| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1902 |
| First season | 1902 |
| Ceased | 1919 |
| Claim to fame | Predecessor to the National Football League (NFL) |
| No. of teams | 23 |
| Country | United States |
| Venue(s) | Armory Park Idora Park Indianola Park League Field League Park Luna Bowl Swayne Field Tank Stadium Triangle Park |
| Last champion(s) | Canton Bulldogs |
| Most titles | Massillon Tigers (5) |
| Related competitions | New York Pro Football League (NYPFL) Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit Chicago League |
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1902 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). As the name implied, its teams were mostly based in Ohio. It is the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League (NFL).
A proposal to add teams from outside Ohio, such as the Latrobe Athletic Association, to form a formal league known as the "Football Association" fell through prior to the 1904 season.
Though a champion was declared by the group throughout its existence, a formal league was not founded until 1920, when several Ohio League teams added clubs from other states to form the American Professional Football Association. In 1922, the APFA became the National Football League.
All but one of the remaining Ohio League teams left the NFL after the 1926 season, with the sole remaining team, the Dayton Triangles, surviving until 1929, before moving to Brooklyn, playing as the Dodgers. That team merged with the Boston Yanks in 1945. The merger ended after the end of 1945 season. The league cancelled the Brooklyn franchise.
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