The Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC) is a high school athletic conference located in northwest Ohio, with member schools stretched across Lucas, Williams, and Wood counties. It was formed in 1988, and the league sponsors football, cross country, volleyball, golf, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.
Membership Current full members
SchoolNicknameLocationColorsJoinedCardinal Stritch CatholicCardinalsOregonRed, Black 1995Emmanuel ChristianWarriorsToledoGreen, White 1988Maumee Valley Country DayHawksToledoNavy, White 1988Toledo ChristianEaglesToledoBlue, Gold 1988
Notes
Associate members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsJoinedSport(s)Primary ConferencePettisvilleBlackbirdsClinton TownshipBlack, Gold, White 2020Boys SoccerBuckeye Border Conference
Former members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsMembership TypeTenure in League CalvertSenecasTiffinRoyal Blue, White Full2014-2016DanburyLakersLakesideBlue, White Full1988-2018EdonBombersEdonRoyal Blue, White Football-only2005-2025Erie MasonEaglesErie TownshipBlue, Gold Football-only2025GibsonburgGolden BearsGibsonburgOrange, Black Full2011-2018HilltopCadetsWest UnityRed, White Football-only2005-2025Lorain CatholicSpartansLorainScarlet, Gray Football-only1999-2004MontpelierLocomotivesMontpelierNavy Blue, Columbia Blue, White Football-only2016-2025North CentralEaglesPioneerMaroon, Black, White Football-only2025Northwood RangersNorthwoodBlue, Yellow Full2000-2025Ottawa Hills Green BearsOttawa HillsKelly Green, White Full1988-2026StrykerPanthersStrykerBlue, White Football-only2018-2019SummerfieldBulldogsSummerfield TownshipOrange, Black Football-only2025WhitefordBobcatsWhiteford TownshipBlue, Gold Football-only2025
League history The TAAC began in 1988 when long-time rivals Danbury, Emmanuel Christian (then known as Emmanuel Baptist), Maumee Valley, and Ottawa Hills joined together with the recently expanded Toledo Christian (formerly McAuley High School) to compete in basketball. When Cardinal Strich joined in 1995 after going without sports for a while, the league teamed with the Buckeye Border Conference to create the 12-team Toledo Buckeye League, which involved cross-over games with both leagues' members. This setup only lasted until June 1998, but both leagues continue to have members compete against each other.As noted on a banner in Cardinal Stritch High School's gymnasium
The first season for TAAC football was in 1999 with Cardinal Stritch, Danbury, Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian and the recently added football-only Lorain Catholic competing for the inaugural title.
In 2000, Northwood left the Suburban Lakes League for the TAAC, wanting to compete with schools closer to their size. They initially joined in all sports but football (competing as an independent in 2000), but fully joined the league the next year.
The TAAC lost its first member when Lorain Catholic closed at the end of the 2003-04 school year.
Tired of competing in the Southern Central Athletic Association that was composed of several Michigan schools, Edon and Hilltop left to compete as football-only members in the TAAC in 2005. Former ties created in the old TBL made for the easy transition.
Emmanuel Baptist changed its name to Emmanuel Christian in the spring of 2006.
In September 2009, Gibsonburg applied for membership when it became evident that the Suburban Lakes League was going to fold in the spring of 2011. On October 7, they were admitted as the 8th full member school in the league, after being complimented for their facilities and comparable enrollment to current members. They became a full-voting member on January 1, 2010 and joined the league for the 2011–12 school year.
Former commissioner Dick Nowak noted that although the league was set with members, their five-year plan involved adding two more members and possibly going to a two-division format. He would not indicate which schools are interested in TAAC membership at the time. Rick Kaifas became the new TAAC commissioner on April 6, 2011.
In July 2012, Lakota High School and Fremont St. Joseph CC both sent letters of inquiry about joining the TAAC, concerned that the Midland Athletic League would dissolve after losing many members to other new leagues.
On May 13, 2013, Tiffin Calvert announced that they would join the TAAC right after the Midland Athletic League disbanded in the spring of 2014.Tiffin Calvert will join the Toledo Area Athletic Conference right after the Midland Athletic League disbands in the spring of 2014 Junga, Steve. Toledo Blade. May 14, 2013.
In May 2014, the TAAC approved adding NWOAL member Montpelier to its league for football only beginning with the 2016 season. Montpelier's school board approved the move in June 2014.
On December 10, 2014, Tiffin Calvert announced plans to leave the TAAC early and join the Sandusky Bay Conference beginning with the 2016–17 school year as part of the SBC's expansion plans.
On March 16, 2017, Danbury announced plans to join the Sandusky Bay Conference in the River Division of the Conference beginning in the 2018–19 school year. They will be exiting the TAAC as one of the first original members of the conference when it first formed in 1988.
