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The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is a high school conference in northwest and north central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises 19 small public high schools and one small private school, with enrollments between 64-382 students in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties.
Contents
History
In 1996 the Northwest Illinois Conference (NWIC) and Upstate Illini Conference (UIC) merged under the Upstate Illini banner. Three divisions were formed: West - Dakota, East Dubuque, Galena, Lena-Winslow, Orangeville, River Ridge, Stockton, and Warren East - Ashton-Franklin Center, Durand, Kirkland-Hiawatha, North Boone, Pecatonica, Rockford Lutheran and South Beloit, and South - Forreston, Freeport Aquin, Eastland, Pearl City, Milledgeville, Mt. Carroll and Polo. In 1999 Savanna was added to the South Division and Rockford Christian Life to the East Division for a total of 24 teams. In 2000, six schools (Ashton-Franklin Center, Durand, Kirkland-Hiawatha, North Boone, Pecatonica and South Beloit) left to form the Four Rivers Conference, the remaining schools realigned under the Northwest Upstate Illini moniker. Based on proximity, the two remaining schools from the East, Rockford Christian Life and Rockford Lutheran, also left the conference following the 2000 school year.
Founded in 2001, the Northwest Upstate Illini was divided into two divisions: Northwest - Dakota, Eastland, Forreston, Galena, Lena-Winslow, Pearl City, Mt. Carroll and Savanna, and Upstate - Freeport Aquin, East Dubuque, Milledgeville, Orangeville, Polo, River Ridge, Scales Mound, Stockton, and Warren. In 2006, Mt. Carroll and Savanna consolidated with Thomson to become West Carroll. During the same year, four teams from the Four Rivers Conference (Ashton-Franklin Center, Durand, Pecatonica, South Beloit) were accepted to join the conference. Durand, Pecatonica and South Beloit joined the Northwest Division and Ashton-Franklin Center entered the Upstate. Outside of the Chicago Public High School League, the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is the largest conference in the state of Illinois.
South Beloit left the NUIC after the 2015-16 season. The Sobos joined the Northeast Athletic Conference to compete against schools from Chicago, Rockford, Aurora, Arlington Heights, Elgin, Hebron, Crystal Lake, Ottawa, Mooseheart and Kirkland. To replace the exiting team the NUIC has added Amboy High School, formerly a member of the Three Rivers Conference. The Clippers began competition in the NUIC during the 2016-17 school year.
Current Membership
The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is split into Northwest and Upstate divisions based on enrollment. The Northwest schools and coops have enrollments which exceed 250. Upstate schools enrollments fall below 250.
Upstate Division
Sources:IHSA Conferences, IHSA Coop Teams, and IHSA Member Schools Directory
Cooperative Arrangements
note: Highlighted school is the host
Membership timeline
Full members Full members (non-football) Full members (Football Coop) Other Conference Consolidated
Competitive Success
The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference has won 68 team state championships in IHSA sponsored athletics and activities. The conference also has produced over 108 individual championships, including golf, public speaking, track & field, and wrestling. Josh Alber and Seth Milks from Dakota are the only individual 4-time state champions in the history of the conference. As a wrestler, Alber finished his 4 years of competition undefeated with a final record of 182 wins and 0 losses. Alber also became the first four-time state champion in IHSA history to complete high school competition without a loss or tie.
State Champions
Note: Championships listed here also include championships won by current member schools prior to any respective consolidations, as well as prior to the formation of the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference.