The North Iowa Cedar League (NICL) is a
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
athletic conference
An athletic conference is a collection of sports teams, playing competitively against each other in a sports league. In many cases conferences are subdivided into smaller divisions, with the best teams competing at successively higher levels. Confe ...
made up of 15 high schools in north central and northeast
Iowa
Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
. Most of the schools compete as 2A schools, (the second-smallest classification). The conference's most recent expansions included: Columbus Catholic (2013), Sumner-Fredericksburg (2014), and Oelwein (2021). With the addition of Oelwein in the 2021 academic year, the conference will split into three divisions: East, Central, and West.
History
The formation of the North Iowa Cedar League dates back to 1936, when the Iowa Cedar Conference (consisting of Belle Plaine, Brooklyn, Eldora, Grundy Center, Montezuma, Reinbeck, Tama, Teachers' High, Traer, & Toledo) split into the North Iowa Cedar League and South Iowa Cedar League. Founding members of the newly formed NICL include Ackley, Eldora, Grundy Center, Reinbeck, Teachers' High (NU High), and Traer.
In 1992, the Big Marsh Conference disbanded, with most of its schools joining the NICL, creating a 16 team conference. With the new members, the NICL split into two divisions, east and west. The east division included
Aplington–Parkersburg, Denver,
Dike–New Hartford,
Gladbrook–Reinbeck, Hudson, North Tama, NU High, and Union. The west division included
Ackley–Geneva, BCLUW, East Marshall,
Eldora–New Providence,
GMG, Grundy Center,
Hubbard–Radcliffe, and
Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock. In 1998,
Wapsie Valley High School and Jesup High School joined the conference, bringing the membership up to 18.
In 2000, Ackley–Geneva and Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock merged districts to become
AGWSR. The next membership change came in 2002 when Green Mountain–Garwin (GMG) departed for the
Iowa Star Conference
The Iowa Star Conference is a high school athletic conference in Central and Northeast Iowa. The conference comprises fifteen schools, split between north and south divisions within the conference.
Current members
North Division
Future Divis ...
. The next year, North Tama left for the Iowa Star Conference. In 2007, Eldora–New Providence and Hubbard–Radcliffe joined districts to become South Hardin High School. For the 2008 year, West Marshall was added to the conference, making it a 15-team league. In 2011, South Tama joined after leaving the
Little Hawkeye Conference and started in the West Division. It became the 16th member of the conference.
Northern University High School
Northern University High School was a small high school in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States, run by the University of Northern Iowa. It comprised grades 9-12 of the Pk-12 Malcolm Price Laboratory School. It closed in July 2012 under controversy ...
(Cedar Falls) played its final season in 2011–12, due to the University of Northern Iowa closing Malcolm Price Lab, which houses Northern University High.
Waterloo Columbus joined in 2013 to replace the recently defunct NU High.
With the departure of South Tama, Sumner-Fredericksburg joined in 2014 which brought the total number of schools to 16 once again. In 2020, West Marshall left the conference for the Heart of Iowa Conference. Oelwein joined soon after to replace West Marshall and a new three-division structure ensued. Starting in the 2021–22 school year, the east division will comprise Jesup, Oelwein, Sumner-Fredericksburg, Union, and Wapsie Valley, the central division will include Aplington–Parkersburg, Columbus Catholic, Denver, Dike–New Hartford, and Hudson, and the west will remain the same with AGWSR, BCLUW, East Marshall, Gladbrook–Reinbeck, Grundy Center, and South Hardin.
In 2022, BCLUW left for the Iowa Star Conference, bringing total membership to 15.
Members
Eastern Pod
Central Pod
Western Pod
Membership timeline
Grundy Center
Grundy Center is a city in Grundy County, Iowa. The population was 2,796 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, a 7.7% increase from 2,596 at the 2000 census. Grundy Center is also the county seat of Grundy County.
Grundy Cente ...
(1936–present)
bar:8 color:Full from:1936 till:2012 text: NU High (1936–2012)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1964 text:Iowa River Valley (1960-1964)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964-1977)
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1987 text:Big Iowa (1977-1987), Gladbrook
bar:10 color:Full from:1936 till:1964 text:Reinbeck (1936–1964)
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964-1977)
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1987 text:Big Iowa (1977-1987)
bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1992 text:Big Iowa (1987-1992)
bar:11 color:Full from:1992 till:end text: Gladbrook–Reinbeck (1992–present)
bar:12 color:Full from:1936 till:1961 text:Traer (1936–1961)
bar:12 color:Full from:1956 till:1964 text:Traer-Clutier (1961–1964)
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964–1977)
bar:12 color:Full from:1977 till:2003 text: North Tama (1977–2003)
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2003 till:end text: Iowa Star (2003–present)
bar:13 color:Full from:1951 till:1970 text: Jesup (1951–1970)
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1970 till:1987 text:Cedar-Wapsie (1970–1987)
bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1998 text: Tri-Rivers (1987–1998)
bar:13 color:Full from:1998 till:end text: Jesup (1998–present)
bar:14 color:Full from:1951 till:1988 text:LaPorte City (1951–1988)
bar:14 color:Full from:1988 till:end text: Union, LaPorte City (1988–present)
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1937 till:1964 text:Cedar Consolidated (1937–1964)
bar:15 color:Full from:1964 till:1972 text:Orange Township (1964–1972)
bar:15 color:Full from:1972 till:1973 text:Waterloo Central (1972–1973)
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1973 till:1988 text: Big Eight (1973–1988)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1937 till:1960 text:Cedar Consolidated (1937–1960)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:1977 text:Central Valley (1960–1964)
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1966 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964–1977)
bar:16 color:Full from:1977 till:1992 text:Dike (1977–1992)
bar:16 color:Full from:1992 till:end text: Dike–New Hartford (1992–present)
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1937 till:1960 text:Cedar Consolidated (1937–1960)
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:1977 text:Central Valley (1960–1964)
bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1966 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964–1977)
bar:17 color:Full from:1977 till:end text:Hudson
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudso ...
