Upstate Illini Conference

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 high schools with enrollments between 75-1,000 students in Bureau, Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties.

Upstate Illini Conference
UIC
Established1988
Dissolved2000
AssociationIHSA
Divisions
  • East Division
  • West Division
  • South Division
Members27
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 Illinois
Locations of UIC Schools

History

The name Upstate Illini was originally given to a collection of 6 schools coming from four conferences, the Blackhawk, Route 72, Northwestern Illinois and SHARK. The six original teams included: (Ashton, Durand, Franklin Center, Leaf River, Orangeville, and Pearl City). This league began play in 1974, however it quickly disbanded only two years later in 1976. Some of these schools would return to their original conferences, while others remained with a new moniker, the Northwest 8 Conference.

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 name was resurrected and 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 1993, 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 1995 Huntley dropped out and Pecatonica was added to the East division 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, 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-Franklin Center
High School		 Ashton, IL Raiders               
Black, Gold, White		 1988 2000 A - 1A Yes
Dakota
High School		 Dakota, IL Indians          
Maroon, White		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Durand
High School		 Durand, IL Bulldogs          
Royal Blue, White		 1988 2000 A C 1A Yes
East Dubuque
High School		 East Dubuque, IL Warriors          
Royal Blue, White		 1995 2000 A C 1A Yes
Eastland
High School		 Lanark, IL Cougars          
Royal Blue, Orange		 1996 2000 A C Coops w/Pearl City Yes
Forreston
High School		 Forreston, IL Cardinals               
Red, White, Black		 1995 2000 A C 1A Yes
Galena
High School		 Galena, IL Pirates          
Royal Blue, White		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Huntley
High School		 Huntley, IL Redskins           white
Red, Black, White		 1993 1995 A A 3A No
Kirkland-Hiawatha
High School		 Kirkland, IL Hawks          
Navy Blue, Gold		 1996 2000 A D 1A No
La Moille
High School		 La Moille, IL Lions          
Red, White		 1995 1996 A D 1A No
Lena-Winslow
High School		 Lena, IL Panthers          
Black, Gold		 1996 2000 A C 2A Yes
Milledgeville
High School		 Milledgeville, IL Missiles          
Orange, Black		 1988 2000 A D 1A Yes
Mount Carroll
High School		 Mount Carroll, IL Hawks          
Purple, Gold		 1988 2000* A D 1A No*
Mount Morris
High School		 Mount Morris, IL Mounders          
Red, Black		 1990 1993 A D 1A No
North Boone
High School		 Poplar Grove, IL Vikings          
Green, White		 1988 2000 A C 2A No
Orangeville
High School		 Orangeville, IL Broncos          
Purple, Gold		 1996 2000 A D 1A Yes
Pearl City
High School		 Pearl City, IL Wolves               
Red, White, Black		 1988 2000 A D 2A Yes
Pecatonica
High School		 Pecatonica, IL Indians          
Purple, Vegas Gold		 1995 2000 A C 1A Yes
Polo Community
High School		 Polo, IL Marcos          
Blue, Gold		 1990 2000 A C 1A Yes
River Ridge
High School		 Elizabeth, IL** Wildcats          
Navy Blue, Grey		 1996 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		 1988 2000 A C 2A No
Savanna
High School		 Savanna, IL Indians          
Red, White		 1999 2000* A C 2A No*
South Beloit
High School		 South Beloit, IL Sobos          
Scarlet Red, White		 1988 2000 A C 1A Yes
Stockton
High School		 Stockton, IL Blackhawks          
Maroon, Gold		 1996 2000 A C 1A Yes
Warren
High School		 Warren, IL Warriors          
Orange, Black		 1988 2000 A D 1A Yes

*Mount Carroll and Savanna merged with Thomson 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) Full members (Football Coop) Northwestern Illinois Conference Mid/Big-Northern Conference Other Conference

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References
  1. http://www.ihsa.org/school/enrolla.htm
  2. http://www.ihsa.org/school/enrollments.htm
  3. http://www.ihsa.org/activity/fb/2009-10/playoffs.htm
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