Reports: Leipsic votes to return to BVC

The wheels of realignment among Northwest Ohio schools roll on, and not always down new and uncharted paths. According to reports circulating on Monday, Leipsic will be rejoining the Blanchard Valley Conference ranks. The decision to leave the Northwest Conference was reportedly made Sunday during a special meeting of the Leipsic School Board. Efforts to reach Leipsic officials for confirmation on Monday night were unsuccessful. Issued an invitation to join the Northwest Conference in 2020 when Paulding's departure to the Green Meadows Conference created an opening in that league, Leipsic opted to leave the Blanchard Valley Conference and accept that bid. Traditionally competitive in athletics and able to field rosters pretty much across the board, it was noted at the time that the move would be an asset in scheduling, especially at the junior high, freshman and junior levels. While Leipsic and the bigger schools in the BVC usually fielded teams at all levels, the disparity in the sizes of the schools often meant that some schools did not field freshman or junior varsity teams. Pending official confirmation, Leipsic's move back to the BVC comes at a time of massive migration. Elmwood and Ada, for example, are joining the BVC next season. At the same time, North Baltimore and Cory-Rawson are leaving the BVC for the Northwest Central Conference. Liberty-Benton, by far the biggest – with a district enrollment of over 1,600 students – and athletically the most successful of the BVC schools, is also looking for new digs after the school decided – or was ultimatum-ed – to leave the league a year ago. The deadline for that move is the 2025-26 school year. Another major shift is in the process among Findlay High and the larger Northwest Ohio schools. With Maumee moving to the Northern Buckeye Conference and the Three Rivers Athletic Conference disbanding, Findlay, Fremont Ross, Oregon Clay and Toledo Whitmer will be absorbed into the Northern Lakes League with Anthony Wayne, Perrysburg, Sylvania Northview, Sylvania Southview, Bowling Green, Napoleon and Springfield . The Toledo area parochial schools – Central Catholic, all-boys schools St. John's and St. Francis, and all-girls schools St. Ursula and Notre Dane – will be aligned with the Detroit Catholic League. And Lima Senior has been accepted into the Toledo City League.