Northwest Conference (OHSAA)

Membership Timeline

History

1947-1949

• The Northwest Conference begins its inaugural season of competition in the fall of 1947 with the eight charter members: Columbus Grove, Delphos Jefferson, Elida, Forest, 'Lafayette-Jackson, Pandora-Gilboa, Lima Shawnee, and Spencerville'.

1950-1959

• 1953: Shawnee leaves after the 1952–53 school year.
• 1953: Bluffton becomes a conference member beginning with the 1953–1954 school year.

1960-1969

• 1962: Forest is consolidated into Riverdale Local Schools who maintains membership in a different conference.
• 1962: Leipsic, in Putnam County, joins starting with the 1962–1963 school year.
• 1963: Ada, Lima Bath, and Ottawa-Glandorf join the conference.
• 1964: Leipsic leaves the conference in May.
• 1965: Lafayette-Jackson consolidates with Harrod Auglaize Local to create Allen East.
• 1966: Bath and Pandora-Gilboa leave at the conclusion of the 1965–1966 school year.
• 1966: Lima Perry and Upper Scioto Valley join.
• 1967: Ottawa-Glandorf leaves at the conclusion of 1966–1967. North Baltimore and Paulding enter the conference at the beginning of the 1967–1968 school year.
• 1969: North Baltimore leaves in May. Lincolnview begins conference play in September.

1970-1979

• 1970: Crestview joins at the beginning of the 1970–1971 school year.
• 1972: Elida votes to leave the league. They subsequently begin play in the WBL in 1973.

1980-1989

• 1981: Crestview votes to no longer sponsor football at the conclusion of the 1981 season. They remain a conference member in all other sports.

2000-2009

• 2000: Crestview, having restarted their football program as an independent in 1999, officially starts play as a conference member again.
• 2002: Upper Scioto Valley, facing possible removal because of their failure to reliably field a football team during the 2001 season, opts to leave the conference at the conclusion of the 2001–2002 school year. They join the Northwest Central Conference beginning in 2003–2004.
• 2004: Lima Perry finishes its final year as a conference member after announcing their move to join USV in the NWCC in 2003.
• 2006: Lima Central Catholic begins play as a conference member after several years of petitioning.

2010-Present

• 2011: On December 1, the Lima Central Catholic administration announced that due to the results of being voted out of the NWC, they would leave the conference at the conclusion of 2012–2013. The move is made in part due to concerns from other conference members over fairness and competitive balance. A scheduling agreement agreed to before the announcement keeps LCC on NWC members' athletic schedules through the 2014–2015 school year unless there is a mutual decision between a conference member and LCC to break the agreement. As of September, 2013, Lima Central Catholic will remain an independent after unsuccessful negotiations with many other area conferences to become a member.
• 2012: Ada and Bluffton are asked to apply for membership in the expanding Blanchard Valley Conference in March. Both schools decline the BVC's invitation and remain members of the NWC. The BVC also invites North Baltimore and Hopewell-Loudon, who both accept.
• 2020: In response to Holgate leaving the Green Meadows Conference, the GMC invited former member Paulding to rejoin their league. Paulding would accept their invitation and is expected to join after the 2020–21 school year. With Paulding leaving, the NWC invited Blanchard Valley Conference/Putnam County League member Leipsic to join as a replacement, which is expected to join during the 2022–23 school year. Leipsic will completely leave the BVC while maintaining their dual-membership with the PCL.
• 2023: On April 26, 2023, the school board at Ada voted to accept the BVC's invitation to join their league. No timeframe has been set for when the Bulldogs will switch conferences.
• In response to Ada and Leipsic leaving the NWC, Fort Loramie was invited to join the league as a football-only member while Lima Central Catholic was invited to rejoin the league as a full-time member. Both schools accepted shortly after and began league competition in 2024.

Notable Conference Rivalries

• Bluffton & Columbus Grove
• Crestview & Lincolnview
• Delphos Jefferson & Spencerville

Out of Conference Rivalries

• Ada & Allen East
• Allen East & Lima Bath
• Bluffton & Cory-Rawson
• Columbus Grove & Pandora-Gilboa
• Crestview & Rockford Parkway
• Delphos Jefferson & Delphos St. John's

Football Championships

By Year

Boys' Soccer

• Bluffton maintains an undefeated conference record through nine consecutive years of play, 42-0-0 through 2023.