The Southwestern Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association athletic league that began conference play in 1937 and is made up of member schools of Cuyahoga and Lorain counties in Ohio.
Current members
+SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesAvonEaglesAvonPurple & gold 2015–Avon LakeShoremenAvon LakeMaroon & gold 1964–Berea-MidparkTitansBereaBlue & orange 2013–ElyriaPioneersElyriaRed & white 2021–Marion L. SteeleCometsAmherstForest green & gold 1947–1958; 1986–MidviewMiddiesGraftonBlue & silver 2015–North RidgevilleRangersNorth RidgevilleNavy blue & yellow 2015–Olmsted FallsBulldogsOlmsted FallsNavy blue & yellow 1954–
Former members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesBayRocketsBay VillageBlue, white and red 1954–2005left for West ShoreBereaBravesBereaScarlet and blue 1937–1950; 2005–2013left in 1950 for Greater Cleveland, consolidated into Berea-MidparkBrecksville-Broadview HeightsBeesBroadview HeightsCrimson and gold 2005–2015left for SuburbanClearviewClippersLorainBlue and gold 1945–1954left for LakelandFairviewWarriorsFairview ParkScarlet and gray 1940–2005left for West ShoreMedinaBeesMedinaGreen and gold 1947–1986left for PioneerMidparkMeteorsMiddlesburg HeightsBrown and orange 2005–2013consolidated into Berea-MidparkNorth OlmstedEaglesNorth OlmstedOrange and black 1954–2021left for Great LakesOberlinIndiansOberlinBlue, white and red 1937–1964left for Lakeland LakewoodRangersLakewoodPurple & gold 2015–2020left for Great LakesRocky RiverPiratesRocky RiverMaroon and white 1937–2005left for West ShoreWellingtonDukesWellingtonMaroon and white 1945–1954left for LakelandWestlakeDemonsWestlakeForest Green and white 1954–2021left for Great Lakes
Membership Timeline Source:
History The Southwestern Conference (SWC) was established during the 1937 school year with founding members Berea, Oberlin, and Rocky River. Three years later, in 1940, Fairview joined the league. Expansion continued in 1945 with the addition of Wellington and Clearview. Just two years later, in 1947, Medina and Steele were also admitted, further strengthening the conference.
The SWC saw its first major change in 1950 when founding member Berea departed for the Greater Cleveland Conference. In 1954, Olmsted Falls, Westlake, and Bay joined the league, replacing Clearview, Steele, and Wellington, which had left for the Lakeland Conference.
In 1964, Avon Lake became a member of the SWC, while founding member Oberlin exited the conference that same year.
The conference remained relatively stable until 1986, when Steele rejoined the SWC, coinciding with Medina’s departure to the Pioneer Conference.
A significant shift occurred in 2005 when Bay, Fairview, and the final founding member, Rocky River, left to form the West Shore Conference. To fill the void, Brecksville-Broadview Heights and Midpark were added that same year.
Another major transition came in the 2013–2014 school year, when Midpark High School merged with Berea High School to create Berea-Midpark High School.The 'Titans' is the Berea school district's new mascot starting in 2013-14 To accommodate this change, Avon High School joined the SWC in 2015–2016, along with Lakewood and Midview. During this period, Brecksville-Broadview Heights accepted an invitation to join the Suburban League in 2013 and departed the SWC after the 2014–2015 school year. North Ridgeville was subsequently approved to join the conference in 2015–2016 as its replacement.
In 2019, Lakewood announced it would leave the SWC following the 2019–2020 school year to join the Great Lakes Conference. Elyria was then accepted as its replacement, beginning in the 2021–2022 season. Further changes came in February 2020, when North Olmsted and Westlake announced their departures from the SWC to also join the Great Lakes Conference starting in the 2021–2022 school year.
References