Across the Bay Conference

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The Across the Bay Conference is a high school football conference consisting of small high schools in northeastern Wisconsin. It was founded in 2022 and is affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

The Across the Bay Conference was formed in 2022 as part of the biannual realignment of Wisconsin's high school football conferences by the WIAA in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. [1] All eight original members (Algoma, Gibraltar, Gillett, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, NEW Lutheran/Oneida Nation/Providence Academy, Sevastopol, Suring and Wausaukee) were previously part of the Marinette & Oconto-Northern Lakes-Packerland Conference (MONLPC) eight-player football conference, with six of the eight members playing in the conference's East Division. [2] [3] It was originally called the Peninsula Conference because of its proximity to the Door Peninsula, a name that was previously used by an athletic conference that existed from 1933 to 1970 in northeastern Wisconsin. In 2024, the Peninsula name was dropped and the conference was rechristened the Across the Bay Conference. [4] Wausaukee was shifted to the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference as part of the realignment. [5]

For the 2026-27 competition cycle, the Across the Bay Conference is losing three schools (Gillett, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas and Suring) to the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference, and the NEW Lutheran cooperative will be losing Oneida Nation to its own stand-alone football program. Two schools will be moving over from the Southeast 8-Player Football Conference (Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah and Valley Christian in Oshkosh) to replace them, and the Across the Bay will be entering into a crossover scheduling alliance with the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference. [6]

List of conference members

Current members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedPrimary Conference
Algoma Algoma, WI Public219Wolves  2022 Packerland
Gibraltar Fish Creek, WI Public182Vikings  2022 Packerland
Gillett Gillett, WI Public158Tigers  2022 Marinette & Oconto
Lena/
St. Thomas Aquinas
Lena, WI Public, Private (Catholic)171Titans  2022 Marinette & Oconto
NEW Lutheran/
Oneida Nation/
Providence Academy
Green Bay, WI Private (Lutheran), Federal (Tribal), Private (Christian)307Blazers  2022 Packerland, Marinette & Oconto
Sevastopol Sturgeon Bay, WI Public180Pioneers  2022 Packerland
Suring Suring, WI Public117Eagles  2022 Marinette & Oconto

Future members

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoiningPrimary Conference
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Elkhart Lake, WI Public148Resorters  2026 Big East
NEW Lutheran /
Providence Academy
Green Bay, WI Private (Lutheran), Private (Christian)180Blazers  2026 Packerland
Oneida Nation Oneida, WI Federal (Tribal)127Thunderhawks  2026 Marinette & Oconto
Valley Christian Oshkosh, WI Private (Christian)144Warriors  2026 Trailways

Former members

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary Conference
Wausaukee Wausaukee, WI Public126Rangers  2022-2023 Marinette & Oconto

Membership timeline

Across the Bay Conference

List of conference champions

SchoolQuantityYears
Algoma12024
Gibraltar12022
Lena/
St. Thomas Aqunias
12023
Gillett0
NEW Lutheran/
Oneida Nation/
Providence Academy
0
Sevastopol0
Suring0
Wausaukee0

References

  1. "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  2. "WFCA Eight Player Conference Alignment" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  3. "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 8-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  4. "Peninsula Conference Renamed Across the Bay". Door County Pulse. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  5. "2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 8-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  6. "2026 - 27 Conference Realignment – 8-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.