Leetonia’s addition to the Northeast Athletic Conference for the start of the 2026-27 school year has not caused any ripples in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference yet.

EOAC commissioner Howard Friend said the league’s superintendents and athletic directors will meet on Wednesday to discuss its options going forward including adding a school. Friend said that he feels the seven league schools work well together and does not anticipate any more defections.

The EOAC will be left with Columbiana, East Palestine, Lisbon, United, Wellsville, Southern and Valley Christian.

NAC commissioner Melody Nowakowski said she does not know of any schools in Columbiana County that have contacted the league about membership. She did say though that the NAC is a principal-led league and that the league’s principals might not have shared that information with her yet if there was a request to join.

Last week, Leetonia announced it would leave the EOAC after years of struggling to compete in most sports programs.

Nowakowski said Leetonia approached the NAC about membership and the league was receptive.

“We were a little surprised they asked because of the distance,” Nowakowski said.

Leetonia will be the southern-most team in the NAC by a long distance and will replace Fairport Harding, which will be leaving for the Chagrin Valley Conference following this school year.

Leetonia will join Bristol, Bloomfield, Southington, Lordstown, Ashtabula St. John, Windham, Badger, Middlefield Cardinal, Orwell Grand Valley, Maplewood, Mathews and Pymatuning Valley in the two-division NAC.

Nowakowski said the league does not have any plans for more expansion right now but is open to hearing from any district who might be interested.