The Northern Lakes League (NLL), is an OHSAA high school athletic conference that was formed in 1956 and comprises twelve high schools in Northwest Ohio.
Current members SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTypeEnrollmentEnrollment (CB/FB 2024)State FB Region (2024)Middle school(s)Joined LeagueNotes Anthony WayneGeneralsWhitehouseBlue, White Public1,3085152:6Anthony Wayne JHS1956Bowling GreenBobcatsBowling GreenRed, Gray Public8383523:10Bowling Green JHS1978ClayEaglesOregonGreen, Yellow Public8744352:6Fassett JHS2023FindlayTrojansFindlayBlue, Gold Public1,1756381:1Donnell MS,Glenwood MS2023Fremont RossLittle GiantsFremontPurple, White Public8534032:6Fremont MS2023Liberty-BentonEaglesFindlayBlue, White and Red Public5431875:18Liberty-Benton MS2026NapoleonWildcatsNapoleonNavy, White Public5482564:14Napoleon MS2011NorthviewWildcatsSylvaniaBlack, Yellow, Public1,3944942:6Arbor Hills JHS, McCord JHS1996PerrysburgYellow JacketsPerrysburgBlack, Old Gold Public1,5686811:1Perrysburg JHS1956Southview CougarsSylvaniaOrange, Brown Public1,0614292:6Arbor Hills JHS, McCord JHS, Timberstone JHS1976Springfield Blue DevilsHollandBlue, White Public1,0034072:6Springfield MS1962Whitmer PanthersToledoMaize, Blue Public1,6258831:1Jefferson JHS,Washington JHS2023
Former members
SchoolNicknameLocationColorsTypeMembership TenureNotes EastwoodEaglesPembervilleRed, White, Columbia Public1959–1972Left for the SLL, now in the NBCElmwoodRoyalsBloomdaleRoyal Blue, White Public1960–1972Left for the SLL, now in the BVCGenoa CometsGenoaMaroon, Gray Public1956–1972Left for the SLL, now in the NBCLake FlyersMillburyNavy, White, Columbia Public1960–1996Left for the SLL, now in the NBCMaumeePanthersMaumeePurple, Gold Public1956-2023Left for the NBCPort ClintonRedskinsPort ClintonRed, White Public1956–1963Left for the GLL, now in the NOCRossford BulldogsRossfordMaroon, Gray Public1956–2011Left for the NBC
League history 1950s The Great Northern Conference had been created in 1945 with Oregon Clay, Maumee, Perrysburg, Rossford, Sylvania and Toledo Whitmer as its charter members. Anthony Wayne would join them in 1953. League expansion was brought up in 1956 as Bowling Green, Fostoria, Swanton, Oak Harbor, Genoa, Lake, Port Clinton, Toledo Rogers and Holland were considered for membership. The GNC eventually grew and split into two divisions based on size— Orange: (Bowling Green, Clay, Fostoria, Toledo Rogers, Sylvania, and Toledo Whitmer) and Blue: (Anthony Wayne, Genoa, Maumee, Perrysburg, Port Clinton and Rossford). The names were changed in 1957, with the Orange Division becoming the Great Lakes League and the Blue Division becoming the Northern Lakes League. Great Northern Conference Divisions (created in 1956) Orange / Great Lakes League Blue / Northern Lakes League Bowling Green Anthony Wayne Clay Genoa Fostoria Maumee Rogers Perrysburg Sylvania Port Clinton Whitmer Rossford
The NLL begins for the 1956-57 school year with Anthony Wayne, Genoa, Maumee, Perrysburg, Port Clinton, and Rossford as its charter members. Eastwood joins in 1959 after being accepted in 1958.
1960s Elmwood and Lake both join in 1960. When Springfield (Holland HS until 1959) joins in 1962, the NLL will have its largest membership total at ten schools. This would only last for the 1962-63 school year. Port Clinton switches into the Great Lakes League (the Orange Division of the GNC) in 1963 after winning three football titles in 1957, 1960, and 1962.
