Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, is an idiom which describes someone who never quite fulfills his or her potential, a person who makes it to the finals but never wins the contest.

(9-22-23) It seems that Liberty-Benton might be the ‘bridesmaid‘ when it comes to finding a new athletic conference home. The Eagles were politely asked to leave the Blanchard Valley Conference (BVC) in 2022 and their last season is scheduled be the 2025-26 school year.

Yes they have a couple of years to find a new athletic conference home…but you have to remember it took Lima Central Catholic (LCC) over 10 years to land back in a conference after becoming an independent.

Recently the Eagles showed a very strong interest in joining the Northwest Conference (NWC) who was looking for two new members. That possibility went away when the NWC last week added LCC and Ft. Loramie (football only).

NWC sources say travel to Findlay was an issue in considering Liberty-Benton….but when you look at the map not so much….

Columbus Grove and Bluffton seem to be within an acceptable distance, while outgoing NWC member Leipsic, who is leaving for the BVC, is farther north then Liberty-Benton is.

Let’s face it Liberty-Benton has a very strong athletic program that was the main cause for the departure from the BVC.

Options that are out there….the Western Buckeye League (WBL), but the possibility of that taking place is highly unlikely. One of the oldest conferences in Ohio the WBL’s last membership change came when –

Shawnee re-entered the league on October 5, 1981. Played full schedule in 1982-1983

…and that was 41 years ago. Ottawa-Glandorf and Defiance would benefit…while the Lima members and Wapakoneta could hop on I-75 to the trip to Findlay.

The Northern 10 Conference is nearby with Carey, Upper Sandusky and Mohawk.

The Northern Buckeye Conference would give Liberty-Benton a good challenge including nearby Fostoria as a future rival.

The Sandusky Bay Conference, 22 members, including Hopewell-Loudon and Tiffin Columbian.

Will the Eagles find an athletic conference home…we will have to wait to see.

SSN made several attempts for an update from Liberty-Benton on the current situation.