The Northern Michigan Football League is an interscholastic athletic conference affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. It is located in Northern Michigan and contains nine teams that encompasses seven counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Iosco, Leelanau, and Otsego.

History The League formed from the merger of the Lake Michigan Conference and the Northwest Conference, for football only. The schools were then split up based on enrollment and competitiveness, with the larger schools forming the Legends Division, and the smaller ones forming the Legacy Division. Mesick, who was a member of the Northwest Conference, declined to join the league, leaving the Legacy Division with one school less than the Legend Division. Before the 2015 season, it was announced that the six members of the Ski Valley Conference not dropping to Eight-man Football as well as Cheboygan, Onekema and Traverse City Christian High Schools would join the league during the 2016 season, causing the league to expand to three divisions; the Leaders, Legends, and Legacy divisions. The league is also considering the applications of several other schools, and the possibility of further divisions to help with travel costs. On October 6, 2015, Traverse City Christian announced that it would not be joining the NMFL and that Mesick would be replacing them in the conference on a two-year trial basis.

For the 2017 season, more changes will be happening, as four schools will be making the move to eight-man football. In the last few months of 2016, Central Lake, Mesick, Onekama, and Suttons Bay all announced moves to the eight-man game. However, for the 2018 season, Newberry, from the former Mid Eastern Football Conference, was brought into the league. This did not last long, however, as for the 2019 season, Newberry, along with Gaylord St. Mary announced their own move to the 8 man game as well. Starting in 2020, the league will welcome Sault Ste. Marie and West Branch-Ogemaw Heights, who both previously were independent. In corresponding moved Kalkaska and Boyne city will move from the Legends Division to the Leaders Division, and Frankfort will move from the Leaders Division to the Legacy Division. This aligns the league, with the exception of Traverse City St. Francis, to divisions based on enrollment sizes, with the Legends being the largest, Leaders being the middle, and Legacy being the smallest schools.

Effective 2021, the NMFL added 2 new schools, Tawas & Oscoda. Tawas was added to the largest division, Legends, while Oscoda was added to the smallest division, Legacy. Former North Star League foes Rogers City & Lincoln-Alcona were both originally set the join the Legacy Division, but opted instead to drop to 8-Man Football.

In September 2021, following the departure of the two Traverse City high schools to the Saginaw Valley League, the four remaining Big North Conference high schools: Alpena, Gaylord, Cadillac, and Petoskey, were denied entry into the league, despite approval of the conferences athletic directors. The eight superintendents of the then Legends Division declined the addition of the four schools, Citing how the league has grown fast and changed so much in the last six years it might be best to slow down before overhauling the league. The addition of the four schools would have seen the creation of a new 4th division, the Liberty Division and would have included the 6 biggest schools, Alpena, Petoskey, Gaylord, Cadillac, Sault Ste. Marie, and Cheboygan. The following 18 teams would have been divided into 3 equal divisions of 6 teams based on size and success. Instead, the conference kept its 3 division format, but saw Tawas moved to the middle Leaders division and Glen Lake moved to the smaller Legacy Division.

In September 2022 it was announced that effective Fall 2023, the Big North Conference would add Marquette, Escanaba and NMFL member, Sault Ste. Marie, as football members only. Also in 2023, St. Ignace left the conference and moved to 8-man football, while Kalkaska left as well to become an 11-man football independent. With these changes, Benzie Central and Oscoda moved to the middle Leaders division from the larger Legends and smaller Legacy divisions respectively, while Mancelona moved from the Leaders division to the Legacy division

In October 2025, it was announced that the Northern Shores Conference would sponsor football starting in the 2026 season. Harbor Springs opted to remain in the NMFL, while Boyne City, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Elk Rapids, Grayling, and Kingsley would depart after the 2025 season. Traverse City St. Francis will also depart after the 2025 season, leaving the NMFL as a 9-team league with no divisions. The nine schools will play an eight-game conference schedule, with one team playing a non-league game each week of the season.

