Northern Michigan Football League
| Northern Michigan Football League (NMFL) | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2014 |
| Division | MHSAA |
| Members | 15 (22 in 2016) |
| Region | Northern Michigan |
The Northern Michigan Football League is an interscholastic athletic conference affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association. It is located in Northern Michigan and contains fifteen teams (twenty-two in 2016) that encompasses thirteen counties: Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Mackinaw, Manistee, Otsego, and Wexford.
History
The League formed from the merger of the Lake Michigan Conference and the Northwest Conference, for football only. The schools were then split up based on enrollment and competitiveness, with the larger schools forming the Legends Division, and the smaller ones forming the Legacy Division. Mesick, who was a member of the Northwest Conference, declined to join the league, leaving the Legacy Division with one school less than the Legend Division. Before the 2015 season, it was announced that the six members of the Ski Valley Conference not dropping to Eight-man Football as well as Cheboygan, Onekema and Traverse City Christian High Schools would join the league during the 2016 season, causing the league to expand to three divisions; the Leaders,Legends and Legacy divisions.[1] [2] The league is also considering the applications of several other schools, and the possibility of further divisions to help with travel costs. On October 6, 2015, Traverse City Christian announced that it would not be joining the NMFL and that Mesick would be replacing them in the conference on a two-year trial basis.
Member schools
Current members
| Institution | Location | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | All-Sports Conference | 2016 Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader Division | ||||||||
| Traverse City St. Francis | Traverse City, Michigan | 2014 | Private | 320 | Gladiator | Lake Michigan Conference | Legends | |
| Elk Rapids | Elk Rapids, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 387 | Elks | Lake Michigan Conference | Legends | |
| Boyne City | Boyne City, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 383 | Ramblers | Lake Michigan Conference | Legends | |
| Grayling | Grayling, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 489 | Vikings | Lake Michigan Conference | Legends | |
| Maple City-Glen Lake | Maple City, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 386* | Lakers | Northwest Conference | Leaders | |
| Benzie Central | Benzonia, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 490 | Huskies | Northwest Conference | Legends | |
| Kingsley | Kingsley, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 431 | Stags | Northwest Conference | Legends | |
| Legacy Division | ||||||||
| Kalkaska | Kalkaska, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 437 | Blue Blazers | Lake Michigan Conference | Legends | |
| East Jordan | East Jordan, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 288 | Red Devils | Lake Michigan Conference | Legacy | |
| Charlevoix | Charlevoix, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 350 | Red Rayders | Lake Michigan Conference | Leaders | |
| Harbor Springs | Harbor Springs, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 281 | Rams | Lake Michigan Conference | Legacy | |
| Frankfort | Frankfort, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 160 | Panthers | Northwest Conference | Leaders | |
| Suttons Bay | Suttons Bay, Michigan | 2014 | Public | 264* | Norsemen | Northwest Conference | Leaders | |
Future members
| Institution | Location | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Division | All-Sports Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Lake | Central Lake, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 189* | Trojans | Legacy | Ski Valley Conference | |
| Cheboygan | Cheboygan, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 559 | Chiefs | Legends | Independent | |
| Gaylord St. Mary | Gaylord, Michigan | 2016 | Private | 133* | Snowbirds | Legacy | Ski Valley Conference | |
| Inland Lakes | Indian River, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 251 | Bulldogs | Legacy | Ski Valley Conference | |
| Johannesburg-Lewiston | Johannesburg, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 226 | Cardinals | Legacy | Ski Valley Conference | |
| Mancelona | Mancelona, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 278 | Ironmen | Leaders | Ski Valley Conference | |
| Mesick | Mesick, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 309* | Bulldogs | Leaders | Northwest Conference | |
| Onekama | Onekama, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 250* | Portagers | Leaders | West Michigan D League (moving to Northwest in 2016) | |
| Saint Ignace | Saint Ignace, Michigan | 2016 | Public | 225 | Saints | Legacy | Ski Valley Conference | |
- Central Lake (101 students) has a cooperative agreement with Ellsworth (88 students)
- Gaylord St. Mary (91 students) has a cooperative agreement with Alba (42 students)
- Maple City Glen Lake (262 students) has a cooperative agreement with Leland (122 students)
- Mesick (180 students) has a cooperative agreement with Buckley (129 students)
- Suttons Bay (166 students) has a cooperative agreement with Lake Leelanau St. Mary's (43 students) and Northport (55 students)
- Onekama (152 students) has a cooperative agreement with Bear Lake (98 students)
2016 Divisions
Legends
- Boyne City
- Benzie Central
- Cheboygan
- Elk Rapids
- Grayling
- Kalkaska
- Kingsley
- Traverse City St. Francis
Leaders
- Charlevoix
- Frankfort
- Mancelona
- Maple City Glen Lake
- Mesick
- Onekama
- Suttons Bay
Legacy
- Central Lake
- East Jordan
- Gaylord St Mary
- Harbor Springs
- Inland Lakes-Indian River
- Johannesburg-Lewiston
- St Ignace
References
External links
- Boyne City Public Schools
- Charlevoix Public Schools
- East Jordan Public Schools
- Elk Rapids Public Schools
- Grayling Public Schools
- Harbor Springs Public Schools
- Kalkaska Public Schools
- Grand Traverse Catholic Schools
- Glen Lake Community Schools
- Kingsley Area Schools
- Benzie Schools
- Frankfort-Elberta Area Schools
- Suttons Bay Public Schools
- Onekama Consolidated Schools
- Cheboygan Area Schools