Big North Conference (Michigan)

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The Big North Conference (BNC) is a high school athletic conference in Michigan. The conference is affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).

Contents

The conference contains nine of the largest high schools across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Among these schools, four are full-time members, two are non-football members, and three are football-only members.

History

The conference was created in 1997 after the split of Traverse City Senior High School into Central and West high schools. It combined the eight largest schools in Northern Michigan. In 2004, due to decreasing enrollment, Cheboygan and Sault Area left the conference. West Branch Ogemaw Heights joined the conference in 2011, but they left the conference after the 2015-16 school year due to decreasing enrollment as well.

In 2021, the league announced the departure of Traverse City Central and Traverse City West high schools' football programs, and those schools becoming associate members of the Saginaw Valley League. [1] However, other sports offered by those schools will continue to participate in the Big North Conference.

In 2023, it was announced that three high schools, Escanaba, Marquette, and Sault Area, would be joining the BNC as football-only members. [2]

Member schools

  Non-football members

  Football-only members

SchoolMascotColorsClass (enrollment)CityCountyYear joinedPrevious league
Alpena High School [3] Wildcats  1,023 (A) Alpena Alpena 1997Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Cadillac High School [4] Vikings  860 (A) Cadillac Wexford 1997North Central Conference
Escanaba High School [2] Eskymos  709 (B) Escanaba Delta 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Gaylord High School [5] Blue Devils  901 (A) Gaylord Otsego 1997Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Marquette Senior High School [2] Redmen  1,059 (A) Marquette Marquette 2023Great Northern UP Conference
Petoskey High School [6] Northmen  853 (A) Petoskey Emmet 1997Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Sault Area High School [2] Blue Devils  786 (B) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa 2023Great Northern UP Conference
Traverse City Central High School [7] Trojans  1,382 (A) Traverse City Grand Traverse 1997Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Traverse City West Senior High School [8] Titans  1,455 (A) Traverse City Grand Traverse 1997N/A (new school)

Former schools

SchoolMascotColorsClass (enrollment)CityCountyYear joinedPrevious leagueYear leftCurrent league
Cheboygan High School Chiefs  B (602) Cheboygan Cheboygan1997Michigan Huron Shores Conference2004Northern Shores Conference
Northern Michigan Football League (football only)
Ogemaw Heights High School Falcons  B (556) West Branch Ogemaw 2011Northeast Michigan Conference2016Jack Pine Conference
Sault Area High School Blue Devils  A (884) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa1997Michigan Huron Shores Conference2004Straits Area Conference
Big North Conference (football only)

Membership timeline

Full member
Football-only member
Non-football member
Traverse City West Senior High SchoolTraverse City Central High SchoolSault Area High SchoolPetoskey High SchoolOgemaw Heights High SchoolGaylord High SchoolMarquette Senior High SchoolEscanaba Senior High SchoolCheboygan High SchoolCadillac High SchoolAlpena High School (Michigan)Big North Conference (Michigan)


Football champions

From 1997 to 1999 the Big North had a A division and a B division.

YearA ChampionRecordB ChampionRecord
1997Traverse City West7–2–0 (3–0–0)Petoskey8–1–0 (3–0–0)
1998Traverse City West6–3 (3–0)Petoskey9–2 (3–0)
1999Traverse City West5–4 (3–0)Sault Ste. Marie7–3 (3–0)

Since 2000, the conference has operated with one division.

YearChampionRecord
2000Cadillac9–1 (7–0)
2001Gaylord9–1 (7–0)
2002Gaylord11–1 (7–0)
2003Traverse City West7–3 (7–0)
2004Traverse City West10–1 (5–0)
2005Gaylord6–3 (4–1)
2005Traverse City Central6–4 (4–1)
2006Traverse City West6–4 (5–0)
2007Traverse City Central5–4 (4–1)
2007Traverse City West6–4 (4–1)
2008Petoskey9–2 (4–1)
2008Traverse City West6–4 (4–1)
2009Cadillac8–2 (5–0)
2010Petoskey8–2 (4–1)
2010Traverse City West6–4 (4–1)
2011Petoskey9–2 (6–0)
2012Traverse City Central9–2 (6–0)
2013Cadillac11–1 (6–0)
2014Cadillac9–1 (6–0)
2015Traverse City Central9–1 (6–0)
2016Traverse City Central9–2 (5–0)
2017Traverse City West9–2 (5–0)
2018Traverse City West7–3 (5–0)
2019Traverse City Central8–2 (5–0)
2020Traverse City Central9–2 (5–0)
2021Traverse City Central12–2 (5–0)
2022Cadillac5–5 (3–0)
2023Gaylord11–1 (6–0)

