The Great Northern Conference is a high school athletic conference based in north central Wisconsin. Founded in 2008, the conference and its member schools belong to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History The Great Northern Conference was formed in 2008 by seven medium-sized high schools in north central Wisconsin. Four of its original members (Lakeland Union, Medford, Northland Pines and Tomahawk) were previously members of the Lumberjack Conference, which had disbanded the year prior. Two schools joined from the Wisconsin Valley Conference (Antigo and Merrill) and Mosinee moved over from the Cloverbelt Conference. For Antigo and Merrill, this move grouped them with schools more in line with their enrollment size instead of being two of the smallest schools in their former conference. Two years after the Great Northern Conference was formed, Merrill swapped affiliations with Wisconsin Valley Conference member Rhinelander. They rejoined in 2025 from the Wisconsin Valley Conference, bringing the Great Northern Conference's membership group to eight schools.
List of member schools
Current full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedAntigoAntigo, WIPublic647Red Robins 2008Lakeland UnionMinocqua, WIPublic713Thunderbirds 2008MedfordMedford, WIPublic667Raiders 2008MerrillMerrill, WIPublic727Bluejays 2008, 2025MosineeMosinee, WIPublic556Indians 2008Northland PinesEagle River, WIPublic404Eagles 2008RhinelanderRhinelander, WIPublic718Hodags 2010TomahawkTomahawk, WIPublic372Hatchets 2008
Current associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsPrimary ConferenceSportsAshlandAshland, WIPublicOredockers Heart O'NorthGymnastics, Boys TennisColbyColby, WIPublicHornets CloverbeltGirls Swim & DiveColumbus CatholicMarshfield, WIPrivate (Catholic)Dons MarawoodGirls TennisMarshfieldMarshfield, WIPublicTigers Wisconsin ValleyGymnasticsNewman CatholicWausau, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cardinals MarawoodGirls TennisPacelliStevens Point, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cardinals Central WisconsinBoys Tennis, Girls TennisPhillipsPhillips, WIPublicLoggers MarawoodGirls TennisShawanoShawano, WIPublicHawks BayBoys Swim & DiveStevens PointStevens Point, WIPublicPanthers Wisconsin ValleyGymnasticsWaupacaWaupaca, WIPublicComets North EasternBoys HockeyWausau EastWausau, WIPublicLumberjacks Wisconsin ValleyFootballWisconsin RapidsWisconsin Rapids, WIPublicRed Raiders Wisconsin ValleyGymnastics
Notes
Current co-operative members TeamColorsHost SchoolCo-operative MembersSport(s)Trident Swim Team LadysmithBloomer, Bruce, Flambeau, Lake HolcombeGirls Swim & Dive
Future associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoiningSportsPrimary ConferenceShawanoShawano, WIPublicHawks 2027Boys HockeyBay
Notes
Former associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsSportsPrimary ConferenceAshlandAshland, WIPublicOredockers 2011-2023FootballLake Superior, Heart O'NorthMerrillMerrill, WIPublicBluejays 2011-2024FootballWisconsin ValleyHaywardHayward, WIPublicHurricanes 2020-2023FootballHeart O'North
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
Membership map
Sponsored sports +Antigo●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Lakeland Union●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Medford●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Merrill●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Mosinee●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Northland Pines●●●●●●●●●●●●●Rhinelander●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Tomahawk●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Notes
List of state champions
Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearDivision Tomahawk2008Division 2Lakeland Union2016Division 2 +Girls Cross CountrySchoolYearDivisionMedford2018Division 2 +Girls Swimming & DivingSchoolYearDivisionRhinelander2020Division 2Rhinelander2023Division 2
Winter sports +Boys HockeySchoolYearDivision Tomahawk2025Division 2 Northland Pines2026Division 2 +Boys Swimming & DivingSchoolYearDivisionRhinelander2023Division 2
Spring sports +BaseballSchoolYearDivisionAntigo2019Division 2 +Boys GolfSchoolYearDivisionLakeland Union2024Division 2 +SoftballSchoolYearDivisionMosinee2014Division 2
List of conference champions Source:
Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsRhinelander82013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2024, 2025, 2026Mosinee52016, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2026Antigo42009, 2010, 2011, 2012Medford42017, 2020, 2021, 2023Lakeland Union0 Merrill0Northland Pines0 Tomahawk0
Girls Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsLakeland Union72011, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024, 2025Mosinee52014, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2026Medford32010, 2012, 2013Rhinelander22019, 2020Antigo12009 Merrill12009Northland Pines12013 Tomahawk0
Football SchoolQuantityYearsMedford72012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2024Mosinee62011, 2012, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025Antigo52008, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017 Merrill32009, 2014, 2016Ashland12018Lakeland Union12008 Tomahawk12025Hayward0Rhinelander0Wausau East0
Boys Hockey SchoolQuantityYearsNorthland Pines72011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021Antigo52014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018Lakeland Union42009, 2022, 2023, 2024Tomahawk32024, 2025, 2026Mosinee22021, 2023Rhinelander12021Waupaca12010Medford0Merrill0
References
External links Great Northern Conference (official website)