Grand Valley is returning to the Northeastern Athletic Conference.
On Friday, the conference principal’s unanimously voted the Mustangs back into the NAC effective the 2024-25 school year.
“We’re excited about the new opportunity to get back to natural rivalries,” GV Athletic Director Frank Hall said. “It’s a new chapter for Grand Valley sports.”
The Mustangs had been members of the NAC, before joining the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2019.
“We developed some great relationships while in the CVC and hope to continue those,” Mustangs football coach Clint Nims said. “We look forward to reconnecting with the schools in the NAC.
“Some recent conversations with some of those schools have been great.”
GV cross country and track coach Kurtis Fisher added, “Looking forward to the challenge of the NAC and to see some familiar faces and teams.”
With the addition of GV, the NAC will consist of: Badger, Bristol, Bloomfield, Southington Chalker, Lordstown, Mathews, Maplewood, Pymatuning Valley, Saint John, Fairport Harbor, and Windham.
“We’re excited another Ashtabula County school joining the conference,” Heralds Athletic Director Nick Iarocci said.
PV Athletic Director Mel Nowakowski is pleased GV is back in the conference.
“The NAC is a conference always looking to strengthen itself with like-minded schools and communities who care about our student-athletes,” she said. “GV continues to be a great fit for the NAC, and PV is glad to have our friendly rivals return to the league where they belong.
“We’ve kept the rivalry going after they left the NAC, but now those games will have a little bit more meaning with their return.”
Starting next season, the county schools and Madison will participate in two conferences.
Saint John, PV and GV will be in the NAC, while Lakeside, Edgewood, Geneva, Jefferson, Conneaut and Madison are all in the CVC.