Member schools

Current members TeamSchoolLocationCountyJoinedTypeEnrollmentAll-Sports ConferenceBenzie Central HuskiesBenzie CentralBenzonia TownshipBenzie2014Public295Northwest ConferenceEast Jordan Red DevilsEast JordanEast JordanCharlevoix2014Public208Ski-Valley ConferenceFrankfort PanthersFrankfortFrankfortBenzie2014Public131Northwest ConferenceMaple City Glen Lake LakersMaple City–Glen LakeKasson TownshipLeelanau2014Public200Northwest ConferenceHarbor Springs RamsHarbor SpringsHarbor SpringsEmmet2014Public365Northern Shores ConferenceJohannesburg-Lewiston CardinalsJohannesburg-LewistonCharlton TownshipOtsego2016Public200Ski Valley ConferenceMancelona IronmenMancelonaMancelona TownshipAntrim2016Public233Ski Valley ConferenceOscoda OwlsOscodaAu Sable TownshipIosco2021Public282North Star LeagueTawas BravesTawas AreaTawas TownshipIosco2021Public338Independent

Future members

Former members TeamSchoolLocationCountyJoinedDepartedEnrollmentTypeCurrent ConferenceBoyne City RamblersBoyne CityBoyne CityCharlevoix20142026373PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceCentral Lake TrojansCentral LakeCentral LakeAntrim2016201784PublicSki Valley Conference (8-Man)Charlevoix RaydersCharlevoixMarion TownshipCharlevoix20142026258PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceCheboygan ChiefsCheboyganCheboyganCheboygan20162026441PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceElk Rapids ElksElk RapidsElk RapidsAntrim20142026351PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceGaylord St. Mary SnowbirdsGaylord St. MaryGaylordOtsego2016201969PrivateSki Valley Conference (8-Man)Grayling VikingsGraylingFrederic TownshipCrawford20142026448PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceIndian River Inland Lakes BulldogsInland LakesTuscarora TownshipCheboygan20162020177PublicSki Valley Conference (8-Man)Kalkaska BlazersKalkaskaKalkaskaKalkaska20142023441PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceKingsley StagsKingsleyKingsleyGrand Traverse20142026385PublicNorthern Shores ConferenceMesick BulldogsMesickMesickWexford20162017197PublicWest Michigan 8-Man Football LeagueNewberry IndiansNewberryNewberryLuce20182019171PublicGreat Lakes 8-Man Conference - EastOgemaw Heights FalconsWest Branch–Ogemaw HeightsWest Branch TownshipOgemaw20202024556PublicJack Pine ConferenceOnekama PortagersOnekamaOnekamaManistee2016201799PublicWest Michigan 8-Man Football LeagueSault Ste. Marie Blue DevilsSault AreaSault Ste. MarieChippewa20202023884PublicBig North ConferenceSt. Francis GladiatorsTraverse City–St. FrancisTraverse CityGrand Traverse20142026345Private Independent (11-Man)St. Ignace SaintsSaint IgnaceSt. Ignace TownshipMackinac20162023201PublicGreat Lakes 8-Man Conference - EastSuttons Bay NorsemenSuttons BaySuttons BayLeelanau20142017132PublicWest Michigan 8-Man Football League

