The Northern Indiana Conference (NIC) is a high school athletic conference that was founded in 1927 and spans from as far west as Hammond and Gary to South Bend/Mishawaka and Elkhart to the east and south to Plymouth. Since its start in 1927, a total of 32 separate schools have at one time called the NIC home. From its inception until 1963, the conference had been divided into East and West divisions. The West Division (as well as Valparaiso) left to form the Northwestern Conference in 1963. With membership dwindling to 7 members by the 1970s, the conference added former members of the Northern Indiana Valley Conference to its ranks. Currently, every former NIVC member is now a part of the NIC except for South Bend Jackson, which closed in 1973, and South Bend LaSalle, which joined the NIC in 1977 but closed in 2001.

History Like the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference, the NIAC was also a superconference that spanned several counties, and a lot of driving miles, for a period between 1940 and 1965. Throughout the 1970s, the membership dwindled as many schools left to form new conferences. From 1995 to 2015, the two conferences shared the same setup with 7 or 8 schools in one county, 8 in this case from St. Joseph County and 1 from an adjacent county, Elkhart in this case. This will change in 2015, as four schools from the folding Northern State Conference will join, making a 13-school conference. This will also expand the conference footprint into two counties formerly represented in the NIAC: LaPorte (last represented in 1995) and Marshall (last represented in 1930). 2020 will bring more change, as Elkhart Central merges with former member Elkhart Memorial to form Elkhart High School, and Mishawaka leaves for the Northern Lakes Conference, taking Memorial's spot in that league.

Sponsored Sports Boys Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling

Girls Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball

Current members School Location Mascot Colors County Enrollment 24–25 IHSAA Class Joined Previous Conference Elkhart1 Elkhart Lions 20 Elkhart 3,166 4A 2020 Elkhart County Mishawaka Marian Mishawaka Knights 71 St. Joseph 735 3A 2005 Independents(NIVC 1978) New Prairie New Carlisle Cougars 46 LaPorte 970 3A 2015 Northern State Penn2 Mishawaka Kingsmen 71 St. Joseph 3,480 4A 1974 Northern IN Valley South Bend Adams South Bend Eagles 71 St. Joseph 2,062 4A 1941 none (new school) South Bend Riley South Bend Wildcats 71 St. Joseph 1,298 4A 1931 Independent (School Opened in 1924) South Bend Saint Joseph3 South Bend Huskies 71 St. Joseph 849 3A 2005 Independents(NIVC 1978) South Bend Washington South Bend Panthers 71 St. Joseph 886 3A 1938 none (new school)

Elkhart was known as Elkhart Central between 1972 and 2020. In 2020, Elkhart Central consolidated with Elkhart Memorial. Played concurrently in NIC and NIVC 1974–78. South Bend Saint Joseph was known as South Bend St. Joseph's until 2012.

Former members School Location Mascot Colors County Joined Previous Conference Left Conference joined East Chicago Washington1 East Chicago Senators 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern Gary Emerson Gary Golden Tornadoes 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern Gary Froebel Gary Blue Devils 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern Gary Mann Gary Horsemen 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern Goshen Goshen Redskins 20 Elkhart 1927 Elkhart County 1969 Independents Hammond Hammond Wildcats 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern La Porte LaPorte Slicers 46 La Porte 1927 Independents 1976 Duneland Michigan City Elston2 Michigan City Red Devils 46 La Porte 1927 Independents 1995 none (consolidated into Michigan City) Plymouth Plymouth Pilgrims 50 Marshall 1927 Independents 1930 Independents South Bend Central3 South Bend Bears 71 St. Joseph 1927 Independents 1970 none (school closed) Valparaiso Valparaiso Vikings 64 Porter 1927 1945 1953 Independents Independents Independents 1930 1948 1963 Independents Independents Northwestern Whiting Whiting Oilers 45 Lake 1927 Independents 1963 Northwestern East Chicago Roosevelt East Chicago Rough Riders 45 Lake 1929 Little 7 1963 Northwestern Gary Wallace Gary Hornets 45 Lake 1935 Little 7 1963 Northwestern Hammond Tech Hammond Tigers 45 Lake 1937 Independents 1963 Northwestern Gary Tolleston Gary Blue Raiders 45 Lake 1941 Independents 1963 Northwestern Hammond Clark Hammond Pioneers 45 Lake 1941 Independents 1963 Northwestern Fort Wayne North Side4 Fort Wayne Redskins 02 Allen 1942 Ft. Wayne City Series 1965 Ft. Wayne City Series/Summit Elkhart Memorial5 Elkhart Crimson Chargers 20 Elkhart 1972 Northern Indiana Conference 2000 Northern Lakes Elkhart Central Elkhart Blue Blazers 20 Elkhart 1972 Independents 2020 Consolidated into Elkhart South Bend LaSalle6 South Bend Lions 71 St. Joseph 1976 Northern IN Valley 2001 none (school closed) Mishawaka Mishawaka Cavemen 71 St. Joseph 1927 Independents 2020 Northern Lakes Bremen Bremen Lions 50 Marshall 2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State Jimtown Elkhart Jimmies 20 Elkhart 2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State John Glenn Walkerton Falcons 71 St. Joseph 2015 Northern State 2024 Northern State South Bend Clay South Bend Colonials 71 St. Joseph 1978 Independents(NIVC 1978) 2024 none (school closed)

East Chicago Washington was known as East Chicago until 1928. Michigan City Elston was known as Michigan City until 1972. South Bend Central was known as South Bend until 1930. Played concurrently in the NIC and FWCS their entire membership in the NIC. Played concurrently in the NIC and NLC 1999–2000. Played concurrently in the NIC and NIVC 1976–78.

