Upstate Illini Conference
ConferenceIHSA
Founded1974
Ceased2000
No. of teams36 in total
RegionNorthwest and North-central Illinois (Bureau, Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties)
Locations
The Upstate Illini Conference within IllinoisThe Upstate Illini Conference within Illinois
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Locations of UIC Schools

The Upstate Illini Conference (UIC) was a high school conference in northwest and north central Illinois. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference included small public and private high schools with enrollments between 75-1,000 students in Bureau, Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

History

The name Upstate Illini was originally given to a collection of 15 schools primarily coming from five conferences, the Blackhawk, Route 72, Northwestern Illinois, SHARK and US Grant. The 15 original teams included: Ashton, Chadwick, Durand, Elizabeth, Franklin Center, Hanover, Leaf River, Milledgeville, Mt. Carroll, Orangeville, Pearl City, Rockford Lutheran, Scales Mound, Shannon and Thomson. This league began play in 1974, however within two years the league would lose over half of the teams based primarily on football. The teams which left either returned to their original conference or began play under a new moniker, the Northwest 8 Conference. The remaining teams, all without football, maintained the name Upstate Illini. The teams that stayed within the conference, were Chadwick, Elizabeth, Hanover, Scales Mound, Shannon and Thomson.

Eventually talks for a re-branding of the Northwest 8 took place in 1987, due to the fact that it had grown to 12 teams and was looking to expand beyond that number. In 1988, the Upstate Illini Conference was reconstructed and schools from the Northwest 8 joined, competition for all sports, with the exception of football, was established. In 1991, football schedules were set with 6 teams in the North Division: Durand, North Boone, Pearl City, Rockford (Lutheran), Elizabeth (River Ridge)-Warren (coop) and South Beloit and the South Division: Ashton-Franklin Center, Kirkland-Hiawatha, Milledgeville, Mt. Carroll, Mt. Morris and Polo.

In 1994, Mt. Morris was merged into the Oregon School District and dropped out of the conference. In that same year, Huntley joined and the divisions were realigned into East - Durand, Huntley, Kirkland-Hiawatha, North Boone, Rockford Lutheran and South Beloit and West - Ashton-Franklin Center, Milledgeville, Mt Carroll, Pearl City, Polo, River Ridge and Warren. In 1991, Pecatonica joined the league for all sports except football, due to existing schedules in the Mid-Northern, however, in 1992 joined the East Division. In 1995 Huntley dropped out and East Dubuque, Forreston and La Moille were added to the West Division while Ashton-Franklin Center moved from the West division to the East. In 1996 the Northwestern Illinois Conference (NWIC) and Upstate Illini merged under the Upstate Illini banner. Based on these new additions, three divisions were formed West - Dakota, East Dubuque, Galena, Lena-Winslow, Orangeville, River Ridge, Stockton and Warren. East - Ashton-Franklin Center, Durand, Kirkland-Hiawatha, North Boone, Pecatonica, Rockford Lutheran and South Beloit. South - Forreston, Freeport Aquin, Lanark (Eastland), Milledgeville, Mt. Carroll, Pearl City and Polo. In 1999 Savanna was added to the South Division and Rockford Christian Life to the East Division making the total number of teams 24 for football, 26 overall, the largest conference in Illinois outside of the Chicago Public League. The year 2000 was the last year under the Upstate Illini name because six schools (Ashton-Franklin Center, Durand, Kirkland-Hiawatha, North Boone, Pecatonica and South Beloit) left in 2001 to form the Four Rivers Conference. Rockford Lutheran and Rockford Christian Life also departed the conference in 2001, seeking competition more suited to their locations and size by joining the Private School League. The remaining schools realigned under the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference banner.

All-Time Membership

The Upstate Illini Conference had various divisions throughout its history, the list of schools encompasses all of the schools which were once a part of the conference.

