In May 2010, the Toledo Public School board of education voted to cut all junior high (seventh and eighth grade) and freshman sports, as well as the discontinuation of boys tennis, cross country, golf, ice hockey and wrestling.

[5] Following Clay's decision, TCL members Central Catholic, Notre Dame, St. Francis de Sales, St. John's Jesuit, St. Ursula and Whitmer all announced that they would leave the City League as well.

The name represents the Northwest Ohio rivers - the Maumee, the Sandusky and the Blanchard - which are part of the collective geography of the 10 inaugural member schools.

[11][12] On March 10, 2022, Lima Senior announced that it would be joining the Toledo City League in 2023 on a four-year contract as its seventh member.

[13] Lima Senior wasn't invited to join the NLL with the other public TRAC schools and decided being in a league was preferable to independence.