| Pixels | frameless |
|---|---|
| Classification | OHSAA Divisions I-VII WVSSAC Divisions A-AAA |
| Region | Ohio West Virginia |
| Sports | Football, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Swimming, Wrestling, Baseball, Softball, Bowling, Cheer, Track and Field, Volleyball, |
| Founded | 1943 |
| Teams | 53 |
| Website | http://www.ovac.org |
The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference is a high school sports league in parts of southeastern Ohio and northern West Virginia. The OVAC is the largest conference of its kind in the United States.[1] Schools in the upper Ohio Valley supply over 18,000 athletes in various competitive athletic areas. The conference was organized in 1943.[2]
Classification
Schools are categorized by enrollment of eligible athletes, where Class A is the smallest enrollment and Class AAAAA is the largest enrollment.[3] As of the 2025-2026 school year, there are 18,332 eligible athletes in grades 9 through 11.[4]
| Class | Enrollment | Members |
|---|---|---|
| A (1A) | 0-136 | 10 |
| AA (2A) | 137-202 | 11 |
| AAA (3A) | 203-287 | 11 |
| AAAA (4A) | 288-463 | 12 |
| AAAAA (5A) | 464+ | 10 |
Member schools
| School | Nickname | Location | Colors | Joined | Class | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnesville | Shamrocks | Barnesville, Ohio | Green, Red, White | 1953 | AAA | ||
| Beaver Local | Beavers | East Liverpool, Ohio | Red, White | 1991 | AAAA | ||
| Bellaire | Big Reds | Bellaire, Ohio | Red, Black | 1943 | AAA | ||
| Bridgeport | Bulldogs | Bridgeport, Ohio | Columbia Blue, White, Black | 1946 | AA | ||
| Brooke | Bruins | Wellsburg, West Virginia | Green, Gold | 1969 | AAAAA | ||
| Buckeye Local | Panthers | Rayland, Ohio | Navy, Silver | 1990 | AAA | ||
| Buckeye Trail | Warriors | Lore City, Ohio | Royal Blue, White | 1977 | AAA | ||
| Caldwell | Redskins | Caldwell, Ohio | Red, White | 1977 | AA | ||
| Cambridge | Bobcats | Cambridge, Ohio | Royal Blue, White | 1974 | AAAA | ||
| Cameron | Dragons | Cameron, West Virginia | Navy, Gold | 1950 | A | ||
| Clay-Battelle | Cee-Bees | Blacksville, West Virginia | Navy, Grey | 2011 | AA | ||
| Conotton Valley | Rockets | Bowerston, Ohio | Kelly Green, White | 1991 | A | ||
| Dover | Crimson Tornadoes | Dover, Ohio | Crimson, Gray | 2019 | AAAAA | ||
| East Liverpool | Potters | East Liverpool, Ohio | Blue, White | 1973 | AAAA | ||
| Edison | Wildcats | Richmond, Ohio | Silver, Black | 1993 | AAAA | ||
| Fort Frye | Cadets | Beverly, Ohio | Scarlet Red, Dover White, Royal Blue | 1977 | AAA | ||
| Frontier | Cougars | New Matamoras, Ohio | Columbia Blue, Vegas Gold | 1975 | AA | ||
| Harrison Central | Huskies | Cadiz, Ohio | Black, Silver, Royal Blue | 1999 | AAAA | ||
| Indian Creek | Redskins | Wintersville, Ohio | Red, Gold | 1993 | AAAA | ||
| John Marshall | Monarchs | Glen Dale, West Virginia | Vegas Gold, Brown | 1968 | AAAAA | ||
| Linsly | Cadets | Wheeling, West Virginia | Orange, Black | 1943 | AAA | ||
| Madonna | Blue Dons | Weirton, West Virginia | Navy, Silver, White | 1958 | A | ||
| Magnolia | Blue Eagles | New Martinsville, West Virginia | Blue, Gold | 1949 | AAA | ||
| Martins Ferry | Purple Riders | Martins Ferry, Ohio | Purple, White | 1943 | AAA | ||
| Monroe Central | Seminoles | Woodsfield, Ohio | Red, Vegas Gold, Black, White | 1994 | AAA | ||
| Morgantown | Mohigans | Morgantown, West Virginia | Red, Royal Blue | 2010 | AAAAA | ||
| New Philadelphia | Quakers | New Philadelphia, Ohio | Red, Black | 2019 | AAAAA | ||
| Oak Glen | Golden Bears | New Cumberland, West Virginia | Columbia Blue, Gold, White | 1964 | AAAA | ||
| Parkersburg South | Patriots | Parkersburg, West Virginia | Blue, Scarlet, White | 1975 | AAAAA | ||
| River | Pilots | Hannibal, Ohio | Scarlet, Gray | 1958 | AA | ||
| Shadyside | Tigers | Shadyside, Ohio | Orange, Black | 1943 | AA | ||
| Shenandoah | Zeps | Sarahsville, Ohio | Forest Green, White | 1973 | AA | ||
| Southern Local | Indians | Salineville, Ohio | Royal Blue, Athletic Gold | 2015 | AA | ||
| St. Clairsville | Red Devils | St. Clairsville, Ohio | Scarlet, Gray | 1947 | AAAA | ||
| Steubenville | Big Red | Steubenville, Ohio | Crimson Red, Black | 1943 | AAAAA | ||
| Steubenville Catholic | Crusaders | Steubenville, Ohio | Royal Blue, Gold | 1943 | A | ||
| Toronto | Red Knights | Toronto, Ohio | Red, White | 1950 | AA | ||
| Trinity Christian | Warriors | Morgantown, West Virginia | Cardinal Red, Vegas Gold | 2009 | A | ||
| Union Local | Jets | Belmont, Ohio | Red, White | 1959 | AAAA | ||
| University | Hawks | Morgantown, West Virginia | Crimson, Gold, Black | 2010 | AAAAA | ||
| Valley | Lumberjacks | Pine Grove, West Virginia | Black, Gold | 1977 | A | ||
| Warren | Warriors | Vincent, Ohio | Royal Blue, White | 2015 | AAAAA | ||
| Weir | Red Riders | Weirton, West Virginia | Red, Black | 1943 | AAAA | ||
| Wellsville | Tigers | Wellsville, Ohio | Orange, Black | 1954 | AA | ||
| Wheeling Central | Maroon Knights | Wheeling, West Virginia | Maroon, White | 1943 | AA | ||
| Wheeling Park | Patriots | Wheeling, West Virginia | Red, White, Royal | 1976 | AAAAA | ||
Conference affiliations
- Buckeye 8 Athletic League - Beaver Local, Bellaire, Cambridge, East Liverpool, Edison, Harrison Central, Indian Creek, Martins Ferry, St. Clairsville, Union Local
- East Central Ohio League - Dover, New Philadelphia, Warren
- Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference - Southern Local, Wellsville
- Mason Dixon Conference - Cameron, Clay-Battelle, Weirton Madonna
- Two Rivers Athletic Conference - John Marshall, Morgantown, Parkersburg South, University, Wheeling Park
References
- ^ "OVAC History". Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ^ "Ohio Valley Athletic Conference- History". Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
- ^ "Ohio Valley Athletic Conference - History". Archived from the original on July 3, 2008. Retrieved June 9, 2008.
- ^ Ohio Valley Athletic Conference - Classification Enrollment