Little Seven Conference (Michigan)

The Little Seven Conference is a former high school athletic conference with its most of its membership based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was founded in 1949 and disbanded in 1968. Most of the conference's member schools belonged to the Michigan High School Athletic Association with the exception of two members who were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

30km
19miles
Location of Original Little Six Conference Members

Originally named the Little Six Conference, the loop was formed in 1949 by six small high schools: five in Michigan's upper peninsula (Alpha, Channing, Felch, Hermansville and Vulcan) and one just across the Brule River in northern Wisconsin (Florence).[1] Powers-Spalding joined the conference from the Central UP League in 1951,[2] bringing membership to seven schools and giving the circuit its longest-running moniker of the Big Seven Conference. Membership remained stable over the next decade before the conference expanded to eight schools in 1961 with the addition of Carney.[3] With the additional member came a change in name to the Big Eight Conference, and when a ninth member school was added in 1963 (Pembine in Wisconsin), another name change to the Big Nine Conference accompanied their entry.[4] Like the previous name changes, this one was short-lived, and the Big Nine Conference lost Florence to the WIAA-affiliated Northern Lakes Conference and Vulcan to consolidation with Norway.[5] The conference's name was changed to the Big Seven Conference with the loss of the two members.[6] Alpha left the conference when it closed in 1967 after merging with Crystal Falls to create the Forest Park district.[7] The conference, now called the Big Six Conference due to Alpha's closing,[8] played for one more season before disbanding in 1968. The six remaining schools joined with three members of the shuttered Mid-Peninsula Conference (Champion, National Mine and Republic) to form the new Skyline Conference.[9][10] By 1971, all of the former conference's Michigan-based members were lost to rural school district consolidation.

Conference membership history

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Alpha Alpha, MI Public N/A Mastodons[11]    [11] 1949[1] 1967[7] Closed (merged into Forest Park)
Channing Sagola Township, MI Public N/A Railroaders[11]    [11] 1949[1] 1968[9][10] Skyline Closed in 1971 (merged into North Dickinson)
Felch Felch Township, MI Public N/A Foresters[11]    [11] 1949[1] 1968[9][10] Skyline Closed in 1971 (merged into North Dickinson)
Florence Florence, WI Public 118[12] Bobcats     1949[1] 1964[5] Northern Lakes (WIAA)
Hermansville Hermansville, MI Public N/A Redskins[11]    [11] 1949[1] 1968[9][10] Skyline Closed in 1970 (merged into North Central)
Vulcan Norway Township, MI Public N/A Giant-Killers[11]    [11] 1949[1] 1964[5] Closed (consolidated into Norway)
Powers-Spalding Powers, MI Public N/A Tigers[11]    [11] 1951[2] 1968[9][10] Skyline Closed in 1970 (merged into North Central)
Carney Carney, MI Public 79[13] Wolves     1961[3] 1968[9][10] Skyline Central Upper Peninsula
Pembine Pembine, WI Public 68[12] Panthers     1963 1968[9][10] Skyline Northern Lakes (WIAA)

Membership timeline

List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
School Year Organization Division
Vulcan 1960 MHSAA Class C-D (UP)
Vulcan 1962 MHSAA Class C-D (UP)
Boys Tennis
School Year Organization Division
Alpha 1965 MHSAA Class C-D (UP)

Winter sports

Boys Basketball
School Year Organization Division
Alpha 1950 MHSAA Class E
Alpha 1954 MHSAA Class E
Hermansville 1957 MHSAA Class E
Hermansville 1960 MHSAA Class E

Spring sports

Boys Track & Field
School Year Organization Division
Hermansville 1950 MHSAA Class D-E (UP)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Sport Shorts". Wakefield News. 15 April 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  2. ^ a b Larson, Charlie (16 June 1951). "Spilling the Dope". Escanaba Daily Press. p. 2. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  3. ^ a b "49 U.P. Quintets Have Games Set For This Week". Ironwood Daily Globe. 14 November 1961. p. 5. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  4. ^ "Three Lettermen Back at Carney". Escanaba Daily Press. 7 November 1963. p. 16. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Crandall, Ray (27 March 1964). "In This Corner". Escanaba Daily Press. p. 9. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  6. ^ "Mass Is Among 3 Defending Champs Leading U.P. Leagues". Ironwood Daily Globe. 31 December 1964. p. 8. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b UPI (25 October 1967). "Bond Issue OK'd in U.P. District". Grand Rapids Press. p. 50. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  8. ^ "5 Champions Retain Peninsula Cage Crowns". Escanaba Daily Press. 5 March 1968. p. 14. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Utt, Mike (11 June 1968). "On The Sidelines". Escanaba Daily Press. p. 4. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g "Four Lettermen Back at Powers". Escanaba Daily Press. 15 November 1968. p. 9. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Michigan High School Boys Basketball All-Time MHSAA Tournament Records". Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  12. ^ a b Wilson, Travis (27 November 2023). "All school enrollment figures for 2023-24 sports year with one- and five-year enrollment comparisons". Wisconsin Sports Network. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  13. ^ "2023-24 MHSAA Enrollment List" (PDF). Michigan High School Athletic Association. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
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