Football Champions YearNMFL INMFL II2014Boyne City 12-1 (6–0)Suttons Bay 9-2 (5–0)YearLegendsLeaders2015St. Francis 12-1 (6–0)Frankfort 9-3 (5–0)YearLegendsLeadersLegacy2016St. Francis 11-1 (6–0)Frankfort 11-1 (5–0)St. Ignace 11-2 (6–0)2017Boyne City 9-1 (7–0)Maple City Glen Lake 7-3 (5–0)Gaylord St. Mary 10-1 (5–0)2018St. Francis 12-1 (6–0)Maple City Glen Lake 5-5 (4–0)Johannesburg-Lewiston 9-2 (6–0)2019Kingsley 12-1 (6–0)Maple City Glen Lake 12-2 (4–0)Johannesburg-Lewiston 10-1 (4–0)2020Kingsley 8-1 (6–0)Charlevoix 8-1 (5–0)Johannesburg-Lewiston 10-1 (4–0)2021St. Francis 12-1 (7–0)Boyne City 9-2 (5–0)East Jordan 6-3 (5–0)2022St. Francis 13-1 (6–0)Boyne City 9-1 (5–0)St. Ignace 7-3 (6–0)2023Ogemaw Heights 9-2 (4–0)Charlevoix 8-2 (5–0) East Jordan 8-2 (5–0)2024Boyne City 7-2 (3–1), Kingsley 7-2 (3–1), St. Francis 6-3 (3–1)Charlevoix 6-3 (4–0)Glen Lake 8-1 (5–0)2025St. Francis 7-3 (3-0)Charlevoix 8-2 (4–0)Glen Lake 9-2 (5–0)

State Championship Appearances SeasonNMFLNon-NMFLSiteDivision2016Maple City Glen Lake (12–2)14Jackson Lumen Christi (11–3)26Ford Field • Detroit, MI62019Maple City Glen Lake (12–2)0Monroe Saint Mary Catholic (12–1)7Ford Field • Detroit, MI62020St. Francis (9–3)35New Lothrop (11–0)42Ford Field • Detroit, MI72022St. Francis (13–1)12Jackson Lumen Christi (11–3)15Ford Field • Detroit, MI72023Kingsley (12–2)38Almont (12–2)24Ford Field • Detroit, MI62025Kingsley (11–3)14Jackson Lumen Christi (11–3)28Ford Field • Detroit, MI6

NMFL Records SchoolSeasonsLegendLeaderLegacyOverall%PlayoffsPlayoff RecordDistrictsRegionalsChampionshipsBenzie Central Huskies1210-397-617-45.27441-4000Boyne City Ramblers1233-1216-449-16.7541011-10220Central Lake Trojans11-51-5.16800-0000Charlevoix Rayders1240-1440-14.74195-9000Cheboygan Chiefs1014-4114-41.25610-1000East Jordan Red Devils120-1027-2427-34.44363-6000Elk Rapids Elks129-1615-2124-37.39350-5000Frankfort Panthers1218-820-1038-18.679117-11300Gaylord St. Mary Snowbirds310-710-7.58821-2000Grayling Vikings1227-4027-40.40365-6110Harbor Springs Rams124-622-2926-35.42651-5000Indian River Inland Lakes Bulldogs42-192-19.09500-0000Johannesburg-Lewiston Cardinals1024-2724-27.47046-4110Kalkaska Blazers95-207-1712-37.24520-2000Kingsley Stags1246-2246-22.677819-7631Mancelona Ironmen108-238-916-32.33341-4000Maple City Glen Lake Lakers124-821-416-541-17.7011013-10320Mesick Bulldogs10-50-5.00010-0000Newberry Indians13-33-3.50010-0000Ogemaw Heights Falcons412-912-9.57131-3000Onekama Portagers12-32-3.40010-1000Oscoda Owls55-65-610-12.45500-0000Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils310-710-7.58812-1000St. Francis Gladiators1258-858-8.8791229-12960St. Ignace Saints720-1620-16.55743-4100Suttons Bay Norsemen36-46-4.60011-1000Tawas Braves51-170-61-23.04200-0000

Membership Timeline

References

External links Boyne City Public Schools Charlevoix Public Schools East Jordan Public Schools Elk Rapids Public Schools Grayling Public Schools Harbor Springs Public Schools Kalkaska Public Schools Grand Traverse Catholic Schools Glen Lake Community Schools Kingsley Area Schools Benzie Schools Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools Suttons Bay Public Schools Onekama Consolidated Schools Cheboygan Area Schools