HARRISON, Ohio — Harrison High School football coach Derek Rehage and athletic director Mark Meibers are in favor of a proposal that would allow the Wildcats to join the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference as a football-only member starting in 2028.
No official decision has been made and discussions continue as Harrison works toward a long-term conference solution for its athletics programs.
The Southwest Local School District Board of Education may discuss the topic at its regularly-scheduled meeting starting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the district office in Harrison.
“I want to share my support for Harrison joining the CMAC as a football-only member as a temporary solution until our entire athletic department secures a long-term conference home,” Rehage wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday night. “Football is by far the most difficult sport to schedule, and this option provides greater consistency while also reducing travel.”
Harrison, a member of the Southwest Ohio Conference, has been seeking a new conference for quite some time. The SWOC, established in 2012, has four football members including Talawanda, Mount Healthy and Northwest.
Talawanda is in the Southwestern Buckeye League for all other sports and plans to be a SWBL football member starting in the 2027 season.
Mount Healthy athletics faces uncertainty until results of a property tax levy scheduled for the May primary ballot.
Former SWOC members Edgewood and Ross joined the SWBL in the 2023-24 school year after the schools announced their intention to join the conference in January 2022.
Under a proposal, Harrison would play five CMAC members in football including Taft, Withrow, Western Hills, Aiken and Hughes.
Taft, Withrow and Aiken were playoff qualifiers in 2025. Like Harrison, Withrow and Aiken are in Division II, Region 8. Rehage said that would create "strong and competitive matchups."
“This structure would leave five remaining non-league games," said Rehage, who is also Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association (SWOFCA) President. "Our goal would be to continue our traditional games with Northwest and Mount Healthy, while also scheduling opponents such as East Central, La Salle, and Milford — all of whom are already on our 2026 schedule and under contract in future seasons.”
Rehage said a proposal with the CMAC would be in Harrison’s best interest.
“Our football program is evolving, just as our community is evolving,” Rehage wrote in the Facebook post. “This approach allows us to maintain competitive balance, improve scheduling stability, and limit travel demands. Any partnership with this league would not take place until 2028, even though some of these schools are already on our schedule.”
Harrison has had a connection with CMAC football members in recent seasons. The Wildcats just completed a four-year agreement with Western Hills.
Harrison and Withrow have agreed to a one-year deal for Week 4 of this upcoming season at Harrison. Harrison and Taft had previous discussions for potentially scheduling games in 2027 and 2028.
The CMAC is divided into two divisions — Blue and Red. The Red division consists of Taft, Withrow, Aiken, Western Hills, Hughes, and Woodward. The Blue division is Cincinnati College Prep, Shroder and Gamble Montessori.
Cincinnati Public Schools Athletics Director Josh Hardin acknowledged the CMAC’s interest in Harrison.
“The CMAC is considering Harrison and in talks with some other schools,” Hardin wrote in an email. “The CMAC will review it formally pending if they formally send in an application.”
Harrison has sought a conference solution for a significant amount of time. Meibers said he is grateful to the CMAC for the consideration and the opportunity it could present to the Harrison student-athletes.
