The Mississippi 8 Conference (M8) is a high school athletic and activities conference in the Twin Cities area in Central Minnesota with 8 member high schools. The conference derives its name from 6 of the original 8 member schools being located within 10 miles from the Mississippi River.
History The M8 was formed in 2004 with eight charter members: Becker, Big Lake, Buffalo, Cambridge-Isanti, Monticello, Princeton, Rogers and St. Michael-Albertville (STMA), and began play in the 2005-2006 school year. Zimmerman High School was added to the conference in 2008.
Elk River High School entered the M8 as a competitor in the sport of football in 2010 and Duluth East and Duluth Denfeld High Schools joined the conference for football in the fall of 2012. St. Francis, Chisago Lakes Area, and North Branch Area High School began competing in the Mississippi 8 Conference during 2013-14 school year.
Princeton School District and Zimmerman High School voted to withdraw their participation from the Mississippi 8 in favor of a new conference, Granite Ridge Conference, for the 2011 school year. Becker School District, and Elk River High School left the conference in 2012, Becker joined the Granite Ridge Conference, and Elk River High School football rejoined the Northwest Suburban Conference. In the 2013-14 school year, Princeton rejoined the M8. In 2018 STMA and Buffalo decided to leave the conference and were placed in the Lake Conference by the MSHSL and Rogers decided to leave for the Northwest Suburban Conference beginning in the Fall of 2019. Becker High School rejoined the conference in 2019 bringing the total number of schools back to 8.
Members The conference currently consists of 8 member schools. School Location Established Joined Enrollment Nickname ColorsBecker High SchoolBecker, MN2004 and 2019821BulldogsBig Lake High SchoolBig Lake, MN19172004798Hornets Cambridge-Isanti High SchoolCambridge, MN186920041,390Blue JacketsChisago Lakes High SchoolLindstrom, MN19432013962WildcatsMonticello High SchoolMonticello, MN20041,177Magic North Branch High SchoolNorth Branch, MN19322013712Vikings Princeton High SchoolPrinceton, MN2004 and 2013826TigersSaint Francis High SchoolSt. Francis, MN191420131,019SaintsZimmerman High SchoolZimmerman, MN2003644Thunder
Former members School Location Established Nickname Joined Left New ConferenceBuffalo High SchoolBuffalo, MNBison20042019LakeRogers High SchoolRogers, MN2003Royals20042019Northwest SuburbanSt. Michael-Albertville High SchoolSt. Michael, MN1966Knights20042019Lake
Fall sports Cross country Boys Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 6 2006, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018STMA* 4 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015Big Lake 4 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023Monticello 2 2005, 2010Cambridge-Isanti 2 2008, 2009Becker 2 2024, 2025Princeton 1 2019
Girls Team Championships Years wonMonticello 7 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2020STMA* 6 2006, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018Becker 6 2005, 2007, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025Chisago Lakes 2 2023, 2024 * No longer a member
The inaugural Cross Country Championship meet was held at Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker. The 2006 meet was held at Liberty Elementary in Big Lake. The 2007 and 2014 meets were held at Buffalo Heights Golf Course. In 2008 the meet was held at Grandy 9 Golf Course in Cambridge. The 2009 and 2017 meets were hosted my Monticello at Vintage Golf Course and Lake Bertram Regional Park, respectively. 2010 meet was at the Princeton Golf Course. In 2011 Rogers hosted the meet at Fox Hollow Golf Course. The 2012 conference meet was held at St. Michael Rec Center. In 2013 and 2019 the meet was held at Ponds Golf Course and was hosted by St. Francis. In 2015 the meet was held at Isanti Middle School. Ki-Chi-Soga Park in Lindstrom was home to the 2016 meet.
Football Team Championships Years wonRogers 3 2010, 2011Becker 3 2005, 2006, 2008STMA 2 2007, 2013c, 2014cMonticello 2 2012, 2014cChisago Lakes2 2013c, 2014cBuffalo 1 2009Princeton 1 2014c c = Co-champions
After the 2014 football season schools in the state of Minnesota were placed into one of 18 districts. The purpose of the changes was to reduce scheduling headaches for several schools. All of the schools in the Mississippi 8 Conference were placed into the North Central District for the 2015 season. Prior to the 2017 season STMA was reclassified to 6A, as a result the school plays in the Metro District and North Branch was moved to the Northeast District. The other schools continue to play in the North Central District.
