Great Northern Conference

The Great Northern Conference is a high school athletic conference in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. It comprises seven teams from Marathon, Taylor, Lincoln, Oneida, Langlade and Vilas counties in Northern Wisconsin. The Conference was formed in 2008 with former Lumberjack members Lakeland, Medford, Northland Pines and Tomahawk, Cloverbelt member Mosinee, and Wisconsin Valley's Antigo and Merrill. In 2010, Merrill returned to the Wisconsin Valley conference and Rhinelander took its place. In December 2023 Merrill had filed a request within the WIAA Conference Realignment process to move the school back to the Great Northern Conference. Merrill has cited declining enrollment as its top reason.

Charter Members

Great Northern Conference is located in Wisconsin
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Great Northern Conference Member School Locations in Wisconsin
School Mascot & Colors Former Conference Enrollment Location
Antigo High School Red Robins Wisconsin Valley 687 Antigo, WI
Lakeland Union High School Thunderbirds Lumberjack 717 Minocqua, WI
Medford Area Senior High School Raiders Lumberjack 738 Medford, WI
Mosinee High School Indians Cloverbelt 621 Mosinee, WI
Northland Pines High School Eagles Lumberjack 451 Eagle River, WI
Rhinelander High School Hodags Wisconsin Valley 747 Rhinelander, WI
Tomahawk High School Hatchets Lumberjack 371 Tomahawk, WI

Other Affiliated Members

School Mascot & Colors Sports Conference Enrollment
Waupaca High School Comets Boys & Girls Hockey Northeastern 589
Newman Catholic High School Fighting Cardinals Girls Soccer Marawood 128
Colby High School Hornets Girls Swimming Cloverbelt 309
Ladysmith High School Lumberjacks Lumberjills Girls Swimming Heart O' North 246
Columbus Catholic High School Dons Boys/Girls Tennis Marawood 146
Phillips High School Loggers Boys/Girls Tennis Marawood 217
Merrill High School Bluejays Football Wisconsin Valley 801
Ashland High School Oredockers Football, Gymnastics, Girls Soccer Heart O' North 635
Marshfield High School Tigers Girls Hockey, Gymnastics Wisconsin Valley 1,250
Stevens Point Area Senior High School Panthers Girls Hockey, Gymnastics Wisconsin Valley 2,105
Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School Red Raiders Girls Hockey, Gymnastics Wisconsin Valley 1,467
Chequamegon High School Screaming Eagles Gymnastics Marawood 241
Shawano Community High School Hawks Boys Swimming Bay 797
  • Colby coops with Abbotsford, and Ladysmith, Bruce and Flambeau co-op for Girls Swimming.
  • Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids co-op for Girls Hockey.
  • Mosinee, Wausau West, DC Everest, and Wausau East form the Central Wisconsin Storm in Girls Hockey.
  • Rhinelander and Antigo co-op for Girls Hockey.
  • Beginning in 2015 Wittenberg-Birnamwood will compete in the Bay Conference for Girls Swimming.

State Champions

Since its inception in 2008 The following teams have won a State Championship

Girls Swimming and Diving 2020 Rhinelander 2023 Rhinelander

Boys Swimming and Diving 2023 Rhinelander

Girls Cross Country 2018 Medford

Baseball 2019 Antigo

Softball 2014 Mosinee

Conference Champions

Football

  • 2008 Lakeland & Antigo
  • 2009 Merrill
  • 2010 Antigo
  • 2011 Mosinee
  • 2012 Medford & Mosinee
  • 2013 Medford
  • 2014 Merrill
  • 2015 Antigo & Medford
  • 2016 Antigo, Medford & Merrill
  • 2017 Antigo
  • 2018 Ashland
  • 2019 Medford

