STEEL VALLEY CONFERENCE EXPANSION Campbell won't jump at SVC offer just yet

There's a chance a multi-tiered league could incorporate many schools.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Don't plan for Campbell Memorial to follow Warren John F. Kennedy into the Steel Valley Conference.
At least not yet.
The SVC voted earlier this week to admit JFK in every sport except football, but that doesn't mean Campbell is next.
"As far as our end is concerned, we're in the looking stage," Campbell principal Rick Gozur said Thursday night. "However, we're not ready to jump into anything just to jump into this."
In the mix
The SVC had contacted Campbell, among other schools, in an effort to rebuild itself following the exodus of Austintown Fitch and Boardman to the Federal League.
But the Red Devils appear to be approaching conference affiliation with caution and patience.
"We're truly trying to find the best fit," said Gozur, in his 11th year as principal and 29th at Campbell. "If the SVC is planning for a bigger league down the road with other teams, and they want to balance out, we'd be interested."
Campbell plays the SVC schools anyway, with the exception of Ursuline, Gozur said, so it wouldn't necessarily benefit scheduling.
"The benefit of a league would be for recognition," Gozur said of joining the SVC. "Other than that, it doesn't help us in any way, shape or form."
Campbell's last league affiliation came in the early 1990s as a member of the Mahoning Valley Conference.
That league disbanded, leaving the Red Devils and JFK as independents.
Since then, the Red Devils have explored their options.
"Every league so far has had a meeting as far as restructuring," Gozur said. "They've all told us we're a part of it. But it all depends on other teams falling into place."
What seems appealing to the Red Devils, Gozur said, is a two-tiered set-up, which many of the area conferences have discussed at some length.
"A lot of leagues are antsy. They've all been discussing expansion," Gozur said. "Two or three tiers have been kicked around, and there's been a lot of positive feedback on it.
"It's just, 'Who's doing what and when are they going to move?' " he added.
Improving the product
Campbell, with 480 students in grades 9-12, has been upgrading its facilities, which should make it attractive to area conferences.
Not only did the Red Devils remodel their gymnasium, but their football stadium is undergoing a $2.5 million renovation project.
"We have a lot to bring into the picture," Gozur said.
The athletic program also is trying to improve its football schedule, adding Lakeview and Springfield this season and Girard next season. Campbell also has talked to Liberty.
But only time will tell whether any of this impacts the Red Devils' conference prospects.
richesson@vindy.com