Key Points
  • The Lake Michigan Conference essentially dissolved in 2023, with almost all teams, except Traverse City St. Francis, joining the newly-formed Northern Shores Conference.
  • A superintendents meeting in Charlevoix highlighted frustrations regarding "league membership and competitive imbalance," leading to the creation of the Northern Shores Conference less than three months later.
  • Former LMC schools, minus East Jordan and St. Francis, joined Cheboygan and Kingsley to form the new Northern Shores Conference, while St. Francis indicated that they will likely be independent for the near future.
  • The changes led to further movements, with Brethren joining the Northwest Conference, and Cheboygan's departure from the Straits Area Conference leaving the SAC with only four teams.
  • The dissolution impacted various sports, with St. Francis winning numerous LMC titles across different sports, leading to discussions about competitive disadvantage for other schools.
  • The Northern Michigan Football Conference, which includes all former LMC football teams, was not impacted by the dissolution of the LMC.