The North Shore Conference is a high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. It was founded in 1985, and membership is concentrated in the northern suburbs of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. All member schools are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
1985-1992
The North Shore Conference was one of three conferences formed (along with the Big Nine and Suburban Park) during the realignment of high school athletic conferences in southeastern Wisconsin for the 1985-86 school year. Six members came from the Braveland Conference (Cedarburg, Germantown, Grafton, Homestead, Nicolet and Port Washington) and four came from the disbanded Suburban Conference (Shorewood, Wauwatosa East, Wauwatosa West and Whitefish Bay). Other names considered for the conference were the Heritage Conference, Lakeshore Ten and North Suburban Conference.
1992-2017 Shorewood left the North Shore Conference in 1992 to take West Milwaukee's place in the Parkland Conference after the school closed its doors. In 1993, Wauwatosa East and Wauwatosa West left to become charter members of the new Woodland Conference, with Menomonee Falls moving over from the defunct Braveland Conference as a replacement. They would only last four years in the North Shore Conference and were replaced by Milwaukee Lutheran High School in 1997. Milwaukee Lutheran was in the process of joining the WIAA as part of the merger with the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, and was the first (and to date, only) private high school in the conference.
2017-present Membership would stay consistent for the next twenty years before further realignment occurred. In 2017, Germantown left to join the Greater Metro Conference and Milwaukee Lutheran became a member of the Woodland Conference. They were replaced by four schools who were displaced after the dissolution of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference: Hartford Union, Slinger, West Bend East and West Bend West. The North Shore Conference will become a seven-member loop in 2025 with the loss of Port Washington, West Bend East and West Bend West to the Glacier Trails Conference. For the 2027-28 school year, the North Shore Conference will be losing Grafton to the Glacier Trails Conference and welcoming back two former members from the Greater Metro Conference (Germantown and Menomonee Falls) per the WIAA Board of Control's ruling in March 2026.
Football-only alignment In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. The North Shore Conference's original football group consisted of full conference members Cedarburg, Hartford Union Homestead, Nicolet, Slinger, West Bend East, West Bend West and Whitefish Bay. This alignment is set to stay in place until the 2026-2027 cycle, when the conference loses three football members. West Bend East and West Bend West will move to their primary conference affiliation in the Glacier Trails Conference, which is set to begin competition next year as an all-sport conference before its first football season in 2026. The two schools will be accompanied by full NSC members Nicolet to bring the alignment to eight schools. Three schools are currently slated to replace them: Waukesha West of the Classic 8 Conference, Menomonee Falls of the Greater Metro Conference and Wisconsin Lutheran of the Woodland Conference.
List of conference members Current full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedCedarburgCedarburg, WIPublic1,043Bulldogs 1985GraftonGrafton, WIPublic728Black Hawks 1985Hartford UnionHartford, WIPublic1,295Orioles 2017HomesteadMequon, WIPublic1,161Highlanders 1985NicoletGlendale, WIPublic1,029Knights 1985SlingerSlinger, WIPublic1,050Owls 2017Whitefish BayWhitefish Bay, WIPublic915Blue Dukes 1985
Notes
