Northern Lights Conference
{{Short description|Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}
The Northern Lights Conference is a high school athletic conference located in northwestern Wisconsin. Originally founded as the Indianhead Conference in 1936, the conference's name was changed to its current moniker in 2023, and its members are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
= 1936-1970 =
{{OSM Location map
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| mark-size1=10
| mark-title1=Bayfield
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|46.8153|-90.8181}} | mark-description1=Location:
| shape-color1=#ba0c2f | shape1=circle
| mark-title2=Cable
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| shape-color2=#ffc72c | shape2=circle
| mark-title3=Drummond
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| shape-color3=#582c83 | shape3=circle
| mark-title4=Iron River
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| shape-color4=#753bbd | shape4=circle
| mark-title5=Mellen
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| shape-color5=#005eb8 | shape5=circle
| mark-title6=Ondossagon
| mark-coord6={{coord|46.6015|-90.9553}} | mark-description6=Location:
| shape-color6=#0032a0 | shape6=circle
| mark-title7=Saxon
| mark-coord7={{coord|46.4933|-90.4148}} | mark-description7=Location:
| shape-color7=#9d2235 | shape7=circle
| mark-title8=South Shore
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| shape-color8=#d50032 | shape8=circle
| mark-title9=Washburn
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| caption = Location of Indianhead Conference Members (1948-1964)
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The Indianhead Conference was founded in 1936{{Cite news |date=26 February 1952 |title=Title Is First Won by Mellen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54566512/?match=1&terms=mellen%20indianhead%20league |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} by four small high schools in far northwestern Wisconsin: Bayfield, Iron River, Ondossagon and Washburn.{{Cite news |date=13 November 1936 |title=Washburn's 5 Has 4 Members |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54896433/?match=1&terms=ondossagon%20basketball%20washburn |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} The conference was named after the Indianhead region, a group of counties in northwestern Wisconsin that resembled the side profile of a Native American.{{Cite web |date=1950 |title=Wisconsin Indian Head Country (map) |url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM120355 |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=Wisconsin Historical Society}} The original Indianhead Conference schools were located in the "headdress" counties (Ashland and Bayfield). Drummond became the Indianhead Conference's fifth member in 1937, and Saxon joined the following year to bring the membership roster to six schools.{{Cite news |date=5 November 1938 |title=Simon Announces Saxon 16-Game Cage Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/2210864/?match=1&terms=saxon%20basketball |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=12}} The Indianhead Conference entered a period of steady growth in the 1940s, adding Mellen in 1940,{{Cite news |date=7 March 1941 |title=Saxon Completes a Fine Cage Year Under Santini |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54867605/?match=1&terms=%22ashland%20press%20conference%22 |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=10}} Port Wing (later South Shore) in 1943{{Cite news |date=18 February 1944 |title=River Falls and Ashland Regional Choices Announced |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/267167087/?match=1&terms=ondossagon |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |pages=15}} and Cable in 1948.{{Cite news |date=19 March 1949 |title=Knights Copped School's First Cage Title |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/55098391/?terms=cable&match=1 |access-date=4 April 2024 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=7}} Membership in the Indianhead Conference remained stable at nine schools for sixteen years before rural school district consolidation whittled away at the group. Saxon was the first to leave the conference, consolidating with Hurley of the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference in 1964.{{Cite news |date=17 July 1964 |title=Grade School Not Affected |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/54553826/?match=1&terms=%22saxon%20high%20school%22%20hurley |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=10}} Three years later, Iron River was folded into another M-W Conference school (Northwestern High School in Maple).{{Cite news |last=Rupnow |first=Chuck |date=12 October 1986 |title=School consolidations may affect alumni most |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/360925983/?match=1&terms=winter%20draper%20consolidation |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |pages=6}} Former independent Solon Springs entered the Indianhead Conference in 1968, offsetting some of the losses suffered in previous seasons.{{Cite news |date=19 November 1968 |title=Title Hopefuls Scheduled in Wisconsin Cage Play |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1129191974/?match=1&terms=solon%20springs%20indianhead |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Duluth News Tribune |pages=11}} In 1969, Cable was merged into Drummond, bringing membership back down to seven schools. The Indianhead Conference gained four new members in 1970, two from the disbanded Flambeau League (Butternut and Glidden), one from the Michigan-based Porcupine Mountain Conference (Mercer) and a former independent (Northwood).{{Cite news |date=24 December 1970 |title=Glidden Leads in Indianhead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/55165426/?match=1&terms=%22indianhead%22%20butternut%20glidden |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=15}}
