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Big North Conference (Michigan)

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High school athletic conference This article is about the sports conference in Michigan. For the conference in New Jersey, see Big North Conference (New Jersey).

The Big North Conference (BNC) is a high school athletic conference in Michigan. The conference is affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA).

The conference contains nine of the largest high schools across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Among these schools, four are full-time members, two are non-football members, and three are football-only members.

History

The conference was created in 1997 after the split of Traverse City Senior High School into Central and West high schools. It combined the eight largest schools in Northern Michigan. In 2004, due to decreasing enrollment, Cheboygan and Sault Area left the conference. West Branch Ogemaw Heights joined the conference in 2011, but they left the conference after the 2015-16 school year due to decreasing enrollment as well.

In 2021, the league announced the departure of Traverse City Central and Traverse City West high schools' football programs, and those schools becoming associate members of the Saginaw Valley League. However, other sports offered by those schools will continue to participate in the Big North Conference.

In 2023, it was announced that three high schools, Escanaba, Marquette, and Sault Area, would be joining the BNC as football-only members.

Member schools

  Non-football members

  Football-only members

School Mascot Colors Class (enrollment) City County Year joined Previous league
Alpena High School Wildcats     1,023 (A) Alpena Alpena 1997 Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Cadillac High School Vikings     860 (A) Cadillac Wexford 1997 North Central Conference
Escanaba High School Eskymos     709 (B) Escanaba Delta 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Gaylord High School Blue Devils     901 (A) Gaylord Otsego 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Marquette Senior High School Redmen     1,059 (A) Marquette Marquette 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Petoskey High School Northmen     853 (A) Petoskey Emmet 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Sault Area High School Blue Devils     786 (B) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Traverse City Central High School Trojans     1,382 (A) Traverse City Grand Traverse 1997 Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Traverse City West Senior High School Titans     1,455 (A) Traverse City Grand Traverse 1997 N/A (new school)

Former schools

School Mascot Colors Class (enrollment) City County Year joined Previous league Year left Current league
Cheboygan High School Chiefs     B (602) Cheboygan Cheboygan 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference 2004 Northern Shores Conference
Northern Michigan Football League (football only)
Ogemaw Heights High School Falcons     B (556) West Branch Ogemaw 2011 Northeast Michigan Conference 2016 Jack Pine Conference
Sault Area High School Blue Devils     A (884) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference 2004 Straits Area Conference
Big North Conference (football only)

Membership timeline

Full member
Football-only member
Non-football member
Traverse City West Senior High SchoolTraverse City Central High SchoolSault Area High SchoolPetoskey High SchoolOgemaw Heights High SchoolGaylord High SchoolMarquette Senior High SchoolEscanaba Senior High SchoolCheboygan High SchoolCadillac High SchoolAlpena High School (Michigan)


Football champions

From 1997 to 1999 the Big North had a A division and a B division.

Year A Champion Record B Champion Record
1997 Traverse City West 7–2–0 (3–0–0) Petoskey 8–1–0 (3–0–0)
1998 Traverse City West 6–3 (3–0) Petoskey 9–2 (3–0)
1999 Traverse City West 5–4 (3–0) Sault Ste. Marie 7–3 (3–0)

Since 2000, the conference has operated with one division.

Year Champion Record
2000 Cadillac 9–1 (7–0)
2001 Gaylord 9–1 (7–0)
2002 Gaylord 11–1 (7–0)
2003 Traverse City West 7–3 (7–0)
2004 Traverse City West 10–1 (5–0)
2005 Gaylord 6–3 (4–1)
2005 Traverse City Central 6–4 (4–1)
2006 Traverse City West 6–4 (5–0)
2007 Traverse City Central 5–4 (4–1)
2007 Traverse City West 6–4 (4–1)
2008 Petoskey 9–2 (4–1)
2008 Traverse City West 6–4 (4–1)
2009 Cadillac 8–2 (5–0)
2010 Petoskey 8–2 (4–1)
2010 Traverse City West 6–4 (4–1)
2011 Petoskey 9–2 (6–0)
2012 Traverse City Central 9–2 (6–0)
2013 Cadillac 11–1 (6–0)
2014 Cadillac 9–1 (6–0)
2015 Traverse City Central 9–1 (6–0)
2016 Traverse City Central 9–2 (5–0)
2017 Traverse City West 9–2 (5–0)
2018 Traverse City West 7–3 (5–0)
2019 Traverse City Central 8–2 (5–0)
2020 Traverse City Central 9–2 (5–0)
2021 Traverse City Central 12–2 (5–0)
2022 Cadillac 5–5 (3–0)
2023 Gaylord 11–1 (6–0)