Current associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsPrimary ConferenceSport(s)Menomonee FallsMenomonee Falls, WIPublicPhoenix Greater MetroFootballPlymouthPlymouth, WIPublicPanthers Glacier TrailsGirls Swim & DivePort WashingtonPort Washington, WIPublicPirates Glacier TrailsGirls Swim & Dive, Boys VolleyballUniversity SchoolRiver Hills, WIPrivate (Nonsectarian)Wildcats Midwest ClassicBoys Lacrosse, Girls LacrosseWaukesha WestWaukesha, WIPublicWolverines Classic 8FootballWest Bend WestWest Bend, WIPublicSpartans Glacier TrailsGirls Swim & DiveWisconsin LutheranMilwaukee, WIPrivate (WELS)Vikings Park RidgeFootball
Notes
Current co-operative members TeamColorsHost SchoolCo-operative MembersSport(s)West Bend Rush West Bend WestWest Bend East, Hartford Union, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Living Word Lutheran, Slinger, Grafton (boys only)Boys Lacrosse, Girls LacrosseWNS Wolfpack Whitefish BayNicolet, Shorewood, Dominican, Grafton (girls only)Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse
Future full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoiningFormer ConferenceGermantownGermantown, WIPublic1,290Warhawks 2027Greater MetroMenomonee FallsMenomonee Falls, WIPublic1,266Phoenix 2027Greater Metro
Former full members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference Germantown Germantown, WIPublic Warhawks 1985 2017Greater MetroMenomonee FallsMenomonee Falls, WIPublicIndians 19931997Greater MetroMilwaukee LutheranMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Lutheran, LCMS)Red Knights 19972017WoodlandPort WashingtonPort Washington, WIPublicPirates 19852025Glacier TrailsShorewoodShorewood, WIPublicGreyhounds 19851992ParklandWoodlandWauwatosa EastWauwatosa, WIPublicRed Raiders 19851993WoodlandGreater MetroWauwatosa WestWauwatosa, WIPublicTrojans 19851993WoodlandGreater MetroWest Bend EastWest Bend, WIPublicSuns 20172025Glacier TrailsWest Bend WestWest Bend, WIPublicSpartans 20172025Glacier Trails
Former associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSport(s)SeasonsPrimary ConferenceWest Bend EastWest Bend, WIPublicSuns Football2025Glacier TrailsWest Bend WestWest Bend, WIPublicSpartans Football2025Glacier Trails
Notes
Former co-operative members ProgramColorsHost SchoolCo-operative MembersJoinedLeftSportMFGSH United Menomonee FallsGermantown, Sussex Hamilton20042006Boys HockeyWauwatosa Wild United Wauwatosa EastWauwatosa West20022010Boys HockeyWest Bend Ice Bears West Bend WestWest Bend East, Germantown, Hartford Union, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Kewaskum, Living Word Lutheran, Slinger20062023Boys HockeyWNS Storm Whitefish BayNicolet, Shorewood, Dominican, Martin Luther, Milwaukee Rufus King, St. Thomas More20022023Boys Hockey
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
Membership map
Sponsored sports +Cedarburg●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Grafton●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Hartford Union●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Homestead●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Nicolet●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Slinger●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Whitefish Bay●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Notes
List of state champions Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearDivision Whitefish Bay2005Division 1 Port Washington2007Division 2
+Girls Cross CountrySchoolYearDivision Homestead1986Class A Whitefish Bay2008Division 1Slinger2023Division 1
+FootballSchoolYearDivision Port Washington1985Division 2 Germantown1998Division 2 Homestead1999Division 1 Germantown2003Division 2 Homestead2006Division 1 Homestead2008Division 1 Homestead2012Division 2 Homestead2015Division 2 Homestead2018Division 2Slinger2024Division 2
+Girls GolfSchoolYearDivision Homestead1987Single Division Homestead1999Single Division Homestead2011Division 1 Homestead2012Division 1
