Northern Lakes Conference (Wisconsin)
The Northern Lakes Conference is a high school athletic conference with its membership base in northern Wisconsin. It was founded in 1927 and all members belong to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
[edit]1927–1937
[edit]
The Northern Lakes Conference was originally formed in 1927 as Land O'Lakes Conference by eleven schools in northern Wisconsin: Argonne, Crandon, Eagle River, Elcho, Goodman, Hiles, Laona, Suring, Three Lakes, Wabeno and White Lake.[1] Football was sponsored from the conference's inception, with five schools (Argonne, Crandon, Elcho, Goodman and Wabeno) forming the initial roster.[2] Phelps joined the conference after the first season,[3] and in 1929, Mountain entered the league as its thirteenth member.[4] Minocqua became a member of the Land O' Lakes Conference in 1932,[5] but membership stayed at thirteen schools due to Crandon's departure.[6] That number was decreased to eleven the next year, as Mountain and Suring left to join the Marinette & Oconto Conference.[7] Crandon reinstated full membership in the Land O'Lakes in 1934 to put the roster at twelve schools, and the conference subdivided into Northern and Southern Divisions:[8]
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Eagle River | Argonne |
| Elcho | Crandon |
| Hiles | Goodman |
| Minocqua | Laona |
| Phelps | Wabeno |
| Three Lakes | White Lake |
1937–1972
[edit]In 1937, the Land O'Lakes Conference changed its name to the Northern Lakes Conference in order to avoid confusion with another conference of the same name.[9] Membership stayed at twelve schools until the start of World War II, when both Argonne[10] and Hiles[11] closed, with students for both schools being redistricted to Crandon. After World War II, the Northern Lakes began sponsorship of six-player football, and three of the conference's smaller schools (Elcho, Phelps and Three Lakes) participated along with associate members Woodruff-Arbor Vitae.[12] Their entry into the conference as full members in 1950 brought the membership roster to eleven schools.[13] The conference's six-player football division was also ended that year, as all four participants transitioned to eleven-player football.[14] In 1951, Goodman accepted an invitation to join the Marinette & Oconto Conference,[15] and Elcho shifted to the Southern Division to create two five-member divisions:[16]
| Northern Division | Southern Division |
|---|---|
| Eagle River | Crandon |
| Minocqua | Elcho |
| Phelps | Laona |
| Three Lakes | Wabeno |
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | White Lake |
Divisional play was ended in 1954,[17] and in 1957, the number of schools in the Northern Lakes Conference decreased to eight as White Lake left for membership in the Wolf River Valley Conference[18] and Lakeland Union High School was created from the consolidation of Minocqua and Woodruff-Arbor Vitae.[19][20] Lakeland Union's tenure in the Northern Lakes Conference turned out to be short-lived, as they only spent one season in the conference before joining with larger schools in the Lumberjack Conference in 1958.[21] Goodman rejoined the conference in 1960 after spending the previous few seasons as members of the disbanded Granite Valley Conference.[22] In 1964, the Northern Lakes Conference added Florence as a new member, who joined after exiting the Big Six Conference in Michigan's upper peninsula.[23]
1972–present
[edit]In 1972, Pembine entered the Northern Lakes from the Michigan-based Skyline Conference[24] and White Lake rejoined after displacement from the defunct Wolf River Valley Conference two years prior.[25] Eagle River High School changed its name to Northland Pines High School in 1974[26] when they built a new facility to relieve overcrowding, and they would leave the conference two years later for membership in the newly expanded Lumberjack Conference.[27] The Northern Lakes Conference remained a stable ten-school circuit for the next three decades before welcoming the Conserve School in Land o' Lakes into the fold in 2005.[28] Their stay would be relatively short, as they left the conference in 2009.[29][30] The Northern Lakes Conference would see four programs consolidate into two at the beginning of the 2010s, first with Goodman and Pembine in 2011[31] and then with Laona and Wabeno the next year.[32] Sponsorship of football was ended after the 2016 season, and Northern Lakes joined with the Marinette & Oconto Conference and Packerland Conference to create the MONLPC Football Conference.[33] White Lake left the conference for a second time to join the Central Wisconsin Conference in 2021,[34] bringing the membership roster to its current total of nine schools, four of which are part of cooperative programs due to size.