Teams in the Final Regular Season Rankings

Year Team Division Rank
2002 Gaylord 3 3rd
2004 Traverse City West 1 3rd
2008 Petoskey 3 9th
2009 Cadillac 3 7th
2009 Petoskey 3 10th
2012 Traverse City Central 2 6th
2013 Cadillac 4 3rd
2014 Cadillac 4 3rd
2015 Traverse City Central 2 4th
2016 Traverse City Central 2 9th
2017 Traverse City West 1 10th
2019 Traverse City Central 2 7th
2020 Traverse City Central 2 10th
2021 Traverse City Central 2 3rd
2021 Cadillac 4 7th

Conference Records

Team Big North Record Pct. Conference Championship
Traverse City West 104–28 .788 11
Traverse City Central 87–45 .659 8
Petoskey 66–66 .500 5
Cadillac 62–70 .470 4
Gaylord 58–74 .439 3
Sault Ste. Marie 16–21 .432 1
Cheboygan 15–22 .405 0
Ogemaw Heights 9–21 .300 0
Alpena 31–101 .235 0

State Championship Results

Season Big North Non-Big North Site Division Ref.
2020 Cadillac (8–3) 0 Detroit Country Day (9–2) 13 Ford Field • Detroit, MI 4
2021 Traverse City Central (12–2) 14 Warren De La Salle (13–0) 41 Ford Field • Detroit, MI 2

Boys Basketball Champions

Year Champion Record
1997–98 Petoskey 14–0
1998–99 Traverse City Central 11–3
1999–00 Traverse City West 13–1
2000–01 Cadillac 13–1
2001–02 Traverse City Central 12–2
2002–03 Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West 11–3
2003–04 Cadillac/Petoskey 12–2
2004–05 Traverse City Central 8–2
2005–06 Traverse City West 9–1
2006–07 Cadillac/Petoskey 7–3
2007–08 Alpena 8–2
2008–09 Cadillac/Gaylord 8–2
2009–10 Petoskey 10–0
2010–11 Petoskey 10–0
2011–12 Petoskey 11–1
2012–13 Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West 9–3
2013–14 Alpena 11–1
2014–15 Alpena 11–1
2015–16 Petoskey 12–0
2016–17 Traverse City West 9–1
2017–18 Petoskey 9–1
2018–19 Petoskey/Traverse City Central 7–3
2019–20 Cadillac/Traverse City Central 8–2
2020–21 Traverse City Central 9–0
2021–22 Cadillac/Traverse City Central 7–3

Conference Records

Team Big North Record Pct. Conference Championship
Traverse City West 175–112 .610 5
Traverse City Central 170–117 .592 7
Petoskey 196–91 .683 11
Cadillac 192–95 .669 8
Gaylord 78–206 .275 1
Sault Ste. Marie 11–87 .112 0
Cheboygan 28–70 .286 0
Ogemaw Heights 7–53 .117 0
Alpena 134–158 .469 3

Girls Basketball Champions

Year Champion Record
1997 Sault Ste. Marie 13–1
1998 Sault Ste. Marie 13–0
1999 Petoskey 13–1
2000 Sault Ste. Marie 14–0
2001 Cadillac 13–1
2002 Traverse City West 12–2
2003 Traverse City West 14–0
2004 Traverse City Central 10–0
2005 Traverse City West 10–0
2006 Alpena 8–2
2007–08 Traverse City West 9–1
2008–09 Traverse City Central 9–1
2009–10 Petoskey/Traverse City West 9–1
2010–11 Petoskey 10–0
2011–12 Traverse City West 10–2
2012–13 Petoskey 10–1
2013–14 Cadillac 11–1
2014–15 Traverse City West 12–0
2015–16 Traverse City Central 11–1
2016–17 Traverse City Central 8–2
2017–18 Petoskey 8–2
2018–19 Cadillac 10–0
2019–20 Cadillac 10–0
2020–21 Cadillac 8–1
2021–22 Petoskey 8–2
2022–23 Petoskey 9–1

Conference Records

Team Big North Record Pct. Conference Championship
Traverse City West 177–119 .598 7
Traverse City Central 168–130 .564 4
Petoskey 152–146 .510 7
Cadillac 180–117 .610 5
Gaylord 110–186 .372 0
Sault Ste. Marie 72–25 .742 3
Cheboygan 47–51 .480 0
Ogemaw Heights 4–55 .068 0
Alpena 103–192 .349 1

References

  1. "Saginaw Valley League adds Traverse City West, Central football programs". mlive. September 15, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  2. ^ "Change coming to Big North in 2023 with addition of three U.P. programs". Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  3. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  4. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  5. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  6. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  7. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  8. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
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