+Boys SoccerSchoolYearDivision Cedarburg1989Single Division Wauwatosa East1990Single Division Cedarburg1991Single Division Homestead1993Division 1 Whitefish Bay1994Division 1 Whitefish Bay1995Division 2 Cedarburg1996Division 1 Homestead1999Division 1 Whitefish Bay2015Division 2 Whitefish Bay2016Division 2 Whitefish Bay2017Division 2
+Girls Swimming & DivingSchoolYearDivision Germantown1992Division 2 Germantown1993Division 2 Grafton2004Division 2 Grafton2005Division 2 Grafton2013Division 2 Grafton2014Division 2 Whitefish Bay2024Division 2
+Girls TennisSchoolYearDivision Nicolet1989Single Division Nicolet1990Single Division Nicolet1992Single Division Nicolet1993Single Division Nicolet1994Division 1 Nicolet1995Division 1 Whitefish Bay1995Division 2 Nicolet1996Division 1 Whitefish Bay1996Division 2 Nicolet1998Division 1 Whitefish Bay1998Division 2 Nicolet1999Division 1 Nicolet2000Division 1 Whitefish Bay2005Division 1 Whitefish Bay2007Division 1 Homestead2008Division 1 Homestead2009Division 1 Homestead2010Division 1 Homestead2011Division 1 Homestead2012Division 1 Homestead2016Division 1 Homestead2017Division 1 Homestead2018Division 1 Homestead2019Division 1 +Girls VolleyballSchoolYearDivision Wauwatosa East1985Class A Wauwatosa East1992Division 1
Winter sports +Boys BasketballSchoolYearDivision Wauwatosa East1989Class A Whitefish Bay1996Division 2 Whitefish Bay1998Division 2 Whitefish Bay2011Division 2 Germantown2012Division 1 Germantown2013Division 1 Germantown2014Division 1 Nicolet2019Division 2 Whitefish Bay2026Division 2
+Girls BasketballSchoolYearDivision Grafton2007Division 2 Grafton2009Division 2 Nicolet2011Division 1 Whitefish Bay2026Division 2
+GymnasticsSchoolYearDivision Whitefish Bay1989Class A Homestead1993Division 1 Whitefish Bay/Shorewood1995Division 1 Whitefish Bay/Shorewood1996Division 1 Homestead2002Division 1 Whitefish Bay2001Division 2 Whitefish Bay2009Division 2 Whitefish Bay2011Division 2 Whitefish Bay2012Division 2 Whitefish Bay2014Division 2 Whitefish Bay2016Division 2 Whitefish Bay2017Division 2 Whitefish Bay2018Division 2 Whitefish Bay2019Division 2 Hartford Union2020Division 1 Whitefish Bay2021Division 2 Whitefish Bay2022Division 2 Nicolet2023Division 2
+Boys Swimming & DivingSchoolYearDivision Whitefish Bay1997Division 2 Homestead1998Division 1 Whitefish Bay1998Division 2 Homestead1999Division 1 Homestead2000Division 1 Homestead2001Division 1 Cedarburg2021Division 2 Whitefish Bay2026Division 2
Spring sports +BaseballSchoolYearDivision Milwaukee Lutheran2002Division 2 Milwaukee Lutheran2003Division 2 Milwaukee Lutheran2015Division 2 Whitefish Bay2023Division 1
+Boys GolfSchoolYearDivision Homestead1996Division 1 Homestead2006Division 1 Cedarburg2013Division 1 Homestead2014Division 1
+Girls SoccerSchoolYearDivision Homestead1992Single Division Whitefish Bay1994Single Division Homestead1995Single Division Grafton1997Division 2 Whitefish Bay1998Division 2 Whitefish Bay1999Division 2 Whitefish Bay2000Division 2 Homestead2007Division 1 Cedarburg2013Division 1 Homestead2016Division 2 Whitefish Bay2017Division 2 Whitefish Bay2021Division 2 Whitefish Bay2023Division 2
+SoftballSchoolYearDivision Germantown1996Division 1
+Boys TennisSchoolYearDivision Nicolet1986Single Division Nicolet1987Single Division Nicolet1988Single Division Nicolet1989Single Division Nicolet1990Single Division Nicolet1997Division 1 Whitefish Bay1997Division 2 Nicolet1998Division 1 Whitefish Bay1998Division 2 Nicolet1999Division 1 Whitefish Bay1999Division 2 Whitefish Bay2000Division 2 Whitefish Bay2002Division 2 Nicolet2004Division 1 Nicolet2005Division 1 Nicolet2006Division 1 Whitefish Bay2026Division 2
+Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearDivision Nicolet1990Class A Grafton2000Division 2 Germantown2006Division 1 Homestead2010Division 1 Homestead2026Division 1
+Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearDivision Whitefish Bay2015Division 1
Summer sports +BaseballSchoolYear Homestead1994 Nicolet1998
List of conference champions Source:
Boys Basketball