A preliminary meeting has been held to discuss the possible merger of the Toledo Area Athletic Conference and the Michigan-based Tri-County Conference.
The athletic directors from the small school leagues met recently to discuss the possibility of forming a new conference.
The TAAC consists of Cardinal Stritch, Emmanuel Christian, Maumee Valley, Northwood, Ottawa Hills, and Toledo Christian. The league also has three football-only members: Montpelier, Edon, and Hilltop.
The TCC includes southeast Michigan schools Erie Mason, Whiteford, Sand Creek, Morenci, Summerfield, and Britton-Deerfield.
Rick Kaifas, the commissioner of the TAAC, said all of the discussions are very preliminary.
“We have all met. Nothing has been finalized,” Kaifas said. “I'm not sure what is going to happen or if it will come to fruition. It's all conjecture right now.”
However, Kaifas said there appears to be some momentum heading toward a possible merger. That would take place at the very earliest during the 2023-24 school year but more likely the 2024-25 school year.
“There was a general positive atmosphere and attitude about the whole thing,” Kaifas said of the early June meeting.
Whiteford athletic director Jeremy Simmons called it “a great and productive meeting.”
“There were a lot of questions with the Michigan schools coming down with the Toledo schools,” Simmons said. “It really was more of a brain session to find out who would be interested and how creative we would have to get with our scheduling. It's still in the very early stages.”
Simmons, who just took over this month for former Whiteford AD Jason Mensing, said there would be some obstacles with different rules and regulations. Michigan football also starts a week earlier.
“It's still in the very early stages,” Simmons said. “I think [TCC] officials are open to the idea. Our school sizes match up with the TAAC and our athletes match up with them.”
The possible TAAC/TCC merger gained more traction with a decision on Monday by TCC member Adrian Madison to leave the league. Madison will join the Lenawee County Athletic Association starting in the fall of 2023-24.
With Madison’s departure, the TCC is down to six schools. Morenci and Britton-Deerfield play eight-man football. Toledo Christian of the TAAC also now plays eight-man football, while Emmanuel Christian and Maumee Valley do not field football teams.
Officials from both leagues initially met to discuss the possibility of member schools playing each other in football to fill out the 2023 and 2024 schedules. Teams from the TAAC and TCC will meet in non-league football games in the fall of 2023 and 2024.
Adrian Madison's decision to leave the TCC, which was based on an increased enrollment for the school, might have re-opened serious discussions about a merger with the TAAC.
“That could jump-start things,” Kaifas said.
Simmons said the Whiteford football program, which has elevated into a state power, already has played TAAC member Edon.
Simmons said he has already spoken to many of his varsity coaches about the possible move. He also has spoken to administrators and plans to address the school board next month.
“I don't think this is on a super-fast pace,” he said.
The departure of Adrian Madison and the increase in the number of 8-man football teams have played a role in the discussions, Simmons said.
The TAAC could follow the larger Toledo Catholic schools, which will be competing in the Detroit-based Catholic High School League beginning in the 2023-24 school year. After the dissolution of the Three River Athletic Conference, Central Catholic, Notre Dame, St. Francis de Sales, St. John's Jesuit, and St. Ursula will join the CHSL.
The Toledo schools will still compete in the Ohio High School Athletic Association's postseason tournaments.
Some boys and girls sports from Ohio do not currently match seasons with Michigan schools. The major sports of football and basketball, along with volleyball, cross country, wrestling, hockey, baseball, softball, and track and field, all take place during the same season in both Ohio and Michigan.
But Ohio has boys and girls golf in the fall, while Michigan does each of those in the spring. Ohio has boys and girls soccer both in the fall, whereas Michigan has girls soccer in the spring. Ohio has girls tennis in the fall, and Michigan has it in the spring.
However, that does not appear to be a major hurdle. Athletes will be able to compete for league and state titles in the sports that are played in different seasons.
Travel would not be much of an issue with the schools in the TCC located in Michigan counties adjacent to the Ohio border.
In January, officials from two TAAC schools, Northwood and Ottawa Hills, met with three current members of the Northwest Ohio Athletic League — Delta, Evergreen, and Swanton, about a possible formation of a new league. Montpelier also was mentioned as a possible eighth school that would join the new league.
However, there has been no movement at all on that front, according to Kaifas.
No additional meetings between the TAAC and TCC officials have been set. But a decision could be made by the end of July.
“We are playing it by ear. If everyone wants to make this happen, we will make happen,” Kaifas said.
Simmons said he is respectful of the rich tradition of the TCC, which began in 1973-74. Whiteford joined the league in 1975. Whitmore Lake left the league in 2019 and Clinton left in 2020.
“I'd hate to see the TCC break up. We love the history of it,” he said. “But you also have to be realistic.”
Simmons said the earliest he could see a new league forming would be in 2024-25. It also is unclear what the new league would be called.
“We have to determine if this would be best for the kids and our community,” Simmons said.
First Published June 28, 2022, 9:31 p.m.
