The Lakeland Conference is a high school athletic conference consisting of seventeen members in northwestern Wisconsin. Founded in 1934, the conference and its member schools are all members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
1934-1957
The Lakeland Conference was formed by seven small northwestern Wisconsin high schools in 1934: Cameron, Chetek, Clear Lake, New Auburn, Shell Lake, Turtle Lake, and Weyerhaeuser. Five of the original members of the Lakeland Conference were previously part of the Heart O'North Conference and left that conference due to growing size difference between the larger and smaller schools. All of the conference's original members were located in Barron, Chippewa, Polk, Rusk, and Washburn Counties. By the end of the decade, four new schools were added to the conference: Clayton in 1936, Bruce in 1937, Birchwood in 1938, and Prairie Farm in 1939. The next year, the Lakeland Conference split its eleven-member roster into Eastern and Western Sections: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodClaytonBruceClear LakeCameronPrairie FarmChetekShell LakeNew AuburnTurtle LakeWeyerhaeuser Football was sponsored for the first time in 1938, with four members (Bruce, Cameron, Chetek and Clear Lake) participating first in seven-player football before switching to eight-player football in 1939. Aside from Weyerhaeuser's exit to become a charter member of the Flambeauland Conference in 1946 and their subsequent return five years later, conference membership remained consistent for sixteen years. In 1956, the Lakeland Conference welcomed three new members who were displaced when their conferences ceased operations in 1955: Balsam Lake and Centuria from the Northwest Border Conference and Tony from the Flambeauland Conference. This expansion brought membership to fourteen schools in two divisions: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodBalsam LakeBruceCenturiaCameronClaytonChetekClear LakeNew AuburnPrairie FarmTonyShell LakeWeyerhaeuserTurtle Lake
1957-1968 The Lakeland Conference lost three member schools in 1957. Chetek joined with larger schools in the Heart O'North Conference, and Balsam Lake and Centuria merged with Milltown of the Upper St. Croix Valley Conference to form the new Unity High School (not to be confused with the former Unity High School in Unity, Wisconsin). The new school inherited Milltown's conference membership, and the conference was left with eleven schools in two sections: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodClaytonBruceClear LakeCameronPrairie FarmNew AuburnShell LakeTonyTurtle LakeWeyerhaeuser Siren was accepted into the Lakeland Conference as its twelfth member in 1959 and took up residence in the Western section. Two years later, Tony would merge with Ingram-Glen Flora of the Flambeau League to form the new Flambeau High School, taking Tony's place in the Eastern Lakeland: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodClaytonBruceClear LakeCameronPrairie FarmFlambeauShell LakeNew AuburnSirenWeyerhaeuserTurtle Lake In 1964, five Lakeland Conference members (Bruce, Clear Lake, Flambeau, Prairie Farm and Turtle Lake) made the transition to eleven-player football. Cameron joined them in 1966, and by 1967 the entire conference switched to eleven-player football, subdividing by enrollment size into two divisions.
1968-1994 In 1968, Winter joined the Lakeland Conference after leaving its former home in the Flambeau League, a conference which would break up two years later. Prentice would follow Winter's footsteps in 1970 after the disbandment of the Flambeau League. Lake Holcombe would also join the Eastern Lakeland in 1970, following a 5-year stint in the Cloverbelt. Cameron moved over to the Western section to accommodate the expansion: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodCameronBruceClaytonFlambeauClear LakeLake HolcombePrairie FarmNew AuburnShell LakePrenticeSirenWeyerhaeuserTurtle LakeWinter Prentice left the Lakeland Conference in 1978 to take up residence in its current home, the Marawood Conference. Two years later, Northwood High School in Minong joined the Western section of the conference after leaving the Indianhead Conference.
