North Central 8-Player Football Conference

The North Central 8-Player Football Conference is a high school football conference consisting of small high schools in northern Wisconsin. Founded in 2024, the conference sponsors eight-player football and is affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History The North Central 8-Player Football Conference was formed in 2024 as part of the 2024-2025 Wisconsin high school football realignment overseen by the WIAA and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. Nine of its fourteen member schools formerly belonged to the CWC 8-Player Football Conference (Alma Center Lincoln, Cornell, Gilman, Lake Holcombe, McDonell Central Catholic in Chippewa Falls, New Auburn, Owen-Withee, Prairie Farm and Thorp) and the other five came from the Lakeland Conference's eight-player football division (Clayton, Frederic, Luck, Siren and Valley Christian School in Osceola). The fourteen member schools were aligned into East and West Divisions: North Central-8 EastNorth Central-8 WestAlma Center LincolnClaytonCornellFredericGilmanLuckLake HolcombeNew AuburnMcDonell Central CatholicPrairie FarmOwen-WitheeSirenThorpValley Christian School For the 2026-2027 competition cycle, the North Central-8 lost McDonell Central Catholic to eleven-player football and the Dunn-St. Croix Conference, Clayton and Prairie Farm as individual programs and Valley Christian to the loss of football as a varsity sport. Six programs joined the conference to replace them: two from the small schools division of the Heart O'North Conference (Clear Lake and Turtle Lake), two from the Central Wisconsin Conference (Assumption from the small schools division and Newman Catholic from the eight-player division), one from the Northwoods Football Conference's eight-player division (Athens) and the new Prairie Farm/Clayton football cooperative. Lake Holcombe switched to the West Division to accommodate the net gain of two schools to its sixteen-member roster: North Central-8 EastNorth Central-8 WestAlma Center LincolnClear LakeAssumptionFredericAthensLake HolcombeCornellLuckGilmanNew AuburnNewman CatholicPrairie Farm/ClaytonOwen-WitheeSirenThorpTurtle Lake

List of conference members

Current members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedPrimary ConferenceAlma Center LincolnAlma Center, WIPublic164Hornets 2024DairylandAssumptionWisconsin Rapids, WIPrivate (Catholic)135Royals 2026MarawoodAthensAthens, WIPublic134Bluejays 2026MarawoodClear LakeClear Lake, WIPublic168Warriors 2026Dunn-St. CroixCornellCornell, WIPublic90Chiefs 2024LakelandFredericFrederic, WIPublic114Vikings 2024LakelandGilmanGilman, WIPublic102Pirates 2024CloverbeltLake HolcombeLake Holcombe, WIPublic75Chieftains 2024LakelandLuckLuck, WIPublic106Cardinals 2024LakelandNew AuburnNew Auburn, WIPublic99Trojans 2024LakelandNewman CatholicWausau, WIPrivate (Catholic)93Cardinals 2026MarawoodOwen-WitheeOwen, WIPublic135Blackhawks 2024CloverbeltPrairie Farm/ClaytonPrairie Farm, WIPublic188Bearcats 2026LakelandSirenSiren, WIPublic96Dragons 2024LakelandThorpThorp, WIPublic180Cardinals 2024CloverbeltTurtle LakeTurtle Lake, WIPublic127Lakers 2026Lakeland

Former members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceClaytonClayton, WIPublicBears 2024-2025LakelandMcDonell Central CatholicChippewa Falls, WIPrivate (Catholic)Macks 2024-2025CloverbeltPrairie FarmPrairie Farm, WIPublicPanthers 2024-2025LakelandValley ChristianOsceola, WIPrivate (Christian)Jaguars 2024-2025Independent

Membership timeline

List of state champions Source: SchoolYearOwen-Withee2024McDonell Central Catholic2025

List of conference champions SchoolQuantityYearsClayton22024, 2025Gilman12025Owen-Withee12024Siren12024Alma Center Lincoln0Assumption0Athens0Clear Lake0Cornell0Frederic0Lake Holcombe0Luck0McDonell Central Catholic0New Auburn0Newman Catholic0Prairie Farm0Prairie Farm/Clayton0Thorp0Turtle Lake0Valley Christian0 References