Soccer Boys Team Championships Years wonMonticello 12 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008c, 2009, 2016, 2018, 2019c, 2020, 2023, 2024c, 2025Rogers* 3 2010, 2013c, 2015Chisago Lakes 3 2013c, 2017, 2019cBuffalo* 2 2008c, 2014STMA* 2 2011, 2012St Francis 2 2019c, 2022Princeton 2 2021, 2024c
Girls Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 8 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014c, 2016, 2017c, 2018Rogers* 6 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014c, 2015, 2017cSt Francis 4 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025Cambridge-Isanti 2 2005, 2006Chisago Lakes 2 2019, 2023Princeton 1 2014cMonticello 1 2022 c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Girls swimming and diving Team Championships Years wonMonticello 7 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011c, 2019, 2022STMA* 5 2011c, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015Buffalo* 3 2005, 2011c, 2018 c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Girls tennis Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 5 2007c, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012cSTMA* 3 2005, 2006, 2012cPrinceton 3 2014, 2015, 2016Cambridge-Isanti 2 2021, 2024Rogers* 1 2011Monticello 1 2013Becker 1 2007cChisago Lakes 1 2019St. Francis 1 2023 c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Volleyball Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 10 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011c, 2012c, 2017, 2018Monticello 6 2020, 2021c, 2022, 2023, 2024c, 2025Buffalo* 3 2011c, 2012c, 2013Cambridge-Isanti 2 2014, 2016North Branch 3 2015, 2019, 2024cBig Lake 1 2021cPrinceton 1 2024c c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Winter sports Basketball Boys Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 8 2006-07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012-13c, 2013–14, 2018-19cPrinceton 5 2018-19c, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23Rogers* 4 2011-12c, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017-18STMA* 3 2011-12c, 2012-13c, 2014–15Monticello 3 2005-06, 2024-25, 2025-26cChisago Lakes 1 2023-24Becker 1 2025-26c
Girls Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 10 2005-06, 2008-09c, 2009-10c, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19Becker 6 2006-07, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24Buffalo* 3 2009-10c, 2010–11, 2011–12Monticello 2 2024-25, 2025-26Rogers* 1 2007-08Princeton 1 2008-09c c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Dance Team Championships Years wonRogers* 9 2005-06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16Big Lake 1 2006-07,St. Cloud Cathedral 1 2011-12 Chisago Lakes 1 2016-17St. Francis 1 2017-18STMA* 1 2018-19Becker 1 2019-20 c = Co-champion * No longer a member
Gymnastics Team Championships Years wonCambridge-Isanti 9 2005-06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018-19cBig Lake 5 2009-10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2018-19cNorth Branch 1 2013-14Monticello 1 2018-19c c = Co-champion
Hockey Boys Team Championships Years wonMonticello 6 2019-20, 2020-21c, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26Rogers* 5 2006-07, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14 Buffalo* 5 2005-06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2018–19STMA* 4 2014-15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017-18Chisago Lakes 2 2020-21c, 2021-22cCambridge-Isanti 1 2021-22c c = Co-champions * No longer a member Becker and Big Lake are part of the Becker-Big Lake Eagles boys hockey co-op. Monticello is the host school for a boys hockey co-op with Maple Lake High School and goes by the nickname of Moose for hockey instead of the primary school nickname Magic.
Monticello advanced to the Class A state tournament in hockey in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022 and made it to the Class A state title game in 2017. No other Mississippi 8 conference member has advanced further in boys hockey. Princeton has made the boys state tournament, competing three times in 2002, 2003, 2016. Chisago Lakes has also made the boys state tournament twice while North Branch and Cambridge-Isanti have both made it once.
Girls Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 5 2010-11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16North Wright County* 5 2008-09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2017–18, 2018–19Chisago Lakes 5 2019-20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022-23, 2025-26Cambridge-Isanti 3 2005-06, 2006–07, 2007–08Rogers* 1 2016-17Pine City Area 1 2023-24Northern Tier** 1 2024-25 * No longer a member ** Co-op of Cambridge-Isanti, North Branch, and St. Francis
The North Wright County co-op that includes Monticello has reached the girls state tournament twice in 2011 and 2013. The Wright County co-op, consisting of all the schools in the current Buffalo and North Wright County co-ops, made the state tournament in 2005. Chisago Lakes has also made the girls state tournament three times, once in 2004 as part of a co-op with Pine City and in 2010 and 2012.
Boys swimming and diving Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 7 2011-12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19Monticello* 3 2008-09, 2009–10, 2010–11Cambridge-Isanti 3 2006-07, 2007–08, 2017–18Orono 1 2005-06 * No longer a member
Wrestling Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 14 2005-06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017-18c, 2018–19Becker 7 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 St. Francis 1 2017-18c * No longer a member
Spring sports Baseball Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 7 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019Monticello 3 2006, 2023, 2025St. Francis 2 2014, 2015 Big Lake 2 2010, 2013Cambridge-Isanti 1 2008Buffalo* 1 2011Chisago Lakes 1 2021Princeton 1 2022Becker 1 2024 * No longer a member
Golf Boys Team Championships Years wonRogers* 6 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013STMA* 4 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019Buffalo* 2 2014, 2015Princeton 1 2007Cambridge-Isanti 1 2006 * No longer a member
Girls Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 13 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018STMA* 1 2019 * No longer a member
Lacrosse Boys Team Championships Years wonChisago Lakes 4 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025Monticello 1 2024
Girls Team Championships Years wonChisago Lakes 4 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025Monticello 1 2021
Softball Team Championships Years wonBecker 6 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012Buffalo* 4 2011, 2013, 2015c, 2017Rogers* 4 2014, 2015c, 2016, 2019Chisago Lakes 4 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024North Branch 1 2018Cambridge-Isanti 1 2025 c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Boys tennis Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 4 2009, 2015, 2017, 2018Buffalo* 4 2006, 2007, 2013, 2019Becker 3 2010, 2011, 2012Chisago Lakes 2 2014, 2016Monticello 1 2008 c = Co-champions * No longer a member
Track and Field Boys Team Championships Years wonBuffalo* 8 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013STMA* 4 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018North Branch 1 2015Cambridge-Isanti 1 2019, 2025Monticello 1 2024
Girls Team Championships Years wonSTMA* 7 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019Monticello 5 2006, 2009, 2070, 2011, 2012, 2024Cambridge-Isanti 2 2007, 2008, 2025 * No longer a member
References
External links Minneapolis Star Tribune: Two Duluth schools placed in Mississippi 8 Conference Monticello Times: Mississippi 8 Conference in flux as two schools split Mississippi 8 Conference website Star News: Elks to move into Mississippi 8 Minneapolis Star Tribune: A closer look at: Mississippi 8 Conference Pioneer Press: Chisago Lakes delays decision on Mississippi 8 Conference invitation