Duneland Athletic Conference

Last updated

Duneland Athletic Conference
Current season, competition or edition:
Sports current event.svg2025-26
Founded1970
No. of teams8 18(soon)
Region4 Counties: Lake, Jasper, LaPorte, and Porter, Indiana
Most recent
champion(s)		Football : Crown Point Basketball : Portage
Most titlesFootball : Hobart Basketball : Valparaiso
Locations
Indiana(DAC)2025.png

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.

Contents

Current members

SchoolLocationCountyTeam NameColorsEnrollment

24–25

IHSAA ClassIHSAA

Class Football

Year joinedPrevious

conference

Crown Point Crown Point 45
Lake 		Bulldogs  3,0294A6A1993 Lake Suburban
Lake Central Saint John 45
Lake 		Indians  3,0034A6A2003Independents
Portage Portage 64
Porter 		Indians  3,0024A6A1970 Calumet
Valparaiso Valparaiso 64
Porter 		Vikings  2,1404A5A1970Independents
Merrillville Merrillville 45
Lake 		Pirates   2,0504A5A1975 Lake Suburban
Chesterton Chesterton 64
Porter 		Trojans  1,9804A5A1970 Calumet
LaPorte LaPorte 46
LaPorte 		Slicers  1,8124A5A1976 Northern Indiana
Michigan City Michigan City 46
LaPorte 		Wolves   1,5204A5A1995none (new school)

Former members

SchoolLocationMascotColorsCountyYear joinedPrevious conferenceYear leftConference joined
Michigan City Rogers Michigan City Raiders   46
LaPorte 		1972none (new school)1995none (consolidated
into Michigan City)
Hobart Hobart Brickies   45
Lake 		1970Calumet2003 Northwest Crossroads
BoysState TitlesRunner-UpGirlsState TitlesRunner-Up
Baseball51Basketball27
Basketball06Cross Country67
Cross Country1010Golf21
Football76Gymnastics129
Golf00Soccer01
Soccer43Softball52
Swimming & Diving40Swimming & Diving04
Tennis11Tennis00
Track & Field01Track & Field01
Wrestling11Volleyball00
Total3026Total2732
Conference
Total		5758115

History

2003 Commission

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]

Rivalries

SchoolsYear startedDivisionReasonMost recent gamePrevious Game before recentRecent winsMost wins
Chesterton

Valparaiso

19294A

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

ValparaisoValparaiso
Crown Point

Portage

20044A

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 PointPortage
Merrillville

Hobart

19794A

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

HobartHobart
LaPorte

Michigan City

1980's4A

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

LaPorteMichigan City
Lake Central

Munster

Unknown4A

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

MunsterLake Central

Conference champions

Football

TitlesSchoolYears
17Hobart1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986*, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993*, 1996*, 1997
15Valparaiso1970, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1993*, 1995*, 1998*, 2001, 2002, 2008*, 2010, 2015*, 2017, 2018, 2019
10Merrillville1977, 1986*, 1991, 1992, 2004, 2009, 2011*, 2013, 2020, 2021
8Portage1971*, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1998*, 1999, 2003*
7Crown Point2005, 2006, 2007, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
5Chesterton1971*, 2000, 2008*, 2012, 2015*
3LaPorte1986*, 2003*, 2016
2Lake Central2011*, 2014
0Michigan City
0Rogers

Boys basketball

TitlesSchoolYears
22Valparaiso1971, 1975*, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1990*, 1993*, 1994, 2002, 2004, 2005*, 2006*, 2007, 2009, 2010*, 2015, 2017*, 2018*, 2019, 2021
20Merrillville1975*, 1976, 1978, 1982, 1983*, 1987*, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999*, 2000, 2001, 2005*, 2006*, 2010*, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018*
5Chesterton1983*, 2008, 2020, 2022, 2023
5LaPorte1988*, 1990*, 1991, 1993*, 2003
4Rogers1974, 1979, 1984, 1987*
3Lake Central2012, 2014, 2024
3Portage1973, 1988, 2025
2Crown Point1999*, 2017
1Hobart1972
1Michigan City1998

Girls basketball

TitlesSchoolYears
6Crown Point2001, 2003*, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
6Lake Central2015, 2016, 2017, 2018*, 2023, 2024
5Merrillville2004, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2013
4Michigan City2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
3Valparaiso2002, 2003*, 2005
2LaPorte2014, 2018*
0Chesterton
0Hobart
0Portage
0Rogers

State champions

Chesterton Trojans (13)

Crown Point Bulldogs (12)

LaPorte Slicers (12)

Lake Central Indians (8)

Merrillville Pirates (6)

Michigan City Wolves (1)

Portage Indians (9)

Valparaiso Vikings (31)

Former Member State Champions

Michigan City Rogers Raiders (2)

Hobart Brickies (7)

State Runner-Up Titles

Current members

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)

Former members

Michigan City Rogers Raiders (1)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "LaPorte drops to Class 5A, Munster rises to 5A in football reclassification". Chicago Tribune . March 29, 2017.
  2. ↑ http://www.ihsaa.org/Portals/0/ihsaa/documents/Tournament%20Success%20Factor/Tournament%20Success%20Factor%20Provisions.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. ↑ DAC hears from prospective members
    Five schools make case to join conference / nwi.com
  4. ↑ LC, Penn, Mishawaka draw DAC invite / nwi.com
  5. ↑ Mishawaka says no to DAC; Penn next? / nwi.com
  6. 1 2 3 Eight is enough
    Penn votes to decline invitation to DAC / nwi.com
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