The Marinette & Oconto-Northern Lakes-Packerland Conference, more commonly referred to as the MONLPC, is a former high school football conference comprising small schools in northeastern Wisconsin. Founded in 2017 and dissolved after the 2021 football season, its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History The MONLPC Football Conference was formed in 2017 by members of three conferences in northeastern Wisconsin: the Marinette & Oconto, Northern Lakes and Packerland. It was created in reaction to the increasing number of schools in the region that were transitioning to eight-player football and featured an eight-player division in addition to large-school and small-school divisions for eleven-player football: MONLPC LargeMONLPC SmallMONLPC-8AlgomaCrandonBowler/GreshamColemanCrivitzGibraltarKewauneeElcho/White LakeGillettOcontoFlorenceLena/St. Thomas AquinasPeshtigoNorthern EliteMenominee IndianSouthern DoorSuringNEW LutheranSturgeon BayThree Lakes/PhelpsOneida NationWabeno/LaonaSevastopolWausaukee Even after the conference's formation, the influx of schools moving to eight-player football continued to drive the MONLPC's realignment. Florence was the first member to do so after the 2017 season, followed by five more programs after the 2018 season (Algoma, Elcho/White Lake, Suring, Three Lakes/Phelps and Wabeno/Laona). This allowed the Bowler/Gresham and Menominee Indian programs to join their primary home, the Central Wisconsin Conference, when they adopted an eight-player division in 2019. Coleman was shifted over to the MONLPC's small schools division in 2019, which would turn out to be the last for the two eleven-player divisions after they were realigned out of existence. This came after the WIAA and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association unveiled a comprehensive realignment plan for Wisconsin's high school football conferences to be refreshed every two years. The nine displaced schools either joined a newly reconstituted Packerland Conference (Kewaunee, Oconto, Peshtigo, Southern Door and Sturgeon Bay) or the new Northwoods Football Conference (Coleman, Crandon, Crivitz and Northern Elite). Another change brought by realignment was the MONLPC's change to a twelve-member, two-division conference sponsoring eight-player football only: MONLPC EastMONLPC WestAlgomaElcho/White LakeGibraltarFlorenceGillettSuringLena/St. Thomas AquinasThree Lakes/PhelpsNEW Lutheran/OneidaWabeno/LaonaSevastopolWausaukee This alignment would last until the 2022-2023 competition cycle, when the eight-player divisions of the MONLPC were shuttered, just as their eleven-player counterparts were two years earlier. Eight programs (Algoma, Gibraltar, Gillett, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, NEW Lutheran/Oneida, Sevastopol, Suring and Wausaukee) formed the new Across the Bay Conference, while the other four (Elcho/White Lake, Florence, Three Lakes/Phelps and Wabeno/Laona constituted two thirds of the new Northern Border Conference, along with Niagara and Goodman/Pembine after the breakup of the Northern Elite football cooperative.
Conference membership history
11-player SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceAlgomaAlgoma, WIPublicWolves 2017–2018PackerlandColemanColeman, WIPublicCougars 2017–2019Marinette & OcontoCrandonCrandon, WIPublicCardinals 2017–2019Northern LakesCrivitzCrivitz, WIPublicWolverines 2017–2019Marinette & OcontoElcho/White LakeElcho, WIPublicWolverines 2017–2018Northern LakesFlorenceFlorence, WIPublicBobcats 2017Northern LakesKewauneeKewaunee, WIPublicStorm 2017–2019PackerlandNorthern EliteNiagara, WIPublicPredators 2017–2019Marinette & Oconto, Northern LakesOcontoOconto, WIPublicBlue Devils 2017–2019PackerlandPeshtigoPeshtigo, WIPublicBulldogs 2017–2019PackerlandSouthern DoorBrussels, WIPublicEagles 2017–2019PackerlandSturgeon BaySturgeon Bay, WIPublicClippers 2017–2019PackerlandSuringSuring, WIPublicEagles 2017–2018Marinette & OcontoThree Lakes/PhelpsThree Lakes, WIPublicBluejays 2017–2018Northern LakesWabeno/LaonaWabeno, WIPublicRebels 2017–2018Northern Lakes
8-player SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceBowler/GreshamBowler, WIPublicCats 2017–2018Central WisconsinGibraltarFish Creek, WIPublicVikings 2017–2021PackerlandGillettGillett, WIPublicTigers 2017–2021Marinette & OcontoLena/St. Thomas AquinasLena, WIPublic, Private (Catholic)Titans 2017–2021Marinette & OcontoMenominee IndianKeshena, WIFederal (Tribal)Eagles 2017–2018Central WisconsinNEW LutheranGreen Bay, WIPrivate (Lutheran, WELS)Blazers 2017–2018PackerlandOneida NationOneida, WIFederal (Tribal)Thunderhawks 2017–2018Marinette & OcontoSevastopolSturgeon Bay, WIPublicPioneers 2017–2021PackerlandWausaukeeWausaukee, WIPublicRangers 2017–2021Marinette & OcontoFlorenceFlorence, WIPublicBobcats 2019–2021Marinette & OcontoNEW Lutheran/Oneida NationGreen Bay, WIPrivate (WELS), Federal (Tribal)Blazers 2019–2021Packerland, Marinette & OcontoSuringSuring, WIPublicEagles 2019–2021Marinette & OcontoWabeno/LaonaWabeno, WIPublicRebels 2019–2021Marinette & OcontoAlgomaAlgoma, WIPublicWolves 2020–2021PackerlandElcho/White LakeElcho, WIPublicWolverines 2020–2021Northern LakesThree Lakes/PhelpsThree Lakes, WIPublicBluejays 2020–2021Northern Lakes
Membership timeline 11-player
8-player
List of state champions +8-Player FootballSchoolYearSevastopol2018
List of conference champions
11-player SchoolQuantityYearsKewaunee22018, 2019Coleman12019Crandon12017Crivitz12018Southern Door12017Algoma0Elcho/White Lake0Florence0Northern Elite0Oconto0Peshtigo0Sturgeon Bay0Suring0Three Lakes/Phelps0Wabeno/Laona0
8-player SchoolQuantityYearsLena/St. Thomas Aquinas22020, 2021Sevastopol22017, 2018Wabeno/Laona22020, 2021Gibraltar12019Suring12019Algoma0Bowler/Gresham0Elcho/White Lake0Florence0Gillett0Menominee Nation0N.E.W. Lutheran0N.E.W. Lutheran/Oneida Nation0Oneida Nation0Three Lakes/Phelps0Wausaukee0
References