Suburban Lakes League (OHSAA) - League History - 2000s

2000s

• In 2000, Northwood leaves the league for the TAAC after Rossford declines to join the SLL as its tenth member.
• In 2008, realignment issues are stirred up again when Lakota decides to leave for the Midland Athletic League in 2009, opening the door for another potential member. Rossford was considered as the prime choice for replacement, but a 4-3 vote amongst member schools (4 in favor, 3 against) turned them down. 6 schools would have had to approve Rossford's admission due to the 75% vote clause.
• In 2009, both Rossford and Fostoria High Schools were turned down as potential members with the current members not gathering the necessary 6-1 vote. However, the 7 SLL school principals later considered expanding the league to 12 members by the 2011-12 school year, with 2 divisions (Big Schools and Small Schools). The 5 other schools were not specifically named, but it was noted that both Rossford and Fostoria fit the profile of the larger school division, which would have included Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, and Otsego. The smaller division would have consisted of Elmwood, Gibsonburg, Woodmore, and 3 other area schools close to their enrollment sizes. Geography and size pointed at Northwood, Ottawa Hills, Cardinal Stritch, and Toledo Christian. Genoa and Eastwood's superintendents decided that the 12 team league would not work because they did not want Fostoria in their league.
• In May 2009, Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, Otsego, and Woodmore agreed to withdraw from the SLL and form a new league with Rossford. This was an attempt to circumvent the bylaws of the league after Rossford was voted down by a 5-2 vote (Rossford needed 75% (6 out of 7) of the vote to be added into the SLL). It was decided that league play for the new Northern Buckeye Conference would begin in the fall of 2011. This move left Elmwood and Gibsonburg as the lone members of the SLL for that time.
• Elmwood was invited to join the NBC on August 12 along with Fostoria.
• On September 9, 2009, Elmwood officially joined the NBC after being turned away from the MAL the day before. Gibsonburg was also denied MAL membership, but they applied to join the TAAC on September 16.
• Gibsonburg was invited to join the TAAC on October 7, 2009. They became a voting member of the league on January 1, 2010 and joined the TAAC when the SLL dissolved in 2011.