(1977–present)
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1955 till:1960 text:Pine Lake (1955-1960)
bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1988 text:Iowa River Valley (1960-1988) as Union-Whitten
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1964 text:Iowa River Valley (1960-1964)
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Mid-Iowa (1964-1977)
bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1988 text:Big Iowa (1977–1988) as B-C-L
bar:20 color:Full from:1988 till:2022 text: BCLUW (1988–2022)
bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text: Iowa Star (2022-present)
bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1959 till:1988 text:Cedar-Wapsie (1958–1988)
bar:21 color:Full from:1988 till:end text:Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
(1988–present)
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1936 till:1960 text:Butler County (1934-1960)
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1964 text:Central Valley (1960-1964)
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Big Marsh (1964-1977)
bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1992 text:Big Iowa (1977-1992) as Aplington
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1936 till:1960 text:Butler County (1934-1960)
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1964 text:Central Valley (1960-1964)
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1977 text:Big Marsh (1964-1977)
bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1977 till:1992 text:Big Iowa (1977-1992) as Parkersburg
bar:24 color:Full from:1992 till:end text: Aplington–Parkersburg (1992–present)
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1988 text:Ta-Ma-Ja (1960-1988)
bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1989 text:Big Iowa (1988–1989) as L-D-F
bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1963 till:1987 text:Ta-Ma-Ja (1963-1987)
bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1989 text:Mid-Iowa (1987-1989) as SEMCO
bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:1992 text:Big Iowa (1989-1992)
bar:27 color:Full from:1992 till:end text: East Marshall (1992–present)
bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1987 text:Ta-Ma-Ja (1976-1987) as Green Mountain
bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:1953 till:1987 text:Ta-Ma-Ja (1953-1987) as Garwin
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1988 text:Mid-Iowa (1987–1988)
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1988 till:1992 text: Big Iowa (1998–1992)
bar:30 color:Full from:1992 till:2002 text: GMG (1992–2002)
bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:2002 till:end text: Iowa Star (2002-present)
bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1959 till:1987 text:Cedar-Wapsie Conference (1959–1987)
bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1998 text:Upper Iowa Conference
The Upper Iowa Conference is a high school athletic conference in Iowa made up of 1A and 2A schools in northeastern Iowa. It is currently a nine team league. It has the current sports: volleyball, boys and girls basketball, golf, cross country, ...
(1987–1998)
bar:31 color:Full from:1998 till:end text: Wapsie Valley (1998–present)
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1962 till:1978 text:Hawkeye Central Nine (1962–1966)
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:2008 text: Heart of Iowa (1966–2008)
bar:32 color:Full from:2008 till:2020 text: West Marshall (2008–2020)
bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:2020 till:end text: Heart of Iowa (2020–present)
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:1967 till:1968 text:East Central (1967–1968)
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:1968 till:1991 text: Central Iowa (1968–1991)
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:1989 till:2006 text: WaMaC (1991–2006)
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:1999 till:2011 text: Little Hawkeye (2006–2011)
bar:33 color:Full from:2011 till:2014 text: South Tama County (2011–2014)
bar:33 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text: WaMaC (2014–present)
bar:34 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2013 text: WaMaC (1992–2013)
bar:34 color:Full from:2013 till:end text: Columbus Catholic (2013–present)
bar:35 color:OtherC1 from:1938 till:2004 text:Sumner (1938-2004)
bar:36 color:OtherC1 from:1940 till:1959 text:Turkey Valley (1940-1959)
bar:36 color:OtherC1 from:1959 till:1976 text:Cedar-Wapsie (1959-1976)
bar:36 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1978 text:Big Marsh (1976-1978)
bar:36 color:OtherC1 from:1978 till:2004 text: Iowa Star (1983-2004) as Fredericksburg
bar:37 color:OtherC1 from:2004 till:2014 text:Upper Iowa Conference
The Upper Iowa Conference is a high school athletic conference in Iowa made up of 1A and 2A schools in northeastern Iowa. It is currently a nine team league. It has the current sports: volleyball, boys and girls basketball, golf, cross country, ...
(2004–2014)
bar:37 color:Full from:2014 till:end text: Sumner-Fredericksburg (2014–present)
bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1936 till:2021 text:Northeast Iowa Conference
The Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) is a six school athletic conference made up of mid-sized schools in the Northeast Corner of Iowa. The conference dates in 1920, making it one of Iowa's oldest existing athletic conferences.
Members
Departin ...
(1936–2021)
bar:38 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:Oelwein
Oelwein is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,920 at the time of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, a decrease of 11.5% from the 2000 census. The largest community in Fayette County, ...
(2021–present)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:1936
External links
North Iowa Cedar League website
References
{{Iowa High School Athletic Conferences
High school sports in Iowa