= 1970-2023 =
The Indianhead Conference operated as an eleven-member circuit for ten years before Northwood left to become members of the Lakeland Conference in 1980.{{Cite news |last=Stetzer |first=Rod |date=25 August 1980 |title=Trojans must rebuild |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/417658596/?match=1&terms=%22lakeland%20conference%22%20minong |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Chippewa Herald-Telegram |pages=13}}{{Cite news |date=29 October 1981 |title=Scoreboard (see Girls Volleyball) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/360123401/?match=1&terms=%22eastern%20lakeland%22%20%22western%20lakeland%22 |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |pages=22}} Hurley joined the conference in 1986 after competing in the Michigan-based Gogebic Range Conference for the past six years.{{Cite news |date=23 November 1986 |title=High School Schedules - Winter '86-87, Boys Basketball |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1163448460/?match=1&terms=%22hurley%20midgets%22 |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Duluth News Tribune |pages=6B}} In 1990, Ondossagon closed its doors and its district was split up among other area districts, decreasing the ledger to ten members.{{Cite news |date=27 November 1990 |title=Girls: Virginia faces strong challenges in 7A (Wisconsin) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1164761614/?match=1&terms=%22ondossagon%20high%20school%22 |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Duluth News Tribune |pages=4B}} The Indianhead Conference operated at ten schools for nineteen years, including two years where Butternut and Glidden ran a cooperative athletic program from 2007 to 2009.{{Cite web |title=Butternut/Glidden Basketball History |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/wi/butternut/butternut-glidden-midgets/basketball/history/ |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=MaxPreps}} This arrangement ended in 2009 when Glidden was merged with Park Falls of the Marawood Conference to form the new Chequamegon High School, and the new school inherited Park Falls' conference affiliation.{{Cite news |date=26 July 2009 |title=School District Consolidation History (table) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/304868762/?match=1&terms=%22park%20falls%22%20glidden%20chequamegon |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Eau Claire Leader-Telegram |pages=A6}} Luther L. Wright High School in Ironwood crossed the Michigan-Wisconsin border to join the Indianhead Conference from the Michigan-based Western Peninsula Conference in 2010.{{Cite web |title=Wright Basketball History |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/mi/ironwood/wright-red-devils/basketball/history/ |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=MaxPreps}} Three years later, the Indianhead Conference acquired another cross-border member from Michigan: the Gogebic Miners (a cooperative between Bessemer Johnston and Wakefield-Marenisco).{{Cite web |title=Gogebic (Johnston/Wakefield) Basketball History |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/mi/bessemer/gogebic-johnston-wakefield-miners/basketball/history/ |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=MaxPreps}} A twelfth school was added to the Indianhead Conference when Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School in Hayward became members in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Lac Courte Oreilles Basketball History |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/wi/hayward/lac-courte-oreilles-eagles/basketball/history/ |access-date=4 April 2025 |website=MaxPreps}} After the exit of Gogebic and Ironwood Wright in 2022, the Indianhead Conference assumed its current lineup of ten schools.
= 2023-present =
Citing the pejorative nature of the Indianhead name, the conference changed its name to the Northern Lights Conference in 2023. The new name was suggested by students at Butternut and Washburn and beat out four other options considered (Great Divide, Great Lakes, Northland and Snowbelt).{{Cite news |last=Barnes |first=Paul |date=26 January 2023 |title=Indianhead Conference changing to Northern Lights |url=https://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/sports/high_school/indianhead-conference-changing-to-northern-lights/article_dbf20f85-6fe4-5c88-aa71-ca70aa512cfb.html |access-date=4 April 2025 |work=Ashland Daily Press}}
List of conference members
= Current members =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Mascot !Colors !Joined |
| Bayfield
|Public |116 |Trollers |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|002d6c}} |
| Butternut
|Public |57 |Midgets |{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}} |
| Drummond
|Public |108 |Lumberjacks |{{color box|582c83}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Hurley
|Public |192 |Northstars |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ff8200}} |
| Lac Courte Oreilles
|Tribal (Ojibwe) |105 |Eagles |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Mellen
|Public |81 |Granite Diggers |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}} |
| Mercer
|Public |41 |Tigers |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |
| Solon Springs
|Public |81 |Eagles |{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|b3a369}} |
| South Shore
|Public |63 |Cardinals |{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}} |
| Washburn
|Public |198 |Castle Guards |{{color box|black}} {{color box|d50032}} |
= Former members =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Iron River
