Northern Indiana Athletic Conference

Last updated

Northern Indiana Conference
Founded1927
No. of teams1 Class 6 A, 2 Class 5A, 5 Class 4A, 4 Class 3A, 1 Class 2A
RegionNorth Central Indiana
Locations
Indiana (NIAC).png The Northern Indiana Conference in Indiana. Current Areas are in red, Former Areas are in Maroon

The Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) is a high school athletic conference that was founded in 1927 and spanned from as far west as Hammond and Gary to South Bend/Mishawaka and Elkhart to the east and south to Plymouth. Since its start in 1927, a total of 32 separate schools have at one time called the NIC home. From its inception until 1963, the conference had been divided into East and West divisions. The West Division (as well as Valparaiso) left to form the Northwestern Conference in 1963. With membership dwindling to 7 members by the 1970s, the conference added former members of the Northern Indiana Valley Conference to its ranks. Currently, every former NIVC member is now a part of the NIC except for South Bend Jackson, which closed in 1973, and South Bend LaSalle, which joined the NIC in 1977, but closed in 2001.

Contents

History

Like the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, the NIAC was also a superconference that spanned several counties, and a lot of driving miles, for a period between 1940 and 1965. Throughout the 1970s the membership dwindled as many schools left to form new conferences. From 1995 to 2015 the two conferences share the same setup with 7 or 8 schools in one county, 8 in this case from St. Joseph County and 1 from an adjacent county, Elkhart in this case. This will change in 2015, as four schools from the folding Northern State Conference will join, making a 13 school conference. [1] This will also expand the conference footprint into two counties formerly represented in the NIAC: LaPorte (last represented in 1995) and Marshall (last represented in 1930). 2020 will bring more change, as Elkhart Central merges with former member Elkhart Memorial to form Elkhart high school, and Mishawaka leaves for the Northern Lakes Conference, taking Memorial's spot in that league. [2]

Boys

Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Girls

Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball

Current members

SchoolLocationMascotColorsCountyEnrollment
24-25
IHSAA Class		JoinedPrevious
Conference
Elkhart 1 Elkhart Lions    20
Elkhart 		3,166
4A		2020 Elkhart County
Mishawaka
Marian 		Mishawaka Knights    71
St. Joseph 		735
3A		2005Independents
(NIVC 1978)
New
Prairie 		New
Carlisle 		Cougars    46
LaPorte 		970
3A		2015 Northern State
Penn 2 Mishawaka Kingsmen    71
St. Joseph 		3,480
4A		1974 Northern IN Valley
South Bend
Adams 		South Bend Eagles    71
St. Joseph 		2,062
4A		1941none (new school)
South Bend
Riley 		South Bend Wildcats    71
St. Joseph 		1,298
4A		1931Independent (School Opened in 1924)
South Bend
Saint Joseph 3		 South Bend Huskies    71
St. Joseph 		849
3A		2005Independents
(NIVC 1978)
South Bend
Washington 		South Bend Panthers   71
St. Joseph 		886
3A		1938none (new school)
  1. Elkhart was known as Elkhart Central between 1972-2020. In 2020, Elkhart Central consolidated with Elkhart Memorial.
  2. Played concurrently in NIC and NIVC 1974-78.
  3. South Bend Saint Joseph was known as South Bend St. Joseph's until 2012.