School Location Mascot Colors Year Joined Year Left IHSA Classes A/AA[1] IHSA Music Class[2] IHSA Football Class[3] Current NUIC Member
Aquin Catholic
High School		 Freeport, IL Bulldogs    
Navy Blue, Gold		 1996 2000 A D 1A Yes
Ashton
High School		 Ashton, IL Aces    
Green, Gold		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A - 1A Yes♠
Chadwick
High School		 Chadwick, IL Silver Streaks      
Red, Silver, Black		 1974 1989 A C - Yes♣
Dakota
High School		 Dakota, IL Indians    
Maroon, White		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Durand
High School		 Durand, IL Bulldogs    
Royal Blue, White		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A C 1A Yes
East Dubuque
High School		 East Dubuque, IL Warriors    
Royal Blue, White		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Eastland
High School		 Lanark, IL Cougars    
Royal Blue, Orange		 1996 2000 A C Coops w/Pearl City Yes♥
Elizabeth
High School		 Elizabeth, IL Terrapins    
Orange, Blue		 1974 1984 A D - Yes♦
Forreston
High School		 Forreston, IL Cardinals      
Red, White, Black		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes°
Franklin Center
High School		 Franklin Grove, IL Eagles    
Maroon, Gold		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A - 1A Yes♠
Galena
High School		 Galena, IL Pirates    
Royal Blue, White		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Hanover
High School		 Hanover, IL Red Devils    
Red, White		 1974 1984 A C - Yes♦
Huntley
High School		 Huntley, IL Redskins      
Red, Black, White		 1993 1995 A A 3A No
Kirkland-Hiawatha
High School		 Kirkland, IL Hawks    
Navy Blue, Gold		 1991 2000 A D 1A No
La Moille
High School		 La Moille, IL Lions    
Red, White		 1995 1996 A D 1A No
Lanark
High School		 Lanark, IL Beavers    
Blue, White		 - - A C 1A Yes♥
Leaf River
High School		 Leaf River, IL Demons    
Royal Blue, White		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A - 1A Yes°
Lena-Winslow
High School		 Lena, IL Panthers    
Black, Gold		 1996 2000 A C 2A Yes
Milledgeville
High School		 Milledgeville, IL Missiles    
Orange, Black		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A D 1A Yes♣
Mount Carroll
High School		 Mount Carroll, IL Hawks    
Purple, Gold		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A D 1A Yes•
Mount Morris
High School		 Mount Morris, IL Mounders    
Red, Black		 1991 1994 A D 1A No³
North Boone
High School		 Poplar Grove, IL Vikings    
Green, White		 1991 2000 A C 2A No
Orangeville
High School		 Orangeville, IL Broncos    
Purple, Gold		 1974/1996 1976/2000 A D 1A Yes
Pearl City
High School		 Pearl City, IL Wolves      
Red, White, Black		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A D 2A Yes
Pecatonica
High School		 Pecatonica, IL Indians    
Purple, Vegas Gold		 1991 2000 A C 1A Yes
Polo Community
High School		 Polo, IL Marcos    
Blue, Gold		 1991 2000 A C 1A Yes
River Ridge
High School		 Elizabeth, IL* Wildcats    
Navy Blue, Grey		 1991 2000 A D Coop w/Warren Yes♦
Rockford Christian Life
High School		 Rockford, IL Eagles    
Blue, Gray		 1999 2000 A C 2A No
Rockford Lutheran
High School		 Rockford, IL Crusaders    
Purple, White		 1974/1991 1976/2000 A C 2A No
Savanna
High School		 Savanna, IL Indians    
Red, White		 1999 2000* A C 2A Yes•
Scales Mound
High School		 Scales Mound, IL Hornet    
Green, White		 1974 2000 A C - Yes
Shannon
High School		 Shannon, IL Eagles    
Orange, Black		 1974 1986 A D - Yes♥
South Beloit
High School		 South Beloit, IL Sobos    
Scarlet Red, White		 1991 2000 A C 1A No
Stockton
High School		 Stockton, IL Blackhawks    
Maroon, Gold		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Thomson
High School		 Thomson, IL Trojans    
Purple, Gold		 1974 2000 A C - Yes•
Warren
High School		 Warren, IL Warriors    
Orange, Black		 1991 2000 A D 1A Yes

♦ Elizabeth and Hanover consolidated creating the River Ridge CUSD in 1985.
♥ Shannon and Lanark consolidated creating the Eastland CUSD in 1986.
♣ Chadwick and Milledgeville consolidated creating the Chadwick-Milledgeville CUSD in 1989.
° Leaf River ceased operations and was merged into Forreston High School in 1990
³ Mt. Morris ceased operations and was merged into Oregon High School in 1995
♠ Ashton and Franklin Center consolidated creating Ashton-Franklin Center High School in 2004
• Mount Carroll, Savanna and Thomson consolidated, creating the West Carroll School District in 2006.
* River Ridge High School relocated to Hanover, IL in 2004.


Membership timeline

Full members Full members (non-football) Northwest 8 Conference Northwestern Illinois Conference Mid/Big-Northern Conference SHARK Conference Other Conference

References

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