Louisville High School finally has a conference home again.
Louisville City Schools has announced that the Leopards have been officially accepted into the All-American Conference beginning with the 2026-27 school year. The league incudes Youngstown-area teams Austintown Fitch, Boardman, Canfield, Howland and Warren Harding.
“We are beyond excited to officially join the All-American Conference,” Louisville Superintendent Michele Shaffer in a statement. “Our student-athletes and coaches have worked tirelessly to maintain a high level of excellence as an independent program, and now they will have the opportunity to build meaningful rivalries and traditions within a strong, competitive league. This is a major win for our entire Louisville community.”
The AAC unanimously voted to include Louisville in the league earlier in July. The school district’s administration and board of education chose to review the contract before marking its final decision.
“We are confident that Louisville will be a great fit and enhance the competitive spirit and integrity of the AAC,” league ommissioner Jim De Toro said in a statement. “We are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship for all of us.”
Louisville has played as an independent since the 2018-19 school year. The Leopards were formally a member of the Northeastern Buckeye Conference. That league disbanded and reformed without Louisville and is now known as the Eastern Buckeye Conference.
“This is a great day for Louisville Athletics, a day that has been in the works for a while now,” Louisville Athletic Director Terrie Horn said in a statement. “Our coaches and athletes have faced the challenge of independent scheduling with pride and determination, and joining the AAC allows us to align with schools that share our passion for competition and sportsmanship. We’re looking forward to building new rivalries and traditions while continuing to represent the Leopard name with pride.”
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: All-American Conference expands into Stark County, as Louisville High School joins league
Reporting by Mike Popovich, Canton Repository / The Repository
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