GALLIPOLIS - When it came time to vote on expansion in the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League, officials took a timeout.

SEOAL officials met Wednesday morning and voted to table any expansion until another meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 1.

The six-team league has a plan to add four teams including Ironton, Portsmouth, Chillicothe and Zanesville.

Athletic directors and administrators voted to table the vote in an effort to evaluate the proposed changes and obtain additional input.

One of the proposals for the 10-team league would be a two division setup named Scarlet and Gray.

The Scarlet division would consist of Athens, Logan, Marietta, Warren and Zanesville. The Gray division would include Ironton, Portsmouth, Gallipolis, Jackson and Chillicothe.

However, if one of the four proposed expansion teams decides to pass on joining the league, the SEOAL could limit its expansion to just two teams.

Most of the problems center around scheduling due to the long travel between member schools, especially for non-revenue and spring sports.

A major area of concern is in football. Schools oppose a 9-game schedule because teams would be forced to eliminate longtime rivalries. A two division system would permit teams to play teams in their division and three teams from the other division on a rotating basis.

The divisional setup would create a plan for end-of-season tournaments in volleyball, basketball, tennis, track and wrestling.

League officials have expressed optimism that a plan can be adopted that appeals to all the schools.

The proposed expansion would not take affect until the 2006 season.