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The Michigan-Wisconsin Conference is a former high school athletic conference with members in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Operational from 1937 to 1973, its public school members were part of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

History

1937–1960

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Location of Original Michigan-Wisconsin Conference Members

The Michigan-Wisconsin Conference was formed in 1937 by five high schools near the border between the two states. Three members were located in Michigan’s upper peninsula (Bessemer, Ironwood and Wakefield) and two were based in Wisconsin (Ashland and Hurley).[1] All of the original member schools in the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference were located along the U.S. Route 2 corridor near the south shore of Lake Superior. Two new schools were added in 1950 when Calumet of Michigan and Park Falls of Wisconsin became members of the conference.[2] Both schools already had commitments in other conferences to fulfill, and Park Falls didn’t join for all of their sponsored sports until 1952.[3] Calument joined as a football-only member alongside Park Falls,[4] but they elected to remain members of Michigan’s Copper Country Conference for all other sports.[5][6] Park Falls only stayed for five years as a full member before they left in 1955 to join the Lumberjack Conference.[7]

1960–1973

In 1960, the newly formed Northwestern High School in Maple brought membership in the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference back up to six schools.[8] Superior East became the conference’s seventh school in 1961,[9] but closed in 1965 after merging with Superior Central to form the new Superior High School.[10] They were immediately replaced by Cathedral High School,[11] the only private school ever to play in the conference and a member of the Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association. Just like their predecessor, they spent four years as conference members before closing their doors in 1969.[12] The Michigan-Wisconsin Conference lasted for four more years before disbanding in 1973. Ashland and Hurley joined Wisconsin’s Lumberjack Conference,[13] and two Michigan schools (Bessemer and Wakefield) became charter members of the Western Upper Peninsula Athletic Conference.[14] Northwestern spent a year as an independent before they became members of the Heart O’North Conference in Wisconsin,[15] and Ironwood entered the Great Northern UP Conference in Michigan.[16]

Conference membership history

Final members

School Location Affiliation Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Ashland Ashland, WI Public Oredockers     1937[1] 1973[13] Lumberjack Heart O’North
Bessemer Bessemer, MI Public Speedboys     1937[1] 1973[14] Western UP (MHSAA) Independent
Hurley Hurley, WI Public Midgets     1937[1] 1973[13] Lumberjack Northern Lights
Ironwood Ironwood, MI Public Red Devils     1937[1] 1973[16] Great Northern UP (MHSAA) Independent
Northwestern Maple, WI Public Tigers     1960[8] 1973[15] Independent Heart O’North
Wakefield Wakefield, MI Public Cardinals     1937[1] 1973[14] Western UP (MHSAA) Independent

Previous members

School Location Affiliation Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Cathedral Superior, WI Private (Catholic) Panthers     1965[11] 1969[12] Closed
Park Falls Park Falls, WI Public Cardinals     1950[2] 1955[7] Lumberjack Closed in 2009 (merged into Chequamegon)
Superior East Superior, WI Public Orientals     1961[9] 1965[10] Closed (merged into Superior)

Football-only members

School Location Affiliation Mascot Colors Seasons Primary Conference
Calumet Calumet, MI Public Copper Kings     1952-1953[4][5][6] Copper Country

Membership timeline

Full members

Football members

List of state champions

Boys Basketball
School Year Organization Class
Bessemer 1947[17] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Hurley 1949[18] WIAA Open Classification
Skiing
School Year Organization Class
Hurley 1964[19] WIAA Open Classification
Boys Tennis
School Year Organization Class
Wakefield 1945[20] MHSAA Open (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1946[20] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1946[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1947[20] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1947[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1948[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1949[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1950[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1951[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1953[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1957[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1963[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1964[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1965[20] MHSAA Class C-D (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1969[20] MHSAA Open (Upper Peninsula)
Boys Track & Field
School Year Organization Classification
Ironwood 1940[21] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1946[21] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1948[21] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1950[21] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Bessemer 1951[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Ironwood 1951[21] MHSAA Class B (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1952[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1959[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1960[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1961[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1962[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)
Wakefield 1964[21] MHSAA Class C (Upper Peninsula)

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

School Quantity Years
Ironwood 13 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1946, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1971
Hurley 12 1943, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973
Bessemer 7 1938, 1942, 1948, 1956, 1970, 1972, 1973
Wakefield 6 1958, 1959, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1970
Ashland 4 1945, 1946, 1950, 1968
Superior Cathedral 2 1966, 1969
Superior East 1 1965
Northwestern 0
Park Falls 0

Football

School Quantity Years
Ironwood 18 1937, 1938, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Bessemer 10 1938, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1947, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1967
Hurley 8 1942, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1968, 1970
Wakefield 5 1958, 1959, 1960, 1970, 1972
Ashland 4 1946, 1949, 1955, 1966
Superior Cathedral 1 1967
Superior East 1 1964
Calumet 0
Northwestern 0
Park Falls 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f “Five High Schools Organize Michigan-Wisconsin Athletic Conference”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 23 September 1937. p. 7. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  2. ^ a b “Two Added To Loop”. Oshkosh Northwestern. 5 April 1950. p. 18.
  3. ^ “Officials of Lumberjack Conference to Meet”. Marshfield News-Herald. 7 November 1951. p. 14. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  4. ^ a b Maki, Eugene (29 August 1952). “Sports (see Sport Shorts)”. Wakefield News. p. 4. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  5. ^ a b “Polar Bears Are Riding High In Copper Country Conference”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 7 February 1951. p. 7. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b “Polar Bears, Gremlins in C-C Classic Friday”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 24 January 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  7. ^ a b “Park Falls Coming Back To Conference”. Wausau Dailu Herald. 12 November 1954. p. 14. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  8. ^ a b “Maple Tigers to Join M-W Ranks at Start of 1960-61 Basketball Season”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 22 January 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  9. ^ a b “Superior East in M-W Conference”. Iron County Miner. 28 October 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  10. ^ a b “M-W Conference Selects Dates, Sites for Spring Meeting”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 24 March 1965. p. 10. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  11. ^ a b “Superior School Appoints Coach”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 24 July 1965. p. 16. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  12. ^ a b “WISAA Accepts Two New Members”. Eau Claire Daily Telegram. 26 April 1969. p. 12. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  13. ^ a b c “Lumberjack Conference Accepts Hurley’s Bid”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 9 May 1972. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  14. ^ a b c “Bessemer Joins New Conference”. Ironwood Daily Globe. 12 June 1973. p. 5. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  15. ^ a b [14 “No Major Power Shifts Expected in Northern Wisconsin Football”]. Ironwood Daily Globe. 6 September 1973. p. 14. Retrieved 27 February 2025. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  16. ^ a b “New looks in EUPC and GLC Conferences”. The Hiawathaland. 29 August 1973. p. 42. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  17. ^ “Boys Basketball Champions 1925-2024”. Michigan High School Athletic Association. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  18. ^ “State Boys Basketball Champions (1916-2024)” (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  19. ^ “State Team Championships (see Hurley)”. Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o “Boys Tennis Team Champions 1925-2024”. Michigan High School Athletic Association. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l “Boys Track & Field Team Champions 1925-2024”. Michigan High School Athletic Association. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 27 February 2025.