List of conference members
[edit]Current members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crandon | Crandon, WI | Public | 239 | Cardinals | 1927,[1] 1934[8] | |
| Elcho | Elcho, WI | Public | 83 | Hornets | 1927[1] | |
| Florence | Florence, WI | Public | 118 | Bobcats | 1964[23] | |
| Goodman/ Pembine |
Goodman, WI/ Pembine, WI |
Public | 98 | Patriots | 2011[31] | |
| Phelps | Phelps, WI | Public | 28 | Fighting Knights | 1928[3] | |
| Three Lakes | Three Lakes, WI | Public | 155 | Bluejays | 1927[1] | |
| Wabeno/ Laona |
Laona, WI/Wabeno, WI | Public | 165 | Rebels | 2012[32] |
Former members
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argonne | Argonne, WI | Public | N/A | Wolverines | 1927[1] | 1942[10] | Closed in 1942 (consolidated into Crandon) | ||
| Goodman | Goodman, WI | Public | 30 | Falcons | 1927,[1] 1960[22] | 1951,[15] 2011[31] | Marinette & Oconto | Northern Lakes (coop with Pembine) | |
| Hiles | Hiles, WI | Public | N/A | Purgolds | 1927[1] | 1943[11] | Closed in 1943 (consolidated into Crandon) | ||
| Laona | Laona, WI | Public | 66 | Fighting Kellys | 1927[1] | 2012[32] | Northern Lakes (coop with Wabeno) | ||
| Northland Pines | Eagle River, WI | Public | 451 | Eagles | 1927[1] | 1976[27] | Lumberjack | Great Northern | |
| Suring | Suring, WI | Public | 117 | Eagles | 1927[1] | 1933[7] | Marinette & Oconto | ||
| Wabeno | Wabeno, WI | Public | 99 | Logrollers | 1927[1] | 2012[32] | Northern Lakes (coop with Laona) | ||
| White Lake | White Lake, WI | Public | 43 | Lakers | 1927,[1] 1972[25] | 1957,[18] 2021[34] | Independent, Central Wisconsin | Central Wisconsin | |
| Mountain | Mountain, WI | Public | N/A | Mountaineers | 1929[4] | 1933[7] | Marinette & Oconto | Closed in 1948 (consolidated into Suring) | |
| Minocqua | Minocqua, WI | Public | N/A | Islanders | 1932[5] | 1957[19][20] | Closed (merged into Lakeland Union) | ||
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | Arbror Vitae, WI | Public | N/A | Muskies | 1950[13] | 1957[19][20] | Closed (merged into Lakeland Union) | ||
| Lakeland Union | Minocqua, WI | Public | 717 | Thunderbirds | 1957[19][20] | 1958[21] | Lumberjack | Great Northern | |
| Pembine | Pembine, WI | Public | 68 | Panthers | 1972[24] | 2011[31] | Northern Lakes (coop with Goodman) | ||
| Conserve School | Land o' Lakes, WI | Private (Nonsectarian) | N/A | Steelers | 2005[28] | 2009[29][30] | Independent | Closed in 2020 | |
Former football-only members
[edit]11-player
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Seasons | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crandon | Crandon, WI | Public | 239 | Cardinals | 1932-1933 | Independent | |
| Florence | Florence, WI | Public | 118 | Bobcats | 1963 | Little Seven (MHSAA) | |
| Goodman/ Pembine |
Goodman, WI | Public | 98 | Patriots | 1986, 1988-1991, 1994, 2004 | Northern Lakes | |
| Wabeno/ Laona |
Wabeno, WI | Public | 165 | Rebels | 1988-2011 | Northern Lakes | |
| Hurley | Hurley, WI | Public | 192 | Midgets | 1992-1999 | Indianhead | |
| White Lake/ Menominee Indian |
White Lake, WI | Public, Federal (Tribal) | 392 | Lakers | 1992-1995 | Northern Lakes, Central Wisconsin | |
| Elcho/ White Lake |
Elcho, WI | Public | 126 | Wolverines | 1996-2016 | Northern Lakes | |
| Three Lakes/ Phelps |
Three Lakes, WI | Public | 183 | Bluejays | 1998-2002, 2004 | Northern Lakes | |
| Marinette Catholic Central | Marinette, WI | Private (Catholic) | 38 | Cavaliers | 1999-2002 | Marinette & Oconto | |
| Menominee Indian | Keshena, WI | Federal (Tribal) | 349 | Eagles | 2005-2014 | Central Wisconsin | |
| Northern Elite[a] | Niagara, WI | Public | 234 | Predators | 2005-2016 | Marinette & Oconto, Northern Lakes |
6-player
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Seasons | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | Arbror Vitae, WI | Public | N/A | Muskies | 1947-1949 | Independent |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Niagara/Goodman/Pembine cooperative
Membership timeline
[edit]Full members
[edit]
Northern Division Southern Division
Football members
[edit]11-player
[edit]
6-player
[edit]
Membership map
[edit]
List of state champions
[edit]Fall sports
[edit]None
