Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, Buckeye Trail athletics will compete in the Inter-Valley Conference along with 13 other school from Tuscarawas, Stark, Carroll, Coshocton and Guernsey counties.

In most sports, the schools will be divided along geographical lines with Buckeye Trail  competing in the Southern division. Buckeye Trail division rivals in basketball, volleyball, baseball and softball will include Ridgewood, Newcomerstown, Garaway, Claymont, Indian Valley, and Hiland. Buckeye Trail will face each division opponent twice annually and only division games will count in the league standings. The league championship will be based on final division standings.

In football, the schools will be divided based on enrollment, with Hiland and Conotton Valley not participating in IVC football. Buckeye Trail will compete in the small-school “North” division with East Canton, Malvern, Strasburg, Tuscarawas Central Catholic and Sandy Valley. The league championship will once again be based on division games only with the league championship decided on the final division standings.

Cross country, track, and golf will not have divisions and teams will be free to compete against each other during the regular season as each school wishes. In golf, the league championship will be based on the combined results of the IVC preseason and postseason tournaments. In cross country, and track the league championship will be decided based on the results of the IVC Championships held at the end of each season.

The IVC will also hold IVC Showcases at the end of the season for boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball and volleyball. These showcases will pit teams from the northern division against teams from the southern division in showcase games. The matchup will be determined by the division standing with the first place team in the northern division facing the first place team in the southern division, the second place team in the northern division facing the second place team in the southern division, etc. All of the showcase games will be played at the same site on the same date giving IVC fans an opportunity to see all teams compete in one location. The showcases will not determine an overall league champion.

Buckeye Trail will continue to schedule games with traditional rivals Shenandoah, Caldwell, Union Local and Barnesville.  In addition, Buckeye Trail will still be able to participate in OVAC tournaments.