HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Idea of 'super conference' the result of long process

By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Quick question -- how do you create a new athletic conference that combines three area leagues, satisfies school officials from very different backgrounds and avoids a negative backlash from coaches, parents and fans -- and do it in just a few weeks?
You don't.
"This has been a long process," Metro Athletic Conference commissioner Clem Zumpella said. "We've been talking about it for years, going back to when Dick Weiss was the athletic director at Canfield. He called it an umbrella concept.
"It never really flew."
Then things changed. Girard left the MAC and league officials scrambled for three years to find a replacement, eventually landing Alliance. Then, before Alliance started competing in the league, it announced it would leave the league in two years to join the Northeastern Buckeye Conference.
Salem also had applied to the NBC and there were always rumors about Struthers wanting to leave.
MAC officials decided something needed to be done.
Getting started
So, late last spring, Howland athletic director Bruce Johnson started thinking seriously about expansion. He contacted the Trumbull Athletic Conference to talk about a merger.
"We got some positive feedback, but the TAC suggested that for this to work, we needed more than two leagues," Zumpella said.
So MAC officials then contacted the Inter-County League. The ICL, which had lost Mathews and added Sebring, was looking to expand -- Campbell was often mentioned in the discussion -- and league officials agreed to meet with the other two leagues.
The meeting went well.
"It just seemed that everyone was experiencing the same problems we were," Zumpella said. "Some schools were getting bigger and some were getting smaller and teams were worried they wouldn't be able to compete."
The proposed "super conference" would change that. Teams would be separated into tiers based primarily on enrollment. The tiers would be flexible, allowing teams to join different tiers in different sports. And the tiers would be reviewed every few years to make sure everyone was competitive.
Getting involved
Since principals have voting power in the MAC and TAC, league officials made sure to include principals in the discussions. Since superintendents have voting power in the ICL, league officials made sure to include superintendents in the discussions.
"The whole thing was done in a very gentlemanly fashion," Trumbull Athletic Conference commissioner Mel Staats said. "Nobody was trying to do anything underhanded. It was important to have the inclusion of all parties."
Football, of course, drove the discussions.
"Everything is football-driven," Zumpella said. "That's what drives schools to get in and out of leagues. You have fewer games and the whole playoff system is so critical. Whenever you talk to a school about leagues, if you get a negative response, it's because of football."
After weeks of discussions, presentations and meetings, it was time to vote. The MAC and TAC approved the merger on Wednesday. The ICL -- with a 6-0 vote (Springfield and South Range abstained) -- approved the league on Thursday.
The league was born.
Looking ahead
"Overall, I think everyone was happy with the results," Staats said. "Now it's time to get down to the brass knuckles."
South Range and Springfield have applied to the Tri-County League, but will join the new conference if they are not accepted to the TCL.
Campbell and Beaver Local also have been invited and the league setup allows for more expansion in the future.
League officials will spend the next few weeks ironing out the details, working on a constitution and, of course, finding a name. League play will likely begin in 2005. Junior varsity and freshmen teams also will compete in the new league.
Not everyone will be completely happy -- "I know we'll get some backlash," Staats said -- but the setup seems to have satisfied the majority of those involved.
"Everything has been very well-handled," Staats said. "At this point, there's nothing concrete yet, but it's almost there."
scalzo@vindy.com