. Wellston vs. Jackson, Belpre vs. Warren moved to later in the season).

Example:

Alexander vs. Portsmouth in week 4
Athens vs. Gallia Academy in week 5
Belpre vs. Warren in week 6
Meigs vs. Marietta in week 7
Nelsonville-York vs. Logan in week 8
Vinton County vs. Chillicothe in week 9
Wellston vs. Jackson in week 10

[BuckeyeCAV]

Football scheduling suggestion:
The TVC Ohio has 7 teams and the SEOAL will have 7 teams. Make a league to league deal to have match ups weeks 4-10. If some of the SEOAL teams are too big or TVC-O is too small, match up the teams that want to do this from weeks 10 backwards and make it easier on the others to find games earlier in the year.

The Muskingum Valley League (9 teams) and the East Central Ohio League (7 teams) cut a deal a couple years back that begins in 2009. The two most southern MVL teams are not in the deal and found games against neighboring schools (Morgan plays Warren Local week 2 and Crooksville plays Miller week 3).In weeks 4-10 the other match ups are (not in order) New Lex-Meadowbrook, Sheridan-Cambridge, Philo-RiverView, Maysville-Coshocton, West Muskingum-Claymont, Tri-Valley-Dover, and John Glenn-New Philadelphia.

Also, Zanesville lobbied hard to get in the ECOL and were turned away. They are now trying to get in the MVL. The Zanesville media has some reporters pushing for divisions and allowing Zanesville in the MVL. The league is silent on the matter.

I think that might be a good idea.

1. Gallipolis continues to play Athens and has played Vinton County in a series or two and Wellston for a one year contract this past year.

2. Jackson already plays Wellston their rival and Vinton County.

3. Warren already plays Belpre and Meigs.

4. Portsmouth has played Vinton County in their past.

5. Forget Chillicothe, although they are a DIII level school, one division size smaller than Jackson, Logan and Marietta, I really doubt anyone from the TVC-Ohio wanting to schedule the CAVS in football. This is due to many seeing the CAVS as a DI level size school in size, due to the City itself, instead of looking at the population of the City School.

6. Forget Logan getting anyone to bite either, except maybe Athens, but doubtful on that one too. Athens cancelled their contract with Logan this season, instead of playing them.

7. Forget Marietta too. I doubt any TVC-Ohio schools will schedule the Tigers, except maybe Athens and Meigs.

So Chillicothe, Marietta and Logan most likely would have to look elsewhere for non-league games.

There is rumor that Zanesville was not only maneuvering hard to get into the MVL and making their pitch to make two divisions within the MVL, but adding Logan, Marietta and Warren to that mix too.

Making two Divisions. One Big and one Small.

The Big Division would be:

1. Logan DII.....Hocking County
2. Sheridan DIII....Perry County
3. Tri-Valley DII....Muskingum County
4. Zanesville DII......Muskingum County
5. John Glenn DIII....Muskingum County
6. Marietta DII......Washington County
7. Parkersburg South AAA....Parkersburg, WV

The Small Divison consisting of:

1. West Muskingum DIV..Muskingum County
2. Maysville DIV....Muskingum County
3. New Lexngton DIV....Perry County
4. Crooksville DV.....Perry County
5. Morgan DIII...Morgan County
6. Philo DIII....Muskingum County
7. Warren DIII....Washington County

If that really took place, you could almost say good by to the SEOAL, unless the teams left could convince Ironton to stay or come back.

Division Enrollment Schools
I 524 and more 115
II 365 to 523 120
III 257 to 364 119
IV 187 to 256 119
V 131 to 186 121
VI 130 and less 121