The Big North Conference is a high school athletic conference in New Jersey. It is one of six North Jersey "super athletic conferences" created by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) in 2009. There are 41 member schools in the Big North Conference, with all members located in either Bergen County or Passaic County, New Jersey.
History
As high school athletics in New Jersey grew in the 1990s and 2000s, problems began to develop in the organization of leagues and conferences. Transportation costs began to grow, as some conferences had teams from as many as four different counties competing against each other. Other conferences were losing competitive balance, as a growth in non-public school enrollment and athletic programs caused tension between non-public and public schools, with public schools accusing non-public schools of recruiting. Conferences also demanded more flexibility in scheduling, as schools felt locked into league and division schedules against opponents either too weak or too strong for true competitive balance.
The strongest tensions were found in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, where public schools who were frustrated by the competitive imbalance with non-public schools, especially Don Bosco Preparatory (Ramsey) and Bergen Catholic (Oradell) in football or Immaculate Heart Academy (Township of Washington) in girls' athletics, threatened to secede from the league.
Therefore, in 2008 the NJSIAA established a "Leagues and Conferences Realignment Committee" to discuss the need for realigning conferences and leagues throughout New Jersey. Their original proposal for schools in northern New Jersey was the creation of six super conferences from the eleven conferences then in existence."NJSIAA Proposed Realignment," , accessed September 24, 2010. While the original proposal"Conference Realignment Proposal," http://blog.nj.com/hssportsextra/2008/08/HSconfWEB.pdf , accessed September 24, 2010. was not accepted as presented, it was adjusted and schools realigned yet again, to create the current system in place in New Jersey athletics.
The current realignment started in the 2010–11 school year, after a one-year transition period, when many Big North members schools were part of the North Jersey Tri-County Conference. The NJSIAA had stated that the present system may only go into effect for two to three years, and after a review of the system, a reversion to the old conference alignment may be possible. Athletic Directors in the conference, however, voted in March 2011 to revise the division alignments within the conference for the 2012-2013 academic years and voted against the transfer of DePaul Catholic High School into the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference.Baumiller, J.C. "Athletics Directors set team alignment", Northern Valley Suburbanite, March 24, 2011. Accessed September 11, 2012. Pascack Hills High School initially changed its mind about leaving the NJIC to join the Big North, but subsequently asked to be admitted.Cooper, Darren "Cowboys ready to join Big North", The Record, April 26, 2011. Accessed September 3, 2013. The Cowboys became the 41st member of the conference to begin the 2012-13 school year.
Current schools
Bergen County Public Schools SchoolLocationTeam NameBergen County Technical High SchoolHackensackKnightsBergenfield High SchoolBergenfieldBearsCliffside Park High SchoolCliffside ParkRed RaidersDumont High SchoolDumontHuskiesDwight Morrow High SchoolEnglewoodMaroon RaidersFair Lawn High SchoolFair LawnCuttersFort Lee High SchoolFort LeeBridgemenHackensack High SchoolHackensackCometsIndian Hills High SchoolOaklandBravesMahwah High SchoolMahwahThunderbirdsNorthern Highlands Regional High SchoolAllendaleHighlandersNorthern Valley Regional High SchoolDemarestNorsemenNorthern Valley Regional High SchoolOld TappanGolden KnightsParamus High SchoolParamusSpartansPascack Hills High SchoolMontvaleBroncosPascack Valley High SchoolHillsdaleIndiansRamapo High SchoolFranklin LakesRaidersRamsey High SchoolRamseyRamsRidgefield Park High SchoolRidgefield ParkScarletsRidgewood High SchoolRidgewoodMaroonsRiver Dell Regional High SchoolOradellGolden HawksTeaneck High SchoolTeaneckHighwaymenTenafly High SchoolTenaflyTigersWestwood Regional High SchoolTownship of WashingtonCardinals
Bergen County Non-Public Schools SchoolLocationTeam NameAcademy of the Holy AngelsDemarestAngelsBergen Catholic High SchoolOradellCrusadersDon Bosco Preparatory High SchoolRamseyIronmenImmaculate Heart AcademyTownship of WashingtonBlue EaglesParamus Catholic High SchoolParamusPaladinsSt. Joseph Regional High SchoolMontvaleGreen Knights
Passaic County Public Schools SchoolLocationTeam NameClifton High SchoolCliftonMustangsEastside High SchoolPatersonGhostsJohn F. Kennedy High SchoolPatersonKnightsLakeland Regional High SchoolWanaqueLancersPassaic County Technical InstituteWayneBulldogsPassaic High SchoolPassaicIndiansPassaic Valley High SchoolLittle FallsHornetsWayne Hills High SchoolWaynePatriotsWayne Valley High SchoolWayneIndiansWest Milford Township High SchoolWest MilfordHighlanders
Passaic County Non-Public Schools SchoolLocationTeam NameDePaul Catholic High SchoolWayneSpartans
Sports Offered
Fall Sports
Cross Country Field Hockey Football Gymnastics Soccer Tennis (Girls) Volleyball (Girls)
Winter Sports
Basketball (Boys) Basketball (Girls) Bowling Cheerleading Ice Hockey Swimming Winter Track Wrestling
Spring Sports
Baseball Golf Lacrosse Softball Tennis (Boys) Track & Field Volleyball (Boys)
Conference Divisions: Football As conference play started in the 2010 academic year, teams were split into six divisions for football purposes, seven divisions for every other sport."Big North Conference alignment" http://www.northjersey.com/sports/hs_sports/njsiaa_news/61411957.html, accessed September 24, 2010. The hope in developing the division system is that the system will increase rivalries and promote competitive balance while minimizing travel time between schools within each division.
Division I (United)
Bergen Catholic DePaul Catholic Don Bosco Prep Paramus Catholic St. Joseph Regional
Division II (Liberty)
Clifton Eastside (Paterson) Fair Lawn Kennedy (Paterson) Passaic Passaic County Technical Institute
Division III (Freedom)
Bergen Tech Hackensack Paramus Ridgewood Teaneck Wayne Hills
Division IV (Independence)
Northern Valley-Old Tappan Pascack Valley Passaic Valley Ramapo Wayne Valley West Milford
Division V (National)
Bergenfield Indian Hills Lakeland Northern Highlands Northern Valley-Demarest Tenafly
Division VI (American)
Cliffside Park Dumont Dwight-Morrow (Englewood) Fort Lee Ridgefield Park
Conference Divisions: Other Sports
United Division
Academy of the Holy Angels Bergen Catholic DePaul Catholic Don Bosco Prep Immaculate Heart Academy Paramus Catholic St. Joseph Regional
: Girls' athletics only : Boys' athletics only : Co-Educational
Liberty Division
Bergen Tech Clifton Eastside (Paterson) Kennedy (Paterson) Passaic Passaic County Technical Institute
Freedom Division
Fair Lawn Hackensack Northern Highlands Paramus Ramapo Ridgewood
Independence Division
Indian Hills Lakeland Passaic Valley Wayne Hills Wayne Valley West Milford
National Division
Bergenfield Northern Valley-Demarest Northern Valley-Old Tappan Pascack Valley Teaneck Tenafly
Patriot Division
Mahwah Pascack Hills Ramsey River Dell Westwood
American Division
Cliffside Park Dumont Dwight Morrow (Englewood) Fort Lee Ridgefield Park
References
External links Big North Conference Website Tom Bergeron (Newark Star-Ledger), "NJSIAA Realignment Plan: Six Super Conferences in North/Central Jersey" accessed September 25, 2010. League Affiliations of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association for 2012-13