1994-2002 The conference would operate with fifteen members until 1994, when four schools displaced by the ending of the Upper St. Croix Valley Conference entered the Lakeland: Frederic, Grantsburg, Luck and Webster. The Lakeland Conference realigned itself into a three-division conference that year: Central LakelandEastern LakelandWestern LakelandCameronBirchwoodFredericClaytonBruceGrantsburgClear LakeFlambeauLuckPrairie FarmLake HolcombeNorthwoodShell LakeNew AuburnSirenTurtle LakeWeyerhaeuserWebsterWinter This alignment would only remain in place for two years before going back to a two-division format in 1996. Cornell became the Lakeland Conference's twentieth member school when it moved over from the Cloverbelt Conference in 1998 and was aligned to the Eastern division: Eastern LakelandWestern LakelandBirchwoodClaytonBruceClear LakeCameronFredericCornellGrantsburgFlambeauLuckLake HolcombeNorthwoodNew AuburnShell LakePrairie FarmSirenWeyerhaeuserTurtle LakeWinterWebster
2002-present The Lakeland Conference returned to a three-division format in 2002 when it accepted two of the smaller schools from the Middle Border Conference as members (St. Croix Falls and Unity). Both schools joined the conference's Western division: Central LakelandEastern LakelandWestern LakelandCameronBirchwoodFredericClaytonBruceGrantsburgClear LakeCornellLuckNorthwoodFlambeauSirenPrairie FarmLake HolcombeSt. Croix FallsShell LakeNew AuburnUnityTurtle LakeWeyerhaeuserWebsterWinter This alignment would remain for nearly twenty years and was relatively stable in terms of membership. Weyerhaeuser merged with Chetek of the Heart O'North Conference in 2010 with the new school (Chetek-Weyerhaeuser) continuing Chetek's Heart O'North membership. For the 2012 football season, the Lakeland Conference subdivided into eight-player and eleven-player divisions, as eight members of the conference (Birchwood, Bruce, Luck, New Auburn, Northwood/Solon Springs, Prairie Farm, Siren and Winter) made the transition. Cameron and St. Croix Falls followed them to the Heart O'North in 2019 and 2021, respectively. The Lakeland Conference would also adopt its current two-division alignment that year. Membership decreased from nineteen to seventeen schools in 2025 when Clear Lake left for the Dunn-St. Croix Conference and Unity shifted to the Heart O'North Conference. Later that year, Clayton and Prairie Farm entered into a co-operative agreement for all sports to commence with the 2026-27 school year, adopting the Bearcats nickname as a nod to both schools. In September 2026, the WIAA fast-tracked the approval of longtime Cloverbelt members Gilman to join the Lakeland Conference for the 2027-28 school year.
Conference membership history
Current full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedDivisionBirchwoodBirchwood, WIPublic70Bobcats 1938EasternBruceBruce, WIPublic104Red Raiders 1937EasternCornellCornell, WIPublic90Chiefs 1998EasternFlambeauTony, WIPublic130Falcons 1961EasternFredericFrederic, WIPublic114Vikings 1994WesternGrantsburgGrantsburg, WIPublic279Pirates 1994WesternLake HolcombeLake Holcombe, WIPublic75Chieftains 1970EasternLuckLuck, WIPublic106Cardinals 1994WesternNew AuburnNew Auburn, WIPublic99Trojans 1934EasternNorthwoodMinong, WIPublic93Evergreens 1980WesternPrairie Farm/ClaytonPrairie Farm, WI/Clayton, WIPublic188Bearcats 2026EasternShell LakeShell Lake, WIPublic193Lakers 1934WesternSirenSiren, WIPublic96Dragons 1959WesternTurtle LakeTurtle Lake, WIPublic126Lakers 1934WesternWebsterWebster, WIPublic204Tigers 1994WesternWinterWinter, WIPublic64Warriors 1968Eastern
Current associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsPrimary ConferenceSport(s)CadottCadott, WIPublicHornets CloverbeltFootballCameronCameron, WIPublicComets Heart O'NorthFootballChetek-WeyerhaeuserChetek, WIPublicBulldogs Dunn-St. CroixFootballLadysmithLadysmith, WIPublicLumberjacks Heart O'NorthFootballUnityBalsam Lake, WIPublicEagles Heart O'NorthFootball
