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

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedPrimary Conference
Algoma Algoma, WI Public227 [7] Wolves  2022 Packerland
Gibraltar Fish Creek, WI Public176 [8] Vikings  2022 Packerland
Gillett Gillett, WI Public152 [9] Tigers   2022 Marinette & Oconto
Lena/
St. Thomas Aquinas
Lena, WI Public, Private (Catholic)180 [10] [11] Titans  2022 Marinette & Oconto
N.E.W. Lutheran/
Oneida Nation/
Providence Academy
Green Bay, WI Private (Lutheran), Federal (Tribal), Private (Christian)315 [12] [13] [14] Blazers  2022 Packerland, Marinette & Oconto
Sevastopol Sturgeon Bay, WI Public180 [15] Pioneers  2022 Packerland
Suring Suring, WI Public123 [16] Eagles  2022 Marinette & Oconto

Future members

SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoiningPrimary Conference
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Elkhart Lake, WI PublicResorters  2026 Big East
N.E.W. Lutheran /
Providence Academy
Green Bay, WI Private (Lutheran), Private (Christian)Blazers  2026 Packerland
Oneida Nation Oneida, WI Federal (Tribal)Thunderhawks  2026 Marinette & Oconto
Valley Christian Oshkosh, WI Private (Christian)Warriors  2026 Trailways

Former members

SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary Conference
Wausaukee Wausaukee, WI PublicRangers  2022-2023 Marinette & Oconto

Membership timeline

Across the Bay Conference

List of conference champions

SchoolQuantityYears
Algoma12024
Gibraltar12022
Lena/
St. Thomas Aquinas
12023
Gillett0
N.E.W. 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.
  7. "Algoma". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  8. "Gibraltar". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  9. "Gillett". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  10. "Lena". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  11. "Saint Thomas Aquinas". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  12. "Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  13. "Oneida Nation". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  14. "Providence Academy (Green Bay)". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  15. "Sevastopol". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
  16. "Suring". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.