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.

On March 7, 2018, the Northern Lakes Conference announced that Elkhart Memorial High School will cease to be a member of the conference at the conclusion of the 2019- 2020 school year. In the fall of 2020, Elkhart Memorial and Elkhart Central high schools will consolidate forming one Elkhart High School. The new school will retain Elkhart Central's position in the Northern Indiana Conference.

The conference announced it will be accepting applications for membership through May 15, 2018. The NLC announced in July 2018 that Mishawaka High School will join for the 2020-21 school year, leaving the NIC.

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	County	Size	IHSAA Class	Year Joined	Previous Conference
Concord	Elkhart	Minutemen		20 Elkhart	1,657	5A	1967	Elkhart County
Elkhart Memorial1	Elkhart	Crimson Chargers		20 Elkhart	1,567	5A	1999	Northern Indiana
Goshen	Goshen	RedHawks2		20 Elkhart	1,923	5A	1976	Independents (NIC 1969)
Northridge	Middlebury	Raiders		20 Elkhart	1,397	4A	1987	Independents (new school 1969)
NorthWood	Nappanee	Panthers		20 Elkhart	901	4A	1969	none (new school)
Plymouth	Plymouth	Rockies / Pilgrims		50 Marshall	1,097	4A	1963	Central Indiana
Warsaw Community	Warsaw	Tigers		43 Kosciusko	2,103	6A	1963	Central Indiana
Wawasee	Syracuse	Warriors		43 Kosciusko	939	4A	1968	none (new school)

1. Elkhart Memorial played in both the NIC and NLC from 1999 to 2001. School will closes after 2019-20 school year.
2. Mascot was Redskins until 2016.

Future Member

School	Location	Mascot	Colors	County	Size	IHSAA Class	Year Joining	Previous Conference
Mishawaka	Mishawaka	Cavemen		71 St. Joseph	1,477	5A	2020	Northern Indiana

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	Squires		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
15	Plymouth	1966, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973*, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978*, 2005, 2007*, 2008, 2009, 2012*, 2014
14	NorthWood	1974, 1980*, 1984*, 1985*, 1991*, 1992*, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999*, 2004*, 2007*, 2016
12	Concord	1979, 1983, 1984*, 1991*, 2004*, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012*, 2013, 2015
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	2017
1	Elkhart Memorial	2003
1	Rochester	1969
0	Manchester
0	Nappanee

Boys Basketball

#	Team	Seasons
26	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, 2018*
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	Northridge	1996*, 2009, 2014, 2018*
4	NorthWood	1972*, 1998*, 2000, 2007*
3	Elkhart Memorial	2002, 2006, 2012
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
8	Northridge	1997, 1998, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
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	NorthWood	1977, 2015
2	Rochester	1978, 1979
1	Bremen	1986

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 (3)

• 1999 Girls Basketball (3A)
• 2005 Football (3A)
• 2020 Girls Basketball (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