Volleyball

  • 2008 Merrill
  • 2009 Merrill
  • 2010 Mosinee & Tomahawk
  • 2011 Tomahawk
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Tomahawk
  • 2014 Tomahawk
  • 2015 Medford
  • 2016 Medford
  • 2017 Mosinee
  • 2018 Mosinee
  • 2019 Mosinee

Girls Swimming

  • 2008 Colby/Abbotsford
  • 2009 Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau
  • 2010 Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau
  • 2011 Medford
  • 2012 Lakeland
  • 2013 Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau
  • 2014 Tomahawk
  • 2015 Tomahawk
  • 2016 Tomahawk
  • 2017 Tomahawk
  • 2018 Tomahawk
  • 2019 Rhinelander

Boys Soccer

  • 2008 Northland Pines
  • 2009 Northland Pines
  • 2010 Rhinelander
  • 2011 Northland Pines
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Northland Pines
  • 2014 Lakeland & Rhinelander
  • 2015 Rhinelander
  • 2016 Rhinelander
  • 2017 Rhinelander
  • 2018 Northland Pines
  • 2019 Northland Pines

Boys Cross Country

  • 2008 Tomahawk
  • 2009 Lakeland
  • 2010 Lakeland
  • 2011 Lakeland
  • 2012 Lakeland
  • 2013 Lakeland
  • 2014 Lakeland
  • 2015 Lakeland
  • 2016 Lakeland
  • 2017 Lakeland
  • 2018 Medford
  • 2019 Tomahawk

Girls Cross Country

  • 2008 Tomahawk
  • 2009 Tomahawk
  • 2010 Tomahawk
  • 2011 Tomahawk
  • 2012 Tomahawk
  • 2013 Lakeland
  • 2014 Tomahawk
  • 2015 Lakeland
  • 2016 Lakeland
  • 2017 Medford
  • 2018 Medford
  • 2019 Medford

Girls Tennis

  • 2009 Columbus Catholic & Lakeland
  • 2010 Rhinelander
  • 2011 Rhinelander & Columbus Catholic
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Rhinelander
  • 2014 Rhinelander
  • 2015 Rhinelander
  • 2016 Rhinelander
  • 2017 Antigo
  • 2018 Rhinelander
  • 2019 Rhinelander

Girls Basketball

  • 2008-2009 Antigo & Merrill
  • 2009-2010 Medford
  • 2010-2011 Lakeland
  • 2011-2012 Medford
  • 2012-2013 Northland Pines & Medford
  • 2013-2014 Mosinee
  • 2014-2015 Lakeland
  • 2015-2016 Mosinee
  • 2016-2017 Lakeland
  • 2017-2018 Lakeland
  • 2018-2019 Rhinelander
  • 2019-2020 Rhinelander

Boys Basketball

  • 2008-2009 Antigo
  • 2009-2010 Antigo
  • 2010-2011 Antigo
  • 2011-2012 Antigo
  • 2012-2013 Rhinelander
  • 2013-2014 Rhinelander
  • 2014-2015 Rhinelander
  • 2015-2016 Mosinee & Rhinelander
  • 2016-2017 Medford
  • 2017-2018 Rhinelander
  • 2019-2019 Mosinee
  • 2019-2020 Medford

Wrestling

  • 2008-2009 Mosinee
  • 2009-2010 Merrill
  • 2010-2011 Medford
  • 2011-2012 Tomahawk
  • 2012-2013 Tomahawk
  • 2013-2014 Rhinelander
  • 2014-2015 Rhinelander
  • 2015-2016 Rhinelander & Tomahawk
  • 2016-2017 Medford
  • 2017-2018 Rhinelander
  • 2018-2019 Medford
  • 2019-2020 Medford

Girls Hockey

  • 2008-2009
  • 2010-2009 Central Wisconsin Co-Op
  • 2010-2011 Central Wisconsin Co-Op
  • 2011-2012 Stevens Point/Rapids Co-Op
  • 2012-2013 Marshfield & Northland Pines
  • 2013-2014 Northland Pines
  • 2014-2015 Waupaca
  • 2015-2016 Northland Pines
  • 2016-2017 Northland Pines
  • 2017-2018 Lakeland/Tomahawk Co-op
  • 2018-2019 Northland Pines