Winter sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 1989 | Class C |
Spring sports
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 1996 | Division 3 |
List of conference champions
[edit]Boys Basketball
[edit]| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Three Lakes | 21 | 1941, 1945, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1965, 1980, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2024 |
| Crandon | 19 | 1929, 1931, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2025 |
| Wabeno | 14 | 1947, 1954, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1976, 1979, 2005, 2006 |
| Laona | 10 | 1930, 1932, 1935, 1942, 1953, 1977, 1978, 1993, 1994, 1995 |
| Phelps | 10 | 1938, 1946, 1950, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2018, 2019 |
| Florence | 9 | 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2023 |
| White Lake | 9 | 1937, 1940, 1941, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1952, 1983 |
| Goodman | 8 | 1945, 1947, 1949, 1961, 1964, 1981, 1994, 1996 |
| Eagle River | 7 | 1935, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1947, 1966 |
| Wabeno/ Laona |
7 | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025 |
| Minocqua | 6 | 1935, 1937, 1938, 1948, 1949, 1955 |
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | 4 | 1952, 1953, 1954, 1957 |
| Argonne | 2 | 1928, 1940 |
| Hiles | 2 | 1933, 1934 |
| Elcho | 1 | 1990 |
| Goodman/ Pembine |
1 | 2014 |
| Conserve School | 0 | |
| Lakeland Union | 0 | |
| Mountain | 0 | |
| Pembine | 0 | |
| Suring | 0 |
Girls Basketball
[edit]| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 22 | 1976, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Crandon | 19 | 1978, 1979, 1982, 1987, 2002, 2003, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Wabeno | 8 | 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1992, 2009, 2010 |
| Three Lakes | 5 | 1984, 1986, 1997, 1999, 2008 |
| Elcho | 4 | 1976, 1983, 2017, 2018 |
| Wabeno/ Laona |
4 | 2015, 2016, 2022, 2023 |
| Laona | 3 | 1974, 1976, 1977 |
| Goodman | 1 | 2002 |
| Eagle River | 1 | 1975 |
| Three Lakes/ Phelps |
1 | 2022 |
| Goodman/ Pembine |
0 | |
| Pembine | 0 | |
| Phelps | 0 | |
| White Lake | 0 |
Football
[edit]11-player
[edit]| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Florence | 23 | 1963, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2010 |
| Eagle River | 14 | 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1969 |
| Wabeno | 12 | 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1960, 1961, 1971, 1979 |
| Elcho | 10 | 1927, 1934, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1973, 1977 |
| Northern Elite | 9 | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
| Crandon | 8 | 1942, 1943, 1944, 1950, 1972, 1980, 1984, 2012 |
| Wabeno/ Laona |
7 | 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009 |
| Goodman | 5 | 1945, 1948, 1962, 1968, 1978 |
| Minocqua | 5 | 1935, 1947, 1949, 1954, 1956 |
| Laona | 4 | 1952, 1954, 1958, 1976 |
| Hurley | 3 | 1994, 1996, 1998 |
| Three Lakes | 3 | 1975, 1982, 1993 |
| Argonne | 0 | |
| Elcho/ White Lake |
0 | |
| Goodman/ Pembine |
0 | |
| Lakeland Union | 0 | |
| Marinette Catholic Central | 0 | |
| Menominee Indian | 0 | |
| Pembine | 0 | |
| Phelps | 0 | |
| Three Lakes/ Phelps |
0 | |
| White Lake | 0 | |
| White Lake/ Menominee Indian |
0 | |
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | 0 |
6-player
[edit]| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Woodruff-Arbor Vitae | 2 | 1947, 1948 |
| Phelps | 1 | 1949 |
| Elcho | 0 | |
