Current season, competition or edition:![]() | |
Founded | 1970 |
---|---|
No. of teams | 8 18(soon) |
Region | 4 Counties: Lake, Jasper, LaPorte, and Porter, Indiana |
Most recent champion(s) | Football : Crown Point Basketball : Portage |
Most titles | Football : Hobart Basketball : Valparaiso |
Locations | |
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The Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) is a high school athletic conference in Indiana serving eight members of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Member schools are located in the counties of Lake, LaPorte, Jasper and Porter along Indiana's Lake Michigan shore. Each school is classified based on enrollment as from 6A to 4A. The Duneland Conference is also known for its gymnastics programs which have won a combined total of 35 state championship and state runner-up titles.
School | Location | County | Team Name | Colors | Enrollment 24–25 | IHSAA Class | IHSAA Class Football | Year joined | Previous conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crown Point | Crown Point | 45 Lake | Bulldogs | 3,029 | 4A | 6A | 1993 | Lake Suburban | |
Lake Central | Saint John | 45 Lake | Indians | 3,003 | 4A | 6A | 2003 | Independents | |
Portage | Portage | 64 Porter | Indians | 3,002 | 4A | 6A | 1970 | Calumet | |
Valparaiso | Valparaiso | 64 Porter | Vikings | 2,140 | 4A | 5A | 1970 | Independents | |
Merrillville | Merrillville | 45 Lake | Pirates | 2,050 | 4A | 5A | 1975 | Lake Suburban | |
Chesterton | Chesterton | 64 Porter | Trojans | 1,980 | 4A | 5A | 1970 | Calumet | |
LaPorte | LaPorte | 46 LaPorte | Slicers | 1,812 | 4A | 5A | 1976 | Northern Indiana | |
Michigan City | Michigan City | 46 LaPorte | Wolves | 1,520 | 4A | 5A | 1995 | none (new school) |
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | County | Year joined | Previous conference | Year left | Conference joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Michigan City Rogers | Michigan City | Raiders | 46 LaPorte | 1972 | none (new school) | 1995 | none (consolidated into Michigan City) | |
Hobart | Hobart | Brickies | 45 Lake | 1970 | Calumet | 2003 | Northwest Crossroads |
Boys | State Titles | Runner-Up | Girls | State Titles | Runner-Up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baseball | 5 | 1 | Basketball | 2 | 7 |
Basketball | 0 | 6 | Cross Country | 6 | 7 |
Cross Country | 10 | 10 | Golf | 2 | 1 |
Football | 7 | 6 | Gymnastics | 12 | 9 |
Golf | 0 | 0 | Soccer | 0 | 1 |
Soccer | 4 | 3 | Softball | 5 | 2 |
Swimming & Diving | 4 | 0 | Swimming & Diving | 0 | 4 |
Tennis | 1 | 1 | Tennis | 0 | 0 |
Track & Field | 0 | 1 | Track & Field | 0 | 1 |
Wrestling | 1 | 1 | Volleyball | 0 | 0 |
Total | 30 | 26 | Total | 27 | 32 |
Conference Total | 57 | 58 | 115 |
In 2002, five schools - East Chicago Central High School, Elkhart Central High School, Lake Central High School, Mishawaka High School, & Penn High School - submitted proposals to join the DAC when expansion talks began following Hobart's announcement it would leave to join the Lake Athletic Conference. [3] Lake Central, Mishawaka and Penn were invited to join the DAC. [4] Mishawaka, shortly followed by Penn, opted to not join the conference. [5] [6] These two schools cited wanting Elkhart Central and East Chicago Central to have been invited to join as well. [6] This coupled with the extensive travel times to Lake County schools and the time zone difference led to their decision to remain in the Northern Indiana Conference. [6]
