The Northeastern Athletic Conference is an Ohio High School Athletic Association high school athletic conference made up of member schools from Ashtabula, Columbiana, Geauga, Portage and Trumbull county in Ohio. The NAC began conference play in 2002 and was formed by members of the former East Suburban Conference. NAC members played football concurrently with the ESC until the 2008 football season.
Members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsYear joinedNotesStars DivisionCardinalHuskiesMiddlefieldRed, black and white2025Grand ValleyMustangsOrwellRoyal blue, navy blue, white and gray2009; 2024Left for Chagrin Valley Conference in 2019; rejoined NAC in 2024MaplewoodRocketsMeccaBlue and white2002no footballMathewsMustangsViennaRed black and white2003football joined in 2009Pymatuning ValleyLakersAndoverMaroon and gold2002football joined in 2009St. JohnHeraldsAshtabulaNavy blue and white2022Stripes DivisionBadgerBravesKinsmanRed and white2003no footballBristolPanthersBristolvilleBlack and gold2002no footballBloomfieldCardinalsBloomfieldRed and black 2002no footballChalkerWildcatsSouthingtonOrange and black2002Chalker in Northern 8 Football Conference for football; football in conference from 2009 to 2020LeetoniaBearsLeetoniaNavy blue and white2026LordstownRed DevilsLordstownRed and blue2002no footballWindhamBombersWindhamBlack and gold2013Windham in Northern 8 Football Conference for Football; football in conference from 2013 to 2025
Future members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsYear joiningNotesBrookfieldWarriorsBrookfieldBlue and gold2027Joining in 2027 from Mahoning Valley Athletic ConferenceChampionFlashesChampion TownshipPurple and gold2027Joining in 2027 from Mahoning Valley Athletic ConferenceLaBraeVikingsLeavittsburgRed and gray2027Joining in 2027 from Mahoning Valley Athletic ConferenceLibertyLeopardsLiberty TownshipMaroon and gold2027Joining in 2027 from Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference for all sports except football
All-time NAC membership timeline
Former members +SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesFairport HardingSkippersFairport HarborMaroon and white2020–2026left for Chagrin Valley ConferenceLedgemontRedskinsThompsonRed and white2008–2014School closed in 2014. merged with Berkshire High School.Lutheran EastFalconsCleveland HeightsBlue and white2009–2012football only joined in 2009. left conference in 2012 to become independent.NewburyBlack KnightsNewburyOrange and black2014–2020School closed in 2020. merged with West Geauga High School.
NAC hstory By the early 2000s, majority of the ESC, transitioned out of the conference, in favor of joining the newly formed Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2002, with founding members Bristol, Bloomfield, Chalker, Lordstown, Maplewood and Pymatuning Valley. Two additional nearby schools, Badger and Mathews, joined the NAC in the 2003–04 school year, while Mathews joined the ESC for football only. Grand Valley later joined the NAC from the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2009.
Windham was accepted into the NAC in 2013, leaving the Portage Trail Conference. Ledgemont closed after the 2013–2014 school year after a territory transfer with Berkshire High School. Newbury, who was an original ESC member, replaced their spot NAC in 2014 after leaving the Chagrin Valley Conference.
After 10 years of being in the conference, Grand Valley left the NAC in 2019, in favor of rejoining the Chagrin Valley Conference. Fairport Harding, joined the league after their 15-year long tenure in the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2020. Newbury closed following the 2019–20 school year, after a territory transfer with West Geauga High School.
After not being able to field a team due to low roster numbers in 2021, Chalker forfeited their membership as a football member of the conference. Chalker spent the next couple seasons playing as a club team, before joining the Northern 8 Football Conference, an 8-man football conference in 2024.
Despite playing a conference schedule in all sports with the league for years, Ashtabula St. John High School officially became a member of the NAC in 2022.
Grand Valley rejoined the NAC after a 5-year tenure with the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2024,their former CVC peer, Middlefield Cardinal joined the following year.
Fairport Harding announced their intention to rejoin their former Chagrin Valley Conference starting the 2026–27 school year, ending their tenure with the NAC after 6 years. On September 24, 2025, Leetonia High School announced that they have accepted their invitation to join the NAC, leaving the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference, and will begin conference play in the 2026–27 school year.
On November 26, 2025, Windham announced they were accepted into the Northern 8 Football Conference beginning the 2026–27 school year, with roster numbers decreasing in recent years. Brookfield, Champion, LaBrae and Liberty announced on March 17, 2026, that they intend to leave the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference to join the Northeastern Athletic Conference beginning the 2027–28 school year.