| Three Lakes | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "The Lowdown (see Land O' Lakes League)". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 December 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Report Says Almost 8,000 Badgers Played Football". Rhinelander Daily News. 3 December 1927. p. 5. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Crandon Leads League". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 January 1929. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Crandon Five Facing Eagle Netters Next". Rhinelander Daily News. 23 January 1930. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "The Lowdown (see Land O' Lakes)". Rhinelander Daily News. 19 March 1932. p. 5. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ "Lakes League Opens Season". Rhinelander Daily News. 7 December 1932. p. 2. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b c "Marinette-Oconto Loop to Meet at Wausaukee". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 15 March 1933. p. 9. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Leaders Play in Lakes Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 December 1934. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Highlights in Sports". Rhinelander Daily News. 22 September 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Argonne High School Closed". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 24 September 1942. p. 11. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Hiles News". Forest Republican. 23 September 1943. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Six-Man Football Loop Formed by Four Area Schools". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 August 1947. p. 12. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Play Opens Tonight in Northern Lakes Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 15 September 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Northern Lakes Leaders Favord to Win This Week". Rhinelander Daily News. 28 September 1950. p. 6. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b "M-O Loop Admits Granite Valley Schools, Goodman". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 19 April 1951. p. 43. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "White Lake Keeps Division Lead". Rhinelander Daily News. 15 December 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "Minocqua Looms as Likely Winner of NLC Crown". Rhinelander Daily News. 21 December 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Prep Cage Standings (see Northern Lakes and Wolf River Valley)". Wisconsin State Journal. 2 March 1958. p. 24. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "School Progress Satisfactory in County – Paulson". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 November 1955. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Registration Set for Lakeland High". Rhinelander Daily News. 4 September 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Lakeland Cagers Expected to Do Well in New Loop". Rhinelander Daily News. 18 November 1958. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Wabeno Favored to Retain Crown in NLC Basketball". Rhinelander Daily News. 16 November 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Crandall, Ray (27 March 1964). "In This Corner". Escanaba Daily Press. p. 9. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Jets Sail Past Pembine, 64–50". Escanaba Daily Press. 18 November 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Kloppenburg, Dick (13 April 1972). "Poor Richard's Sports Almanac". Wausau Daily Herald. p. 19. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "School bonds approved". Wausau Daily Herald. 17 July 1974. p. 26. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Papers, Apaches Shifted to Lumberjack". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. 27 June 1975. p. 6. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b Stapleton, Arnie (12 December 2005). "'Stormin' Norman' slows down". La Crosse Tribune. pp. B-1, B-4. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Standings and Statistics (see Northern Lakes)". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 8 January 2009. p. 16. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Standings, Statistics (see Northern Lakes)". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 7 January 2010. p. 19. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Goodman-Pembine Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Wabeno/Laona Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Mallien, Korey (23 January 2017). "New prep football conference finalized". Green Bay Press-Gazette. pp. D1. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ a b "White Lake Basketball History". MaxPreps. 29 January 2025. Retrieved 29 January 2025.