Current co-operative members TeamColorsHost SchoolCo-operative MembersSport(s)LFGS Synergy LuckFrederic, Grantsburg, SirenBoys Wrestling, Girls WrestlingWolfpack Wrestling CornellGilman, Lake HolcombeBoys Wrestling, Girls Wrestling
Future full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoiningFormer ConferenceGilmanGilman, WIPublic102Pirates 2027Cloverbelt
Former full members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceBalsam LakeBalsam Lake, WIPublicWarriors 19561957Closed (merged into Unity)CameronCameron, WIPublicComets 19342019Heart O'NorthCenturiaCenturia, WIPublicRaiders 19561957Closed (merged into Unity)ChetekChetek, WIPublicBulldogs 19341957Heart O'NorthClosed in 2010 (merged into Chetek-Weyerhaeuser)ClaytonClayton, WIPublicBears 19362026Lakeland (Co-operative with Prairie FarmClear LakeClear Lake, WIPublicWarriors 19342025Dunn-St. CroixPrairie FarmPrairie Farm, WIPublicPanthers 19392026Lakeland (Co-operative with ClaytonPrenticePrentice, WIPublicBuccaneers 19701978MarawoodSt. Croix FallsSt. Croix Falls, WIPublicSaints 20022021Heart O'NorthTonyTony, WIPublicTornadoes 19561961Closed (merged into Flambeau)UnityBalsam Lake, WIPublicEagles 20022025Heart O'NorthWeyerhaeuserWeyerhaeuser, WIPublicWildcats 1934, 19511946, 2010FlambeaulandClosed (merged into Chetek-Weyerhaeuser)
Former football-only members
11-player SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceBirchwood/WeyerhaeuserBirchwood, WIPublicCats 1988-2009LakelandChetekChetek, WIPublicBulldogs 1991-1993Heart O'NorthElmwoodElmwood, WIPublicRaiders 2002-2011Dunn-St. CroixElmwood/Plum CityElmwood, WIPublicWolves 2012-2019Dunn-St. CroixHurleyHurley, WIPublicNorthstars 2020-2023IndianheadLake Holcombe/CornellLake Holcombe, WIPublicKnights 2013-2021LakelandNorthwood/Solon SpringsMinong, WIPublicEvergreens 2006, 2008-2011Lakeland, IndianheadPepinPepin, WIPublicLakers 2002-2008Dunn-St. CroixPepin/AlmaPepin, WIPublicEagles 2009-2018DairylandPlum CityPlum City, WIPublicBlue Devils 2002-2011Dunn-St. CroixRib Lake/PrenticeRib Lake, WIPublicHawks 2020-2023MarawoodWashburn/Bayfield/South ShoreWashburn, WIPublicCastle Guards 2015-2016Indianhead
8-player SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceAlma Center LincolnAlma Center, WIPublicHornets 2017, 2019DairylandButternut/MercerButternut, WIPublicPioneers 2017-2021IndianheadChequamegonPark Falls, WIPublicScreaming Eagles 2020-2021MarawoodChequamegon/Butternut/MercerPark Falls, WIPublicScreaming Eagles 2022-2023Marawood, IndianheadMellenMellen, WIPublicGranite Diggers 2014-2023IndianheadNorthwood/Solon SpringsMinong, WIPublicEvergreens 2012-2023Lakeland, IndianheadPhillipsPhillips, WIPublicLoggers 2022-2023MarawoodValley ChristianOsceola, WIPrivate (Christian)Jaguars 2022-2023IndependentWashburnWashburn, WIPublicCastle Guards 2020-2023IndianheadWashburn/BayfieldWashburn, WIPublicSteelhead 2018-2019IndianheadWinter/BirchwoodWinter, WIPublicWarCats 2017-2023Lakeland
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
8-player (1938-1966)
11-player (1964-present)
8-player (2012-2023)
Membership map
Sanctioned sports +Birchwood●●●●●●●Bruce●●●●●●●●●●●Cornell●●●●●●●●Flambeau●●●●●●●●●●●●Frederic●●●●●●●●Grantsburg●●●●●●●●●●●Lake Holcombe●●●●●●●Luck●●●●●●●New Auburn●●●●●●●●●Northwood●●●●Prairie Farm/Clayton●●●●●●●●●●Shell Lake●●●●●●●●●●●Siren●●●●●●●●Turtle Lake●●●●●●●●●●Webster●●●●●●●●●●●Winter●●●●●●●
Notes
List of state champions
Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearDivisionWebster2008Division 3 +FootballSchoolYearDivisionShell Lake1980Division 5Turtle Lake1988Division 6Shell Lake1991Division 6Turtle Lake1995Division 6Flambeau1997Division 6Lake Holcombe1998Division 6Shell Lake2004Division 7Luck20198-Player