“This is an incredible opportunity for our student athletes to consistently compete against high levels of competition and to have their successes more widely recognized,” DCS athletic director Luke Hurst said in a release. “We are thrilled for our student athletes to get to compete against the high level of competition the SWBL will provide.”
Dayton Christian becomes the 14th member of the SWBL and will be in the Buckeye Division with Brookville, Carlisle, Eaton, Madison, Oakwood, Waynesville and Valley View.
“Several SWBL schools currently compete against Dayton Christian in numerous sports,” SWBL Sports Information Director Eric Frantz said. “The depth of their athletic department and the number of sports offered, student-body size, location and tradition all made Dayton Christian attractive.”
Dayton Christian is the SWBL’s second new member in three months. In July, Talawanda High School accepted an invite to join Bellbrook, Edgewood, Franklin, Monroe and Ross in the SWBL Southwestern Division. Like DCS, the Brave will begin play in all sports next school year and football in 2027.
The SWBL’s charter members were Butler, Tippecanoe, Versailles and Milton-Union. Three years later (in 1947) West Carrollton and Eaton were added. Other schools that have been members of the SWBL include Dixie, Greenville, Northridge, Preble Shawnee, Randolph (Northmont), Trotwood-Madison and Wilmington.
The SWBL’s most recent expansion occurred in 2022 when Edgewood and Ross joined.
A move to a more competitive conference and finding a league where all sports could compete under one affiliation has been a priority for DCS.
Dayton Christian teams currently compete in two separate leagues: the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference (football and wrestling) and the Metro Buckeye Conference (all other sports). The Warriors have won 12 MBC all-sports titles. Last school year, Dayton Christian won eight MBC championships (boys soccer, volleyball, girls cross country, boys bowling, baseball, softball, boys tennis and girls track & field).
Dayton Christian owns five Ohio High School Athletic Association state titles — boys cross country (1984), boys track and field (1982, 1996 and 2007) and boys wrestling (2015).
“This opportunity marks a significant milestone for our athletic program and is a testament to how DCS is viewed within our community,” DCS Head of School Matt Baker said. “The SWBL is known for its commitment to excellence, which will greatly benefit the student athletes within our school.”
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