The Principals Athletic Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association athletic league that began competition in 1989 and is made up of members from Stark, Summit and Wayne Counties in Ohio.
Members
+SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesCanton SouthWildcatsCantonRed and gray 2022–CoventryCometsCoventry1989–1995;2001–2005; 2026–FairlessFalconsNavarreNavy, silver 1989–Leaving in 2028 for Northeast Senate LeagueManchesterPanthersNew FranklinRed, black 1989–NorthwestIndiansLawrenceRed, gray, white 2017–OrrvilleRed RidersOrrvilleRed, black, white 2016–TriwayTitansWoosterPurple, white 2005–TuslawMustangsMassillonBlue, red, white 1989–Leaving in 2028 for Northeast Senate League
Future members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsYear JoiningNotesCloverleafColtsWestfield Joining from Metro Athletic ConferenceWest HolmesKnightsMillersburgJoining from Ohio Cardinal Conference
Former members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesCuyahoga Valley Christian AcademyRoyalsCuyahoga FallsBlue, white 2001–2024left for North Coast ConferenceEast CantonHornetsEast CantonBlue, gold 1989–2005left for Portage Trail ConferenceIndian ValleyBravesGnadenhuttenRed, blue 1992–95; 2008–2016left for Inter-Valley ConferenceSandy ValleyCardinalsMagnoliaRed, gray 1989–2001Left for Inter-Valley ConferenceTimkenTrojansCantonBlue, gold 2005–2015School closed, consolidated with Canton McKinleyTuscarawas ValleyTrojansZoarvilleRed, black 1989–2016left for Inter-Valley ConferenceLoudonvilleRedbirdsLoudonvilleRed and gray 2017–2021Football only member, joined Knox Morrow Athletic Conference in 2022
History The Principals Athletic Conference (also known as PAC or PAC-7) began conference play in 1989, with founding members Coventry, Fairless, Manchester, Tuslaw, East Canton, Sandy Valley, and Tuscarawas Valley. In 1992, the league expanded to eight teams following the addition of Indian Valley. Indian Valley left the league in 1995 for the East Central Ohio Conference, along with Coventry, who left in favor of becoming an independent school. The league once again expanded into seven teams in 2001 with Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and Coventry, who rejoined after four years of being an independent school. Sandy Valley left the same year for the Inter-Valley Conference.
East Canton and Coventry left the league in favor of the new Portage Trail Conference in 2005. That same year saw the additions of Timken and Triway. In 2008, Indian Valley rejoined the league after being in the ECOC for over 10 years. Northwest High School and Orrville High School applied for membership in the PAC in 2013, but both were later turned down after a league discussion.
Indian Valley and Tuscarawas Valley both announced in 2015 their intention of joining the Inter-Valley Conference beginning in the 2016-17 school year. The same year, Timken would shutter their school following the consolidation plan between them and Canton McKinley High School. Four schools applied to join the PAC, with two of four being accepted as full-time members. Orrville began conference play in the PAC in the 2016-17 school year, and Northwest began conference play in the 2017-18 school year. Loudonville was accepted into the league as a football only member
In 2020, Canton South, who applied to join the PAC in 2015 but was denied, accepted an invitation to join the league effective the 2022-23 school year. Loudonville forfeited their PAC membership as a football-only school and joined the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference in 2022.
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy announced in May 2023 their departure from the PAC to form the North Coast Conference in 2024 along with Elyria Catholic, Holy Name, Padua, Beaumont, Lake Catholic, and Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.
Coventry confirmed that they had accepted an offer to leave the Metro Athletic Conference and rejoin the PAC and are set to rejoin the conference in 2026. Coventry was a founding member of the PAC and was a member from 1989–1995 and 2001-2005. Fairless and Tuslaw announced their intention to leave the PAC effective the 2028-29 school year for a new athletic conference with Carrollton, Claymont, Marlington, Minerva Sandy Valley, and Tuscarawas Valley all of them being former Senate League members. In March 2026, Cloverleaf and West Holmes both announced their intention of joining the PAC in 2028 to replace both Fairless and Tuslaw.
References