The Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference is a high school athletic conference for Catholic schools in Ohio. The conference will sponsor American football only beginning in the in the 2026–27 school year, but may expand to include additional sports at a later time.[1][2]
| Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Data | |
| Classification | OHSAA Division II, III, and IV |
| Established | 2024 |
| Members | 8 |
| Sports fielded | 1 - football |
| State Championships | 0 |
| Country | United States |
| Region | Midwest |
| States | 1 – Ohio |
Members
edit| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bishop Hartley High School | Hawks | Columbus | Red & Blue |
2026– | |
| Bishop Watterson High School | Eagles | Columbus | Cardinal Red & Vegas Gold |
2026– | |
| Cardinal Mooney High School | Cardinals | Youngstown | Red & Gold |
2026– | |
| St. Francis DeSales High School | Stallions | Columbus | Purple & White |
2026– | |
| St. Vincent–St. Mary High School | Fighting Irish | Youngstown | Green & Vegas Gold |
2026– | |
| Ursuline High School | Fighting Irish | Youngstown | Green & Gold |
2026– | |
| Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School | Vikings | Cleveland | Red & Columbia Blue |
2026– | |
| Walsh Jesuit High School | Warriors | Cuyahoga Falls | Maroon & Gold |
2026– |
History
editOn July 9, 2024, the Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference was formed by eight catholic high schools based in northeast and central Ohio. Five charter members from northeast Ohio are Cardinal Mooney, St. Vincent–St. Mary (STVM), Ursuline, Villa Angela-St. Joseph (VASJ), and Walsh Jesuit. Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline will move from the Steel Valley Conference, while the others are currently independent of a conference; VASJ and Walsh Jesuit were previously members of the Crown Conference which ended operations in 2024. The three charter members from central Ohio are Bishop Hartley, Bishop Watterson, and St. Francis DeSales, all moving from the disbanding Central Catholic League.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Conn, Adam (July 9, 2024). "Central Catholic League football teams to join new OHSAA conference in 2026". WCMH. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ Islay, Ryan (July 9, 2024). "Several Ohio high schools join newly formed Ohio Catholic Athletic Conference". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 12, 2024.