Teams in the Final Regular Season Rankings

YearTeamDivisionRank
2002Gaylord33rd
2004Traverse City West13rd
2008Petoskey39th
2009Cadillac37th
2009Petoskey310th
2012Traverse City Central26th
2013Cadillac43rd
2014Cadillac43rd
2015Traverse City Central24th
2016Traverse City Central29th
2017Traverse City West110th
2019Traverse City Central27th
2020Traverse City Central210th
2021Traverse City Central23rd
2021Cadillac47th

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West104–28.78811
Traverse City Central87–45.6598
Petoskey66–66.5005
Cadillac62–70.4704
Gaylord58–74.4393
Sault Ste. Marie16–21.4321
Cheboygan15–22.4050
Ogemaw Heights9–21.3000
Alpena31–101.2350

State Championship Results

SeasonBig NorthNon-Big NorthSiteDivisionRef.
2020Cadillac (8–3)0 Detroit Country Day (9–2)13 Ford Field • Detroit, MI 4
2021Traverse City Central (12–2)14 Warren De La Salle (13–0)41 Ford Field • Detroit, MI 2

Boys Basketball Champions

YearChampionRecord
1997–98Petoskey14–0
1998–99Traverse City Central11–3
1999–00Traverse City West13–1
2000–01Cadillac13–1
2001–02Traverse City Central12–2
2002–03Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West11–3
2003–04Cadillac/Petoskey12–2
2004–05Traverse City Central8–2
2005–06Traverse City West9–1
2006–07Cadillac/Petoskey7–3
2007–08Alpena8–2
2008–09Cadillac/Gaylord8–2
2009–10Petoskey10–0
2010–11Petoskey10–0
2011–12Petoskey11–1
2012–13Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West9–3
2013–14Alpena11–1
2014–15Alpena11–1
2015–16Petoskey12–0
2016–17Traverse City West9–1
2017–18Petoskey9–1
2018–19Petoskey/Traverse City Central7–3
2019–20Cadillac/Traverse City Central8–2
2020–21Traverse City Central9–0
2021–22Cadillac/Traverse City Central7–3

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West175–112.6105
Traverse City Central170–117.5927
Petoskey196–91.68311
Cadillac192–95.6698
Gaylord78–206.2751
Sault Ste. Marie11–87.1120
Cheboygan28–70.2860
Ogemaw Heights7–53.1170
Alpena134–158.4693

Girls Basketball Champions

YearChampionRecord
1997Sault Ste. Marie13–1
1998Sault Ste. Marie13–0
1999Petoskey13–1
2000Sault Ste. Marie14–0
2001Cadillac13–1
2002Traverse City West12–2
2003Traverse City West14–0
2004Traverse City Central10–0
2005Traverse City West10–0
2006Alpena8–2
2007–08Traverse City West9–1
2008–09Traverse City Central9–1
2009–10Petoskey/Traverse City West9–1
2010–11Petoskey10–0
2011–12Traverse City West10–2
2012–13Petoskey10–1
2013–14Cadillac11–1
2014–15Traverse City West12–0
2015–16Traverse City Central11–1
2016–17Traverse City Central8–2
2017–18Petoskey8–2
2018–19Cadillac10–0
2019–20Cadillac10–0
2020–21Cadillac8–1
2021–22Petoskey8–2
2022–23Petoskey9–1

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West177–119.5987
Traverse City Central168–130.5644
Petoskey152–146.5107
Cadillac180–117.6105
Gaylord110–186.3720
Sault Ste. Marie72–25.7423
Cheboygan47–51.4800
Ogemaw Heights4–55.0680
Alpena103–192.3491

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References

  1. ↑ "Saginaw Valley League adds Traverse City West, Central football programs". mlive. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Change coming to Big North in 2023 with addition of three U.P. programs". Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  3. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  4. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  5. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  6. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  7. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  8. ↑ "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
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