Schools | Year started | Division | Reason | Most recent game | Previous Game before recent | Recent wins | Most wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chesterton | 1929 | 4A 5A(Football) 3A(Soceer) | THE BIGGEST CLASH IN THE DAC. First schools to create DAC. | (5/22/2025) Baseball Valpo victory 12–5 | (2/21/2025) Basketball Chesterton victory 62 - 52 | Valparaiso | Valparaiso |
Crown Point | 2004 | 4A 6A(Football) 3A(Soceer) | 2nd biggest rivalry in DAC. Both teams equally getting better at sports. | (4/30/2025) Baseball Crown Point victory 14–1 | (3/15/2025) Basketball 4A Regional Boys Crown Point victory 68 - 62 (OT win) | Crown Point | Portage |
Merrillville | 1979 | 4A 5A(Football-Merrillville) 4A(Football-Hobart) 3A(Soceer) | Next door cities Both good at Football caused a big rivalry | (4/28/2025) Softball Hobart victory 21–3 | (3/7/2025) Basketball 4A Sectional-Semifinals Merrillville victory 58–46 | Hobart | Hobart |
LaPorte | 1980's | 4A 5A(Football) 3A(Soceer) | The big two in LaPorte County caused these two to clash | (4/30/2025) Baseball LaPorte victory 17–0 | (3/7/2025) Basketball 4A Sectional-semifinals LaPorte victory 66–51 | LaPorte | Michigan City |
Lake Central | Unknown | 4A 6A(Football-Lake Central) 5A(Football-Munster) 3A(Soceer) | Unknown | (5/2/2025) Baseball Munster victory 5–2 | (3/7/2025) Basketball 4A Sectional-semifinals Lake Central victory 54–32 | Munster | Lake Central |
Titles | School | Years |
---|---|---|
17 | Hobart | 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986*, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993*, 1996*, 1997 |
15 | Valparaiso | 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1993*, 1995*, 1998*, 2001, 2002, 2008*, 2010, 2015*, 2017, 2018, 2019 |
10 | Merrillville | 1977, 1986*, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2009, 2011*, 2013, 2020, 2021 |
8 | Portage | 1971*, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1998*, 1999, 2003* |
7 | Crown Point | 2005, 2006, 2007, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
5 | Chesterton | 1971*, 2000, 2008*, 2012, 2015* |
3 | LaPorte | 1986*, 2003*, 2016 |
2 | Lake Central | 2011*, 2014 |
0 | Michigan City | |
0 | Rogers |
Titles | School | Years |
---|---|---|
22 | Valparaiso | 1971, 1975*, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1990*, 1993*, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2005*, 2006*, 2007, 2009, 2010*, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2019, 2021 |
20 | Merrillville | 1975*, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983*, 1987*, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999*, 2000, 2001, 2005*, 2006*, 2010*, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018* |
5 | Chesterton | 1983*, 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023 |
5 | LaPorte | 1988*, 1990*, 1991, 1993*, 2003 |
4 | Rogers | 1974, 1979, 1984, 1987* |
3 | Lake Central | 2012, 2014, 2024 |
3 | Portage | 1973, 1988, 2025 |
2 | Crown Point | 1999*, 2017 |
1 | Hobart | 1972 |
1 | Michigan City | 1998 |
Titles | School | Years |
---|---|---|
6 | Crown Point | 2001, 2003*, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 |
6 | Lake Central | 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018*, 2023, 2024 |
5 | Merrillville | 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013 |
4 | Michigan City | 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 |
3 | Valparaiso | 2002, 2003*, 2005 |
2 | LaPorte | 2014, 2018* |
0 | Chesterton | |
0 | Hobart | |
0 | Portage | |
0 | Rogers |
Chesterton Trojans (12)
Crown Point Bulldogs (11)
LaPorte Slicers (10)
Lake Central Indians (13)
Merrillville Pirates (7)
Michigan City Wolves (1)
Portage Indians (12)
Valparaiso Vikings (24)
Hobart Brickies (8)
Michigan City Rogers Raiders (1)