SMCC tennis will compete in newly formed Northwest 7

St. Mary Central Catholic tennis coach Daniel Miller realized something had to happen. SMCC, a member of the Sandusky Bay Conference, was on the outside looking in when the 10 schools that form the SBC Lake and Bay divisions in other sports announced a decision to form the Northern Ohio Conference. The Panthers, who played tennis with those schools, were left with no league affiliation, which got Miller's mind rolling. Enter the newly formed Northwest 7 Tennis Conference. "Initially, this came about due to the restructuring of the current Sandusky Bay Conference," said Miller, who is also the assistant athletic director at SMCC. "I knew that there would be a few schools that would be without a conference. I tried to piece together something that made sense in my head with geography and competitive balance in mind. Then, through some research, several conversations and a lot of reworking, the other member schools were on board. "We were able to make the NW7 happen." SMCC will join Bucyrus, Fremont St. Joseph Central Catholic, Tiffin Calvert, Toledo Christian, Upper Sandusky and Willard when league play begins during the 2026-27 school year. Miller noted there are many benefits to being part of a conference in any sport. "For the student-athletes, it provides consistency and opportunities to compete for both team and individual conference championships while building relationships with players from other schools," he said. "From an administrative perspective, it simplifies scheduling and reduces the stress of filling large numbers of independent matches every year. "Being an independent program limits those opportunities, so forming the NW7 gives all seven schools a stable and competitive home." Bucyrus, Calvert, Upper Sandusky and Willard (which is leaving the SBC) will also be members of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference next year. SMCC and SJCC will be members of a new, smaller SBC in other sports while Toledo Christian competes in the Toledo Area Athletic Conference for all sports except football. Miller thinks the NW7 will evolve over time. "It's hard to predict exactly what that will look like, but I imagine the conference could look very different in the future," Miller said. "As school needs change and tennis continues to grow in northwest Ohio, expansion or restructuring is always a possibility." The Panthers have always competed for league championships during the tennis seasons. That was one of the biggest reasons Miller pushed for the formation of the NW7. "For SMCC specifically, one of our program goals every year is to compete for a team conference title," Miller said. "Even though tennis is mostly an individual sport, the team aspect is incredibly important in building a strong, positive culture. This conference gives our players meaningful goals and consistent competition to strive for. "We will also continue to schedule many of our traditional local opponents in non-conference matches, so we keep the rivalries and relationships that matter to our kids." SMCC will finish up its participation in the SBC for tennis in the spring when the boys hit the courts. "I'm just excited for the student-athletes at all seven schools," Miller said. "They deserve the chance to compete for conference titles and earn recognition, and this new league ensures those opportunities continue well into the future. I'm also grateful for the collaboration among the coaches, athletic directors and building principals who were willing to make this happen." Two schools joining Northern 8 football The Northern 8 football conference recently announced the addition of two schools. Windham, located in Portage County, and Kennedy Catholic, located in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, will be the ninth and 10th members of the N8. Kennedy Catholic played six games against N8 schools this past fall, including a 31-0 loss to St. Mary Central Catholic. The N8 will play a nine-game schedule next fall with the week beginning Aug. 17 being the first week of the season. The following week will be designated for non-league games. The semifinal round of the playoffs at the higher seed's home field will be Oct. 31 with the championship game slated for Nov. 7 at a site to be determined.