Northern Lakes Conference

The Northern Lakes Conference within Indiana

The Northern Lakes Conference of Indiana (NLC) is an IHSAA-sanctioned athletic conference of high schools located within Elkhart, Kosciusko and Marshall counties in Indiana, United States.

History

To deal with the reorganization and consolidation of high schools across Northern Indiana, an organizational meeting for the formation of the Northern Lakes Conference was held on February 3, 1963. Charter members of the NLC were the high schools of Bremen, Manchester, Nappanee, Plymouth, Rochester and Warsaw. The conference began competition in 1964–65 in Boys’ Baseball, Football, Basketball and Track. In 1965, Boys’ Tennis and Golf were added; Cross-Country was added in 1966; and Wrestling became a conference sport in 1968. The conference was “intended to provide good, clean competition and fellowship for the boys, the coaches, and the school bodies of the Northern Lakes region.”

Concord High School joined the NLC in 1967 and Wawasee High School joined in 1968. By 1970, all schools participated in all eight boys’ sports.

In the 1970s Girls’ sports were added. Conference competition began in 1976–77 in Basketball, Tennis, Track and Volleyball. In 1980 Swimming was added; Cross-Country was added in 1986, Softball in 1987; Golf in 1994; and Soccer in 1997.

Additional sports added to NLC Boys’ competition included Swimming in 1980 and Soccer in 1994.

Membership in the Northern Lakes Conference has fluctuated between six and eight schools throughout conference history. In 1976, Manchester changed conferences. 1987 and 1989, Rochester and Bremen withdrew memberships to begin competition with schools of lesser size and less travel than those of the NLC membership. Additions to the Northern Lakes Conference were Goshen in 1976 and Northridge in 1987. Elkhart Memorial begian competition in winter sports in 2000 and all other sports in 2001–02.

The Northern Lakes Conference is recognized as one of the athletic conferences in the state of Indiana. Competitions at the state level include NLC student athletes in most every sport. The NLC started offering a formal coaching education course in 1991. NLC principals and athletic directors are regularly seated in governing bodies for athletic administration at the state level.

Basketball

The NLC has a rich basketball history, producing NBA stars like Scott Skiles, Rick Fox, and Shawn Kemp. On February 11, 2017, the Warsaw Tigers made league history by becoming the first team to win the conference in three consecutive years while going undefeated (21-0) during that span.

Membership

School	Location	Mascot	Colors	Size	IHSAA Class	County	Year Joined	Previous Conference
Concord	Elkhart	Minutemen		1,523	5A	20 Elkhart	1967	Elkhart County
Elkhart Memorial1	Elkhart	Crimson Chargers		1,793	5A	20 Elkhart	1999	Northern Indiana
Goshen	Goshen	RedHawks		1,811	5A	20 Elkhart	1976	Independents (NIC 1969)
Northridge	Middlebury	Raiders		1,291	4A	20 Elkhart	1987	Independents (new school 1969)
NorthWood	Nappanee	Panthers		853	4A	20 Elkhart	1969	none (new school)
Plymouth	Plymouth	Rockies / Pilgrims		1,112	4A	50 Marshall	1963	Central Indiana
Warsaw Community	Warsaw	Tigers		2,077	6A	43 Kosciusko	1963	Central Indiana
Wawasee	Syracuse	Warriors		933	4A	43 Kosciusko	1968	none (new school)

1. Elkhart Memorial played in both the NIC and NLC from 1999 to 2001.

Former Members

School	Location	Mascot	Colors	County	Years Joined	Previous Conference	Year Left	Conference Joined
Bremen1	Bremen	Lions		50 Marshall	1963	Marshall County	1989	Northern State
Manchester	North Manchester	Spartans		85 Wabash	1963	Independents (WCC 1962)	1976	Three Rivers
Nappanee	Nappanee	Bulldogs		20 Elkhart	1963	Elkhart County	1969	none (consolidated into NorthWood)
Rochester	Rochester	Zebras		25 Fulton	1963	Central Indiana	1987	Three Rivers Conference

1. Played concurrently in NLC and MCC 1963-66.

Conference Championships

Football

#	Team	Seasons
14	Plymouth	1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973*, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978*, 2005, 2007*, 2008, 2009, 2012*
13	NorthWood	1974, 1980*, 1984*, 1985*, 1991*, 1992*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999*, 2004*, 2007*
11	Concord	1979, 1983, 1984*, 1991*, 2004*, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012*, 2013
9	Goshen	1978*, 1980*, 1981*, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992*, 1997, 1998, 2002
9	Warsaw	1964, 1967, 1973*, 1982, 1990, 1992*, 1999*, 2000, 2001
3	Wawassee	1973*, 1986, 2004*
2	Bremen	1965, 1970
1	Northridge	2014
1	Elkhart Memorial	2003
1	Rochester	1969
0	Manchester
0	Nappanee

Boys Basketball

#	Team	Seasons
25	Warsaw	1965, 1966*, 1967, 1969, 1972*, 1976, 1979*, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996*, 1997*, 1999, 2004, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017
17	Plymouth	1968*, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983*, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1996*, 1997*, 1998*, 2001, 2007*, 2008
5	Rochester	1966*, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1979*
4	NorthWood	1972*, 1998*, 2000, 2007*
3	Elkhart Memorial	2002, 2006, 2012
3	Northridge	1996*, 2009, 2014
2	Concord	2005, 2013
2	Wawassee	1983*, 1983
1	Goshen	2003
1	Manchester	1968*
0	Bremen
0	Nappanee

Girls Basketball

#	Team	Seasons
14	Warsaw	1984, 1987*, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2013
5	Northridge	1997, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2014
5	Plymouth	1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2009*
4	Elkhart Memorial	2008, 2009*, 2011, 2012
4	Goshen	1980, 1981, 1982, 1987*
3	Wawassee	1995, 1996, 2009*
2	Concord	1983, 1985
2	Rochester	1978, 1979
1	Bremen	1986
1	NorthWood	1977

State Championships

Concord (3)

• 1964 Boys Gymnastics
• 1965 Boys Gymnastics
• 1966 Boys Gymnastics

Goshen (3)

• 1978 Football (2A)
• 1988 Football (4A)
• 2014 Soccer (2A)

Northridge (2)

• 1988 Softball
• 2004 Boys Cross Country

NorthWood (2)

• 1999 Girls Basketball (3A)
• 2005 Football (3A)

Plymouth (4)

• 1977 Football (2A)
• 1982 Boys Basketball
• 2007 Boys Basketball (3A)
• 2008 Girls Basketball (3A)

Warsaw (5)

• 1976 Girls Basketball
• 1978 Girls Basketball
• 1984 Boys Basketball
• 1991 Softball
• 2005 Boys Golf

Wawasee (1)

• 1976 Girls Track & Field

External links

• NLC Website
• IHSAA Conferences
• IHSAA Directory