|Public |N/A |Wolverines |{{color box|753bbd}} {{color box|ffc72c}} | colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Northwestern) |
| Ondossagon
|Public |N/A |Aggies |{{color box|002d6c}} {{color box|ffc72c}} | colspan="2" |Closed (district split between Ashland, Drummond and Washburn) |
| Saxon
|Public |N/A |Knights |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} | colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Hurley) |
| Cable
|Public |N/A |Eskimos |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} | colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Drummond) |
| Glidden
|Public |N/A |Black Bears |{{color box|black}} {{color box|e35205}} | colspan="2" |Entered into cooperative with Butternut |
| Northwood
|Public |87 |Evergreens |{{color box|173f35}} {{color box|white}} | colspan="2" |Lakeland |
| Butternut/Glidden
|Public |N/A |Midgets |{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}} | colspan="2" |Cooperative ended (Glidden merged into Chequamegon) |
| Ironwood
|Public |Red Devils |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} | colspan="2" |Independent |
| Gogebic
|Public |Miners |{{color box|115740}} {{color box|white}} | colspan="2" |Independent |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1936 till:2030
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:140 left:0 bottom:50 top:5
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)
id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
PlotData=
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1936 till:2030 text:Bayfield (1936-present)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1936 till:1967 text:Iron River (1936-1967)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1936 till:1990 text:Ondossagon (1936-1990)
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1936 till:2030 text:Washburn (1936-present)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1937 till:2030 text:Drummond (1937-present)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1938 till:1964 text:Saxon (1938-1964)
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1940 till:2030 text:Mellen (1940-present)
bar:8 color:tan1 from:1943 till:2030 text:Port Wing (1943-1949), South Shore (1949-present)
bar:9 color:tan1 from:1948 till:1969 text:Cable (1948-1969)
bar:10 color:tan1 from:1968 till:2030 text:Solon Springs (1968-present)
bar:11 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2007 text:Butternut (1970-2007)
bar:11 color:tan1 from:2009 till:2030 text:(2009-present)
bar:12 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2007 text:Glidden (1970-2007)
bar:13 color:tan1 from:1970 till:2030 text:Mercer (1970-present)
bar:14 color:tan1 from:1970 till:1980 text:Northwood (1970-1980)
bar:15 color:tan1 from:1986 till:2030 text:Hurley (1986-present)
bar:16 color:tan1 from:2007 till:2009 text:Butternut/Glidden (2007-2009)
bar:17 color:tan1 from:2010 till:2022 text:Ironwood (2010-2022)
bar:18 color:tan1 from:2013 till:2022 text:Gogebic (2013-2022)
bar:19 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:Lac Courte Oreilles (2021-present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:10 start:1936
Membership map
{{OSM Location map
| title = Northern Lights Conference
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| mark-title1=Bayfield
| mark-coord1 = {{coord|46.8153|-90.8181}} | mark-description1=Location:
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| mark-title2=Butternut
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| shape-color2=#ff8200 | shape2=n-circle
| mark-title3=Drummond
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| shape-color3=#582c83 | shape3=n-circle
| mark-title4=Hurley
| mark-coord4 = {{coord|46.4560|-90.2018}} | mark-description4=Location:
| shape-color4=#000000 | shape4=n-circle
| mark-title5=Lac Courte Oreilles
| mark-coord5 = {{coord|45.9447|-91.3565}} | mark-description5=Location:
| shape-color5=#ffc72c | shape5=n-circle
| mark-title6=Mellen
| mark-coord6 = {{coord|46.3232|-90.6597}} | mark-description6=Location:
| shape-color6=#005eb8 | shape6=n-circle
| mark-title7=Mercer
| mark-coord7 = {{coord|46.1697|-90.0635}} | mark-description7=Location:
| shape-color7=#e35205 | shape7=n-circle
| mark-title8=Solon Springs
| mark-coord8 = {{coord|46.3464|-91.8312}} | mark-description8=Location:
| shape-color8=#6f2c3f | shape8=n-circle
| mark-title9=South Shore
| mark-coord9 = {{coord|46.7806|-91.3798}} | mark-description9=Location:
| shape-color9=#d50032 | shape9=n-circle
| mark-title10=Washburn
| mark-coord10 = {{coord|46.6737|-90.8975}} | mark-description10=Location:
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| caption = Location of Northern Lights Conference full members:
| auto-caption=1
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{{clear}}
List of state champions
= Fall sports =
| class="wikitable"
|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Cross_Country/State_Records/bteamchamps.pdf Boys Cross Country] !School !Year !Division |
| Drummond
|1976 |Class C |
| Drummond
|1997 |Division 3 |
| class="wikitable"
|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Volleyball_Girls/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Girls Volleyball] !School !Year !Division |
| Bayfield
|1977 |Class C |
| Mercer
|1988 |Class C |
| Mercer
|1992 |Division 4 |
| Washburn
|2000 |Division 3 |
| Washburn
|2021 |Alternate Season |
= Winter sports =
None
= Spring sports =
| class="wikitable"
|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Softball/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Softball] !School !Year !Division |
| Bayfield
|1981 |Class C |
| Bayfield
|1982 |Class C |
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
Category:Sports organizations established in 1936