Boys Hockey

  • 2008-2009 Lakeland
  • 2009-2010 Waupaca
  • 2010-2011 Waupaca
  • 2011-2012 Northland Pines
  • 2012-2013 Northland Pines
  • 2013-2014 Antigo
  • 2014-2015 Antigo
  • 2015-2016 Antigo
  • 2016-2017 Antigo
  • 2017-2018 Northland Pines
  • 2018-2019 Northland Pines

Gymnastics

  • 2008-2009
  • 2009-2010
  • 2010-2011 Antigo
  • 2011-2012 Stevens Point & Rhinelander
  • 2012-2013 Stevens Point & Rhinelander
  • 2013-2014 Stevens Point
  • 2014-2015 Stevens Point & Chequamegon
  • 2015-2016 Rhinelander & Stevens Point
  • 2016-2017 Ashland, Mosinee, & Stevens Point
  • 2017-2018 Stevens Point & Rhinelander
  • 2018-2019 Medford, Marshfield & Stevens Point

Boys Swimming

  • 2011-2012 Rhinelander
  • 2012-2013 Lakeland
  • 2013-2014 Lakeland
  • 2014-2015 Shawano
  • 2015-2016 Rhinelander
  • 2016-2017 Lakeland
  • 2017-2018 Lakeland
  • 2018-2019 Rhindelander

Baseball

  • 2009 Merrill
  • 2010 Merrill
  • 2011 Rhinelander
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Antigo
  • 2014 Antigo
  • 2015 Antigo & Mosinee
  • 2016 Antigo
  • 2017 Antigo
  • 2018 Antigo
  • 2019 Medford

Softball

  • 2009 Mosinee & Merrill
  • 2010 Mosinee & Medford
  • 2011 Mosinee
  • 2012 Mosinee & Rhinelander
  • 2013 Mosinee
  • 2014 Mosinee
  • 2015 Mosinee
  • 2016 Mosinee
  • 2017 Mosinee
  • 2018 Mosinee
  • 2019 Mosinee

Girls Track

  • 2009 Tomahawk
  • 2010 Mosinee
  • 2011 Lakeland
  • 2012 Lakeland
  • 2013 Lakeland
  • 2014 Tomahawk
  • 2015 Lakeland
  • 2016 Lakeland
  • 2017 Lakeland
  • 2018 Medford
  • 2019 Medford

Boys Track

  • 2009 Merrill
  • 2010 Lakeland
  • 2011 Lakeland
  • 2012 Lakeland
  • 2013 Lakeland
  • 2014 Lakeland
  • 2015 Lakeland
  • 2016 Lakeland
  • 2017 Lakeland
  • 2018 Lakeland
  • 2019 Rhinelander

Girls Soccer

  • 2009 Northland Pines
  • 2010 Northland Pines
  • 2011 Lakeland
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Rhinelander
  • 2014 Rhinelander
  • 2015 Rhinelander
  • 2016 Rhinelander
  • 2017 Rhinelander
  • 2018 Ashland
  • 2019 Ashland

Boys Golf

  • 2009 Mosinee
  • 2010 Antigo
  • 2011 Rhinelander
  • 2012 Antigo
  • 2013 Antigo
  • 2014 Lakeland
  • 2015 Antigo
  • 2016 Medford
  • 2017 Medford
  • 2018 Lakeland
  • 2019 Lakeland

Boys Tennis

  • 2010 Antigo
  • 2011 Rhinelander
  • 2012 Rhinelander
  • 2013 Antigo
  • 2014 Rhinelander
  • 2015 Rhinelander
  • 2016 Rhinelander
  • 2017 Rhinelander
  • 2018 Rhinelander
  • 2019 Rhinelander