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.[1] 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.[2]

Member schools

  Non-football members

  Football-only members

School Mascot Colors Class (enrollment) City County Year joined Previous league
Alpena High School[3] Wildcats     1,023 (A) Alpena Alpena 1997 Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Cadillac High School[4] Vikings     860 (A) Cadillac Wexford 1997 North Central Conference
Escanaba High School[2] Eskymos     709 (B) Escanaba Delta 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Gaylord High School[5] Blue Devils     901 (A) Gaylord Otsego 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Marquette Senior High School[2] Redmen     1,059 (A) Marquette Marquette 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Petoskey High School[6] Northmen     853 (A) Petoskey Emmet 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference
Sault Area High School[2] Blue Devils     786 (B) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa 2023 Great Northern UP Conference
Traverse City Central High School[7] Trojans     1,382 (A) Traverse City Grand Traverse 1997 Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Traverse City West Senior High School[8] 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 Straits Area Conference (Northern Michigan Football League)
Ogemaw Heights High School Falcons     B (556) West Branch Ogemaw 2011 Northeast Michigan Conference 2016 Northern Michigan Football League
Sault Area High School Blue Devils     A (884) Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa 1997 Michigan Huron Shores Conference 2004 Straits Area Conference (Northern Michigan Football League)

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 TBD

Teams in the Final Regular Season Rankings

YearTeamDivisionRank
2002Gaylord33rd
2004Traverse City West13rd
2008Petoskey39th
2009Cadillac37th
2009Petoskey310th
2012Traverse City Central26th
2013Cadillac43rd
2014Cadillac43rd
2015Traverse City Central24th
2016Traverse City Central29th
2017Traverse City West110th
2019Traverse City Central27th
2020Traverse City Central210th
2021Traverse City Central23rd
2021Cadillac47th

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West104-28.78811
Traverse City Central87-45.6598
Petoskey66-66.5005
Cadillac62-70.4704
Gaylord58-74.4393
Sault Ste. Marie16-21.4321
Cheboygan15-22.4050
Ogemaw Heights9-21.3000
Alpena31-101.2350

State Championship Results

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

Boys Basketball Champions

Year Champion Record
1997-1998 Petoskey 14-0
1998-1999 Traverse City Central 11-3
1999-2000 Traverse City West 13-1
2000-2001 Cadillac 13-1
2001-2002 Traverse City Central 12-2
2002-2003 Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West 11-3
2003-2004 Cadillac/Petoskey 12-2
2004-2005 Traverse City Central 8-2
2005-2006 Traverse City West 9-1
2006-2007 Cadillac/Petoskey 7-3
2007-2008 Alpena 8-2
2008-2009 Cadillac/Gaylord 8-2
2009-2010 Petoskey 10-0
2010-2011 Petoskey 10-0
2011-2012 Petoskey 11-1
2012-2013 Cadillac/Petoskey/Traverse City West 9-3
2013-2014 Alpena 11-1
2014-2015 Alpena 11-1
2015-2016 Petoskey 12-0
2016-2017 Traverse City West 9-1
2017-2018 Petoskey 9-1
2018-2019 Petoskey/Traverse City Central 7-3
2019-2020 Cadillac/Traverse City Central 8-2
2020-2021 Traverse City Central 9-0
2021-2022 Cadillac/Traverse City Central 7-3

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West175-112.6105
Traverse City Central170-117.5927
Petoskey196-91.68311
Cadillac192-95.6698
Gaylord78-206.2751
Sault Ste. Marie11-87.1120
Cheboygan28-70.2860
Ogemaw Heights7-53.1170
Alpena134-158.4693

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
2007-2008 Traverse City West 9-1
2008-2009 Traverse City Central 9-1
2009-2010 Petoskey/Traverse City West 9-1
2010-2011 Petoskey 10-0
2011-2012 Traverse City West 10-2
2012-2013 Petoskey 10-1
2013-2014 Cadillac 11-1
2014-2015 Traverse City West 12-0
2015-2016 Traverse City Central 11-1
2016-2017 Traverse City Central 8-2
2017-2018 Petoskey 8-2
2018-2019 Cadillac 10-0
2019-2020 Cadillac 10-0
2020-2021 Cadillac 8-1
2021-2022 Petoskey 8-2
2022-2023 Petoskey 9-1

Conference Records

TeamBig North RecordPct.Conference Championship
Traverse City West177-119.5987
Traverse City Central168-130.5644
Petoskey152-146.5107
Cadillac180-117.6105
Gaylord110-186.3720
Sault Ste. Marie72-25.7423
Cheboygan47-51.4800
Ogemaw Heights4-55.0680
Alpena103-192.3491

References

  1. "Saginaw Valley League adds Traverse City West, Central football programs". mlive. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Change coming to Big North in 2023 with addition of three U.P. programs". Petoskey News-Review. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  3. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  4. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  5. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  6. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  7. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
  8. "MHSAA > Schools". www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved 2020-09-27.
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