The Gogebic Range Conference is a former high school athletic conference with most of its members located in the upper peninsula of Michigan and one in Wisconsin. Founded in 1980 and disbanded in 1986, conference members belonged to the Michigan High School Athletic Association and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
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The Gogebic Range Conference, named after the region in which its member schools were located, was formed in 1980 by four former members of the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference: Bessemer, Hurley, Ironwood and Wakefield.[1] For the three Michigan-based schools, this was a dual affiliation: Bessemer and Wakefield were part of the Great Western Conference[2][3] while Ironwood was affiliated with the Superior Six Conference.[4] Hurley’s sole affiliation was with the Gogebic Range,[5][6] as they had left the WIAA’s Lumberjack Conference after the 1979-80 school year.[1] The Gogebic Range Conference was disbanded in 1986 after Hurley’s exit to become members of the Indianhead Conference of the WIAA. The three Michigan-based schools continued their previous affiliations.
Conference membership history
| School | Location | Affiliation | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bessemer | Bessemer, MI | Public | Speedboys | 1980[1] | 1986[2] | Great Western | Independent | |
| Hurley | Hurley, WI | Public | Midgets | 1980[1] | 1986[5][6] | Northern Lights (WIAA) | ||
| Ironwood | Ironwood, MI | Public | Red Devils | 1980[1] | 1986[4] | Superior Six | Independent | |
| Wakefield | Wakefield, MI | Public | Cardinals | 1980[1] | 1986[3] | Great Western | Independent | |
Membership timeline
List of conference champions
Boys Basketball
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hurley | 3 | 1981, 1982, 1983 |
| Ironwood | 2 | 1984, 1985 |
| Bessemer | 1 | 1986 |
| Wakefield |
Football
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Bessemer | 3 | 1980, 1981, 1985 |
| Ironwood | 3 | 1982, 1983, 1984 |
| Hurley | ||
| Wakefield |
References
- ^ a b c d e f “Torrid Teams Tangle in Tuesday Feature”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 21 January 1980. p. 8. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b “Bessemer Speedboys”. Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b “Wakefield Cardinals”. Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b “Ironwood Red Devils”. Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b “Hurley High School Boys Basketball Records” (PDF). Hurley School District. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
- ^ a b “Hurley High School Football Records” (PDF). Hurley School District. Retrieved 21 October 2025.