On March 20, 2017, Gibsonburg also announced plans to leave the TAAC with Danbury to join the Sandusky Bay Conference in the River Division of the Conference beginning in the 2018-2019 school year. They will be exiting the TAAC as members since the 2011–12 school year.
In May 2017, it was announced that Stryker will join the league as a football-only member for the 2018 season.
In October 2019, Stryker and Toledo Christian agreed at a meeting to form the new Northern 8 Football Conference for OHSAA schools that are committing to play 8-man football for the future. The OHSAA does not currently sponsor the 8-man game, but several member schools resorted to that option recently instead of playing the traditional 11-man game or choosing not to play out the season. Stryker and Toledo Christian will forfeit their football membership in the TAAC, but will remain members of the Buckeye Border Conference and the TAAC respectively, for all other sports.
Beginning in the fall of 2020, Pettisville joined the league for boys soccer only.
In June 2022 the TAAC met with Michigan's Tri-County Conference to discuss a possible merger between the two leagues. Around this time Cardinal Stritch announced that they would not field an 11-man football team for the 2022 season. They were able to return to 11-man for the 2023 season.
In January 2024, Northwood and the Sandusky Bay Conference announced that the Rangers would be joining the SBC River Division for the 2025–26 school year.
In October 2024, it was announced that one school from Ohio, North Central, and three schools from Michigan, Erie Mason, Summerfield, and Whiteford, would join the league as football-only members starting with the 2025 season. North Central was a football independent and is a member of the Buckeye Border Conference along with Edon, Hilltop, and Montpelier for all other sports. Erie Mason, Summerfield, and Whiteford were the three remaining 11-man football members of their Michigan conference, the Tri-County Conference.
In December 2024, Toledo Christian announced it would return to 11-man football as an independent in 2025, and will return to the Toledo Area Athletic Conference in 2026.
On March 3, 2025 Ottawa Hills announced it would follow Northwood to the SBC in 2026.
In October 2025, the seven football only members of the conference (Edon, Erie Mason, Hilltop, Montpelier, North Central, Summerfield, Whiteford) announced they were leaving the TAAC after the 2025 season to form the football only Great Lakes Conference along with Sand Creek from Michigan in 2026. This would make Toledo Christian the only 11 man football team remaining in the conference, as it planned to return to a league schedule in 2026 after playing as an independent in 2025. In November 2025, Toledo Christian announced they would join the Sandusky Bay Conference as a football-only member in 2027.
League championships
Football champions Year Champions 1999 Cardinal Stritch 2000 Ottawa Hills 2001 Northwood 2002 Northwood 2003 Northwood 2004 Northwood, Ottawa Hills 2005 Ottawa Hills 2006 Cardinal Stritch 2007 Northwood 2008 Northwood 2009 Northwood 2010 Toledo Christian 2011 Northwood 2012 Northwood 2013 Northwood 2014 Calvert 2015 Gibsonburg 2016 Gibsonburg, Montpelier 2017 Gibsonburg, Ottawa Hills 2018 Northwood 2019 Northwood 2020 Northwood 2021 Edon 2022 Ottawa Hills 2023 Ottawa Hills 2024 Ottawa Hills 2025 Whiteford
Boys Basketball Champions +YearChampion(s)Conference Record1988-89Ottawa Hills, Emmanuel Baptist6-21989-90Ottawa Hills, Emmanuel Baptist7-11990-91Ottawa Hills7-11991-92Toledo Christian8-01992-93Maumee Valley6-21993-94Danbury8-01994-95Danbury7-11995-96Ottawa Hills9-11996-97Ottawa Hills10-01997-98Emmanuel Baptist10-01998-99Danbury8-21999-00Danbury8-22000-01Danbury9-32001-02Maumee Valley9-32002-03Danbury, Ottawa Hills10-22003-04Ottawa Hills11-12004-05Danbury12-02005-06Toledo Christian12-02006-07Toledo Christian12-02007-08Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian11-12008-09Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian11-12009-10Ottawa Hills12-02010-11Ottawa Hills11-12011-12Maumee Valley13-12012-13Toledo Christian13-12013-14Ottawa Hills14-02014-15Gibsonburg16-02015-16Ottawa Hills15-12016-17Toledo Christian14-02017-18Cardinal Stritch14-02018-19Cardinal Stritch9-12019-20Toledo Christian9-1 2020-21Cardinal Stritch5-02021-22Ottawa Hills8-22022-23Emmanuel Christian9-1 See also Ohio High School Athletic Conferences List of TAAC Football Champions Elmwood will be eighth school in NBC Gibsonburg applies to become TAAC member The new Toledo Border League, Dec 8, 1994 (initially called the Toledo Border League, the setup eventually became the Toledo Buckeye League) TAAC basketball preview, Dec 1989 Gibsonburg becomes eighth member of TAAC TAAC accepts Gibsonburg, Toledo Blade, Oct 8 2009
References