Federal League will not expand

By Joe Scalzo

On Tuesday, the Federal League decided it wasn’t in the league’s best interest to expand.

Warren Harding may have already decided it wasn’t in the school’s best interest to join.

In a Tuesday meeting, the Federal League’s strategic planning committee opted not to add Harding and Massillon, ending weeks of speculation around the eight-team conference.

Harding, which will leave the Steel Valley Conference at the end of the school year, had applied to the league in January in hopes that it could expand to 12 or 16 teams separated into east and west divisions. That would also have benefited Fitch and Boardman, which bear most of the travel burden in the Stark County-based conference.

When only three schools applied — Mentor, the third, wasn’t considered due to its location — the league decided to stay with an eight-team format.

That was fine with Harding.

“We were on the same plane as the Federal League,” said Harding athletic director Paul Trina. “When only a few schools applied, we really weren’t as excited about being part of the league.

“Our main concern is being economically responsible. We do not have an unlimited travel budget.”

Leagues are reluctant to expand from an eight-team format to 10 teams because of its effect on the football schedule. With a 10-team league, schools would either be limited to one non-league game or be forced to play a rotating league schedule.

A 14- or 16-team league, however, would have created a two-division setup that allowed teams to keep non-league rivals and have a consistent league schedule.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the response east of Stark County that would have made it all possible,” said Fitch athletic director Rob Conklin. “We have a close relationship with Warren Harding and we will continue to have a close relationship with them.”

The Raiders have been a member of the Steel Valley Conference since 1990. They were also members from 1982-1985.

When Fitch and Boardman joined the Federal League in 2003, the SVC aggressively looked to expand its three-team league. It eventually added Warren JFK, Chaney, Rayen, Wilson and Beaver Local in all sports but football but that setup soon dissolved and Harding opted to look elsewhere.

After being rejected by the All-American Conference and the Lake Erie League, Harding will likely be an independent for the immediate future.

“We don’t regret our decision to [leave the SVC],” Trina said. “We still have Mooney our schedule and we hope to continue to schedule games and play [Mooney and Ursuline]. The local flavor is good.

“We remain hopeful that a local league will at some point become available.”

Unless Ursuline and Mooney join a parochial league with schools in Akron or Canton, it is highly unlikely those schools will find a league home. The days of public and parochial schools competing in the same league appear to be over.

In a release, the Federal League promised periodic review of league expansion. Massillon, a longtime independent, has wanted to join the Federal League since the conference added Canton McKinley in 2003.

scalzo@vindy.com