East Suburban Conference The East Suburban Conference was a former Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) athletic conference that operated from 1968 to 2008. Following the 2000–01 school year, most member schools departed to form the Northeastern Athletic Conference (NAC), leading to the dissolution of the league as an all-sports conference. Beginning in 2002, the East Suburban Conference continued as a football-only league. It remained in operation until 2008, when the departures of Lutheran East, Valley Christian (then known as Youngstown Christian), and Ashtabula St. John prompted the remaining members, already competing in the NAC in other sports, to transition to full-time football membership in the Northeastern Athletic Conference.
All-time East Suburban Conference members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTenureNotesAuroraGreenmenAuroraDark green, white 1983–1988to Metro Athletic ConferenceBeachwoodBisonBeachwoodWhite and gold1968–1988to Metro Athletic ConferenceBerkshireBadgersBurtonPurple and gold1968–1995to Chagrin Valley ConferenceBristolPanthersBristolvilleBlack and gold1992–2002no football; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceBloomfieldCardinalsBloomfieldRed and black 1996–2002no football; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceCardinalHuskiesMiddlefieldRed, black and white1968–1995to Chagrin Valley ConferenceChalkerWildcatsSouthingtonOrange and black1996–2002football 1996–2008; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceChardonHilltoppersChardonRed and black 1980–1983to Chagrin Valley ConferenceCleveland Central CatholicIronmenClevelandRed, white and blue2004–2006football only member; to North CoastCuyahoga Valley Christian AcademyRoyalsCuyahoga FallsRoyal blue, white and black1998–2001to Principals Athletic ConferenceFairport HardingSkippersFairport HarborMaroon and white1970–1976; 1989–2005to Grand River in 1976, to Chagrin Valley Conference in 2005Grand ValleyMustangsOrwellRoyal blue, navy blue, white and gray1989–1997to Chagrin Valley ConferenceKirtlandHornetsKirtlandNavy blue and gold1968–1995to Chagrin Valley ConferenceLordstownRed DevilsLordstownRed and blue1996–2002no football; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceLedgemontRedskinsThompsonRed and white1989–2002football 1989–2008; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceLutheran EastFalconsCleveland HeightsBlue and white1998–2008football only member; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceMaplewoodRocketsMeccaBlue and white1996–2002no football; to Northeastern Athletic ConferenceMathewsMustangsViennaRed black and white1989–1991football 2004–2008; to Northeastern Athletic Conference for football in 2008, left for Inter-County in 1991NewburyBlack KnightsNewburyOrange and black1968–1997to Chagrin Valley ConferencePerryPiratesPerryScarlet and white 1984–1995to Chagrin Valley ConferencePymatuning ValleyLakersAndoverMaroon and gold1989–1998football 2004–2008; to Northeastern Athletic Conference in 2008 for football, left for Northeastern in 1998Richmond HeightsSpartansRichmond HeightsBlue and white1968–1989to Metro Athletic ConferenceSt. John and PaulHeraldsAshtabulaNavy blue and white1996–2008football only 2002–2008; became independentYoungstown ChristianEaglesYoungstownBlue and gold2005–2008football only member; became independent
All-time ESC membership timeline
ESC hstory The East Suburban Conference, formed in 1968. Founding members included schools such as Beachwood, Berkshire, Cardinal, Kirtland, Newbury, and Richmond Heights.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the ESC experienced periodic expansion and contraction as schools adjusted conference affiliations based on enrollment and competitive balance. Additions such as Fairport Harding, Chardon, Aurora, and Perry reflected the league's growth, while departures to conferences like the Chagrin Valley Conference and the Metropolitan Area Conference highlighted shifting alignments. Fairport left the conference in 1976 to join the Grand River Conference.
In 1989, the conference found replacements for those who left the year prior, with new members such as Ledgemont, Grand Valley, and Pymatuning Valley shifted the ESC toward a more rural, multi-county alignment extending into Ashtabula County. Fairport rejoined the ESC the same year.
The 1990s brought another wave of expansion, particularly in Trumbull County, with the additions of Bristol, Bloomfield, Chalker, Lordstown, and Maplewood between 1992 and 1995. Several of these schools did not field football programs.
Additional members joined in the late 1990s and 2000s, including St. John and Paul (now known as Saint John School), Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, Lutheran East, Cleveland Central Catholic (for football only), and Youngstown Christian (now known as Valley Christian).
Fairport, left for the CVC in 2005 followed by Cleveland Central Catholic in 2006, who joined the North Coast Conference.
The East Suburban Conference folded in 2008, and fully transitioned into the NAC, with Ledgemont, Chalker, Pymatuning Valley, Mathews and Lutheran East all becoming full-time members.
State championships
State championships won by each school while as a member of the ESC or NAC SchoolSportYears wonCardinalBoys wrestling1978ChalkerSoftball1998LedgemontBoys wrestling1992MaplewoodBoys cross country Boys track and field1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2014, 2015 2000NewburyBoys wrestling1986Richmond HeightsBoys wrestling1979, 1980, 1983, 1984 References