It’s back to six again for the Northern Ohio League.

By a 5-0 vote Monday, the Fostoria Board of Education accepted an invitation to join the newly-formed Northern Buckeye Conference, which will begin in the 2011-12 school year.

Fostoria had until the end of the month to accept the NBC’s offer. The school joined the NOL just seven years ago during the 2002-03 school year, but in the economic crunch Ohio schools find themselves in, travel time was cited as a key reason behind the move.

The other six schools in the NBC are Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, Otsego Rossford and Woodmore. The conference has stated its intention to become an eight-school league and is currently searching for one more member.

With Fostoria’s pending exit, it leaves the NOL with Bellevue, Norwalk, Sandusky, Willard, Shelby and Tiffin Columbian. 

Galion and Upper Sandusky started the domino effect by announcing they were  leaving for the more southern-located North Central Conference, also in 2011-12.

Sandusky was accepted as a member of the NOL on June 16, briefly bringing membership up to seven schools until Monday’s announcement of Fostoria’s departure.

Sandusky rival and fellow Greater Buckeye Conference members Fremont Ross and Marion Harding recently expressed interest in joining the NOL, however, Ross did not receive an invitation and Marion Harding was ultimately turned down after making a presentation at the same time Sandusky did.

Nearly every member of the Sandusky Bay Conference, as well as Vermilion, Lexington and Clear Fork were also extended invitations by the NOL back in the spring.

Despite failing to give a full two-year notice of an exit of membership, league officials are not expected to block or protest Fostoria’s departure.