Former members

SchoolLocationMascotColorsCountyJoinedPrevious
Conference		LeftConference
joined
East Chicago Washington 1 East Chicago Senators   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
Gary Emerson Gary Golden Tornadoes   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
Gary Froebel Gary Blue Devils   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
Gary Mann Gary Horsemen   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
Goshen Goshen Redskins   20
Elkhart 		1927 Elkhart County 1969Independents
Hammond Hammond Wildcats   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
La Porte LaPorte Slicers   46
La Porte 		1927Independents1976 Duneland
Michigan City Elston 2 Michigan City Red Devils   46
La Porte 		1927Independents1995none (consolidated
into Michigan City)
Plymouth Plymouth Pilgrims   50
Marshall 		1927Independents1930Independents
South Bend Central 3 South Bend Bears   71
St. Joseph 		1927Independents1970none (school closed)
Valparaiso Valparaiso Vikings   64
Porter 		1927
1945
1953		Independents
Independents
Independents		1930
1948
1963		Independents
Independents
Northwestern
Whiting Whiting Oilers   45
Lake 		1927Independents1963 Northwestern
East Chicago Roosevelt East Chicago Rough Riders   45
Lake 		1929 Little 7 1963 Northwestern
Gary Wallace Gary Hornets   45
Lake 		1935 Little 7 1963 Northwestern
Hammond Tech Hammond Tigers   45
Lake 		1937Independents1963 Northwestern
Gary Tolleston Gary Blue Raiders   45
Lake 		1941Independents1963 Northwestern
Hammond Clark Hammond Pioneers   45
Lake 		1941Independents1963 Northwestern
Fort Wayne North Side 4 Fort Wayne Redskins   02
Allen 		1942 Ft. Wayne City Series 1965 Ft. Wayne City Series/Summit
Elkhart Memorial 5 Elkhart Crimson Chargers   20
Elkhart 		1972 Northern Indiana Conference 2000 Northern Lakes
Elkhart Central Elkhart Blue Blazers   20
Elkhart 		1972Independents2020Consolidated into Elkhart
South Bend LaSalle 6 South Bend Lions   71
St. Joseph 		1976 Northern IN Valley 2001none (school closed)
Mishawaka Mishawaka Cavemen   71
St. Joseph 		1927Independents2020 Northern Lakes
Bremen Bremen Lions   50
Marshall 		2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State
Jimtown Elkhart Jimmies    20
Elkhart 		2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State
John Glenn Walkerton Falcons    71
St. Joseph 		2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State
South Bend
Clay 		South Bend Colonials    71
St. Joseph 		1978Independents
(NIVC 1978)		2024none (school closed)
  1. East Chicago Washington was known as East Chicago until 1928.
  2. Michigan City Elston was known as Michigan City until 1972.
  3. South Bend Central was known as South Bend until 1930.
  4. Played concurrently in the NIC and FWCS their entire membership in the NIC.
  5. Played concurrently in the NIC and NLC 1999-2000.
  6. Played concurrently in the NIC and NIVC 1976-78.

Membership timeline

New Prairie High SchoolJimtown High SchoolJohn Glenn High School (Walkerton, Indiana)Bremen High School (Indiana)St. Joseph High School (South Bend, Indiana)Marian High School (Mishawaka, Indiana)Clay High School (Indiana)South Bend LaSalle High SchoolPenn High SchoolNorth Side High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)John Adams High School (South Bend, Indiana)Hammond Clark High SchoolTolleston Middle SchoolWashington High School (South Bend, Indiana)Hammond Technical High SchoolLew Wallace High SchoolJames Whitcomb Riley High SchoolCentral High School (East Chicago, Indiana)Whiting High SchoolValparaiso High SchoolSouth Bend Central High SchoolPlymouth High SchoolMishawaka High SchoolMichigan City High SchoolLaPorte High School (Indiana)Hammond High School (Indiana)Goshen High SchoolGary Mann High SchoolGary Froebel High SchoolGary Emerson High SchoolElkhart Central High SchoolCentral High School (East Chicago, Indiana)Northern Indiana Athletic Conference

Rivalries

Main rivalries:

Notable sub-rivalries

Former rivalries

(Asterisk indicates non-member of NIC)

(Degree indicates a non-NIC sanctioned sport)

State championships

Bremen (3)

Elkhart Central (6)

Jimtown (6)

Glenn (0)

Mishawaka (7)

Mishawaka Marian (12)

New Prairie (2)

Penn (24)

South Bend Adams (8)

South Bend Clay (2)

South Bend Riley (10)

South Bend St. Joseph (13)

South Bend Washington (3)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pete Byrne (April 23, 2014). "UPDATE: NIC expands, adding Bremen, Jimtown, New Prairie and Glenn". WSBT TV, South Bend, IN. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ Ray, Olivia (July 11, 2018). "Mishawaka High School to join the Northern Lakes Conference 2020-21". WSBT 22 (South Bend, IN). Retrieved March 6, 2019.

Conference champions

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