Downfall of the SEOAL

[Rusty Shackleford]

I’m kinda curious because I don’t really remember why it disbanded. Was Athens joining the TVC a major reason? I also remember it seemed like for a while a lot of the schools were spread out and it looked like some awful travel times.

[greygoose]

They started it up by casting to big of a net and the area was way to spread out for most teams that were in it. Athens leaving wasn't a major reason teams started to fall off 1 by 1 most were trying to find an alternative because of the distance.

[Rusty Shackleford]

The team that never made sense to me being in it was Zanesville. What did the SEOAL gain from having them join. They were nowhere really close to the other schools. Even from Logan, Marietta, and Warren it still had to be a haul.

[82nd]

the leaders in charge with no vision

[loganlocos]

The team that never made sense to me being in it was Zanesville. What did the SEOAL gain from having them join. They were nowhere really close to the other schools. Even from Logan, Marietta, and Warren it still had to be a haul.

It's complicated.

Really Zanesville was one of Logan's shortest trips (about an hour).

Trips for Logan:
Athens: 30 minutes
Chillicothe: 1 hour (but a really crappy drive)
Gallipolis: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ironton: 2+ hours
Jackson: 1 hour (on 93)
Marietta: 1 hour
Portsmouth: 2 hours
Warren: 1 hour, 20 min
Zanesville: 1 hour

[loganlocos]

The SEOAL expanded in 2006 - adding Chillicothe, Ironton, Portsmouth, and Zanesville.

It was more of a North/South thing as far as how/why the teams made SOME sense at the time. Athens, Logan, Marietta, Warren, and Zanesville were the north division. Logan to Warren and Athens to Zanesville were the longest trips I believe.

The south was Chillicothe, Gallipolis, Ironton, Jackson, and Portsmouth.

It actually alleviated travel within the divisions - but the "crossover" games made for some LONG trips.


Athens leaving was definitely a blow.

Zanesville and Ironton were never really "committed" to the league IMO.

I think Marietta leaving after the 2010-11 school year was really the move that crushed the league. I think Marietta/Warren/Gallia/Logan/Jackson could have and would have stuck it out.

But the Chillicothe to Washington County trips were crazy. After Zanesville and Ironton left, it became and East/West divde instead of North and South. Those East/West trips were brutal.

[NY Tomcat]

the leaders in charge with no vision

That, and Athens leaving was devastating. They were the glue holding it all together. Athens haters can argue against that but one thing they can't deny is if Athens stayed the league would still be together.

[Raider6309]

Wellston’s fault

[hsfbfan]

Wellston’s fault

huh? how?

[Orange and Brown]

Wellston’s fault

Everything is wellstons fault!

[Rusty Shackleford]

Maybe NY, Wellston and Meigs just leave a hole that they couldn’t fill. So the TVC started killing it in the 60s, 70,s, and 80s and just finished it off with Athens in the 2000s. Anytime I can blame Wellston for something I’m all for it haha

[hsfbfan]

everybody is a comedian! LOL!

[Pic A Way]

You all are overlooking the real tragedy: the SVAC is no more

[Raider6309]

Does Dandy Don still own the rights to the SEOAL since Wellston created the league?

[eagle25]

Does Dandy Don still own the rights to the SEOAL since Wellston created the league?

Hannah took over the rights to the SEOAL when the Final Four disbanded. They're still looking for teams to join them.

[Geronimo]

Hated to see SEOAL fold / but think travel time was the problem! The OVC by far is the best travel time wise now .

[Raider6309]

Hannah took over the rights to the SEOAL when the Final Four disbanded. They're still looking for teams to join them.

Must be why Wheelersburg played them. Joining the league

[Rusty Shackleford]

Hated to see SEOAL fold / but think travel time was the problem! The OVC by far is the best travel time wise now .

After looking more into, besides 3 maybe four teams, it looked like the SEOAL never could figure out who they were. River Valley, Point, Zanesville, Marietta, Chillicothe, Ironton. I know not all of them were in at the same time but why add half of those teams. Even some of the teams who were close were not good fits for the league.

[NYBuckeye96]

The SEOAL should have split into two divisions in the 1960s when schools were consolidating. The TVC was founded by teams that were rejected from gaining admission into the SEOAL. Then, SEOAL schools started leaving the SEOAL for the TVC.

You could have had:
Division A - TVC
Vinton County
Belpre
Warren
Federal Hocking
Nelsonville-York
Wellston
Meigs

Division B - SEOAL
Athens
Logan
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Ironton
Waverly
Marietta

This alignment would have incorporated all SEOAL schools from the 1960s with the charter TVC schools and the SEOAL schools added when schools started leaving for the TVC.

As enrollments fluctuated over time, teams could have switched divisions.

Even if a couple teams were to leave, there would have been countless schools to pick from to replace them that were geographically a good fit:

Alexander and River Valley could have replaced Ironton and Waverly, for example, with a simple realignment of divisions based on school size at the time they left.

[Rusty Shackleford]

The SEOAL should have split into two divisions in the 1960s when schools were consolidating. The TVC was founded by teams that were rejected from gaining admission into the SEOAL. Then, SEOAL schools started leaving the SEOAL for the TVC.

You could have had:
Division A - TVC
Vinton County
Belpre
Warren
Federal Hocking
Nelsonville-York
Wellston
Meigs

Division B - SEOAL
Athens
Logan
Jackson
Gallia Academy
Ironton
Waverly
Marietta

This alignment would have incorporated all SEOAL schools from the 1960s with the charter TVC schools and the SEOAL schools added when schools started leaving for the TVC.

As enrollments fluctuated over time, teams could have switched divisions.

Even if a couple teams were to leave, there would have been countless schools to pick from to replace them that were geographically a good fit:

Alexander and River Valley could have replaced Ironton and Waverly, for example, with a simple realignment of divisions based on school size at the time they left.

I always kinda wondered why VC wasn’t added. I know they were turned down in the late 60s when they tried to get in. Travel? Competitiveness? Also what about the teams throughout the 70s and 80s the left like Nelsonville York, Wellston, and Meigs? Was it basically them saying well we’re not having any luck here and Vinton County, Belpre, and Fed Hock aren’t that far away?