Membership timeline

Rivalries

Main rivalries: Riley Wildcats vs. Penn Kingsmen Penn Kingsmen vs. Mishawaka Cavemen* (often called "The Backyard Brawl") St. Joseph High School vs. Marian Knights (often called "The Holy War") Riley Wildcats vs. Adams Eagles New Prairie Cougars vs. La Porte* Slicers

Notable sub-rivalries St. Joseph vs. Penn Riley vs. Marian (often called "The South Side Brawl") Marian vs. Mishawaka* (often called "The Civil War") Mishawaka* vs. Washington Marian vs. Penn (baseball only) St. Joseph vs. Culver Military Academy (hockey and lacrosse only)*° Mishawaka vs. Adams (basketball only)

Former rivalries Elkhart Central Blue Blazers vs. Elkhart Memorial Crimson Chargers* (often called "The Battle of Elkhart") Lasalle vs Washington Bremen Lions vs. Jimtown Jimmies (Rivalry published in November 1994 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine "Unrivaled Rivalries") Clay Colonials vs. Washington Panthers Riley vs. Clay Adams vs. Clay Jimtown vs. NorthWood* (often called "The Border War") Bremen vs. Triton* (also often called "The Border War") St. Joseph vs. Clay Mishawaka vs. Clay (football only).

(Asterisk indicates non-member of NIC)

(Degree indicates a non-NIC sanctioned sport)

State championships Bremen (3) 1989 Football (A) 1994 Football (2A) 2019 Softball (2A)

Elkhart Central (6) 1968 Wrestling 1969 Boys Track 1973 Boys Cross Country 1979 Boys Golf 1993 Boys Track 2012 Baseball (4A)

Jimtown (6) 1974 Boys Gymnastics 1991 Football (A) 1997 Football (2A) 1998 Football (2A) 2004 Boys Basketball (2A) 2005 Football (2A)

Glenn (0)

Mishawaka (7)

1946 Boys Cross Country 1980 Volleyball 1983 Volleyball 1988 Volleyball 1991 Wrestling 2008 Wrestling 2010 Wrestling

Mishawaka Marian (12)

1973 Volleyball 1973 Football (A) 1975 Football (2A) 1976 Football (2A) 2001 Boys Golf 1999 Boys Hockey 2001 Boys Hockey 2010 Boys Hockey 2012 Girls Soccer (A) 2015 Boys Soccer (A) 2016 Boys Soccer (A) 2023 Boys Soccer (2A)

New Prairie (2)

2023 Softball (3A) 2024 Baseball (3A)

Penn (24)

1983 Football (4A) 1994 Baseball 1994 Girls Golf 1995 Football (5A) 1996 Football (5A) 1997 Football (5A) 1998 Baseball (4A) 1999 Softball (3A) 1999 Boys Soccer 2000 Football (5A) 2001 Baseball (4A) 2002 Girls Golf 2004 Girls Golf 2005 Girls Golf 2010 Volleyball (4A) 2011 Volleyball (4A) 2015 Wrestling 2015 Baseball (4A) 2016 Girls Basketball (4A) 2016 Girls Soccer (2A) 2017 Girls Soccer (3A) 2022 Baseball (4A) 2023 Softball (4A) 2023 Baseball (4A)

South Bend Adams (8)

1966 Boys Swimming & Diving 1966 Wrestling 1967 Boys Swimming & Diving 1968 Boys Swimming & Diving 1973 Boys Golf 1974 Boys Tennis 1976 Volleyball 1978 Volleyball

South Bend Clay (2)

1970 Baseball 1994 Boys Basketball

South Bend Riley (10)

1938 Boys Golf 1956 Boys Swimming & Diving 1957 Boys Swimming & Diving 1958 Boys Swimming & Diving 1962 Boys Swimming & Diving 1962 Boys Golf 1964 Boys Golf 1978 Boys Swimming & Diving 1986 Boys Swimming & Diving 1995 Boys Swimming & Diving

South Bend St. Joseph (13)

1972 Volleyball 1975 Girls Tennis 1995 Football (3A) 1998 Girls Soccer 2003 Boys Soccer 2005 Girls Basketball (3A) 2010 Girls Tennis 2010 Girls Soccer 2017 Girls Basketball (3A) 2017 Baseball (3A) 2022 Softball 2022 Boys Lacrosse 2025 Boys Basketball (3A)

South Bend Washington (3)

1973 Football (3A) 2007 Girls Basketball (4A) 2022 Girls Basketball (3A)

See also Hoosier Hysteria Largest high school gyms in the United States

Related links Northern Indiana Football History Indiana High School Athletic Association List of high school athletic conferences in Indiana Indiana big school football champions

References

Conference champions Basketball Champions Football Champions