1970s For the 1972-73 school year, Eastwood, Elmwood, and Genoa leave to help form the Suburban Lakes League (SLL), leaving 6 members for a while. Swanton and Napoleon were suggested as replacements. Southview joins in 1976 after Sylvania High School splits. Bowling Green leaves the GLL in 1978 to bring the league total to 8.
1980s The League membership remains consistent
1990s For the 1996-97 school year, Lake leaves to join the SLL, and is replaced by Northview, who leaves the former Great Lakes League. The football team remained in the GLL for the 1996 season before fully joining at season's end. Around 1999, Rossford first considered leaving the NLL for a league with members closer in their size. The 9-member SLL offered an opening, but Rossford initially declined.
2000s In 2008, Rossford sent a letter of interest to be considered as the replacement for Lakota in the SLL, who left for the MAL in 2009. The SLL could not get a 6-out-of-7 vote to accept Rossford, ensuring they would remain a member of the NLL for at least a few more years. The NLL considered adding Clay and Napoleon to make a ten-school league, but a majority vote was not reached to expand. In May 2009, Rossford's board of education voted unanimously to leave the Northern Lakes League and form the new Northern Buckeye Conference with Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, Otsego, and Woodmore, all schools that were withdrawing from the Suburban Lakes League. Later additions to the NBC included Elmwood and Fostoria. The new league began competition in the fall of 2011. In June 2009, Napoleon High School accepted the invitation to join the Northern Lakes League in 2011 as the replacement for Rossford. In August 2009, Maumee's school board voted 3-2 to remain members of the Northern Lakes League and to not accept the NBC's invitation to join their new league.
2020s In January 2021, the NLL announced a plan to expand the league to 16 members, with two divisions of eight schools each based on enrollment. Any schools interested in membership were invited to apply, and it was hinted that expansion would most likely affect the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) more than any other leagues. On March 22, 2021, Maumee's school board voted unanimously to leave the NLL and join the Northern Buckeye Conference no later than the 2023-24 school year as a replacement for Elmwood High School. On April 9, 2021, the seven remaining NLL schools sent invitations to four schools that were currently members of the TRAC: Findlay, Fremont Ross, Oregon Clay, and Whitmer. Fremont Ross voted to accept the invitation on April 12, followed by Findlay on April 19, Clay on April 20, and Whitmer on April 21.https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/washlsd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BYYH8R474A59 Washington Local Schools Board Minutes (April 21, 2021). Retrieved April 22, 2021 On November 11, 2022, the NLL announced their division names and alignments for the 2023-24 through 2026-27 school years. The Buckeye Division will be for the larger schools and the Cardinal Division will be for the smaller schools, with a slightly different alignment for football.https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cddd133064ef10001330483/t/63728440dc09c60c559b5c9f/1668449345538/Press+Release+-+Divisions+11_2022.pdf Northern Lakes League Press Release - NLL Divisions (Nov. 11, 2022). Retrieved Nov. 18, 2022 |source=https://www.nllsports.com/ Springfield will play in the Buckeye Division for football during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. They will move to the Cardinal Division and Clay will play in the Buckeye Division for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. School enrollment will be considered every two years for reorganizing and balancing the divisions. On January 24, 2025, the NLL invited Liberty-Benton to join the league as a member of the Cardinal Division beginning in the 2026-27 school year. Liberty-Benton accepted the invitation on January 27th. School Boys Girls Total Buckeye Division (2023-24 & 2024-25)(based on OHSAA 22-23 & 23-24 final total enrollments) Whitmer 843 777 1,620 Perrysburg 649 629 1,278 Findlay 642 551 1,193 Anthony Wayne 546 521 1,067 Northview 495 488 983 Cardinal Division (2023-24 & 2024-25)(based on OHSAA 22-23 & 23-24 final total enrollments) Clay 424 422 846 Springfield 397 437 834 Southview 406 408 814 Fremont Ross 400 400 800 Bowling Green 344 330 674 Napoleon 236 200 436 School Boys Girls Total Buckeye Division Football (2023 & 2024)(based on OHSAA 19-20, 20-21, & 21-22 final total enrollments) Whitmer 839 766 1,605 Perrysburg 672 580 1,252 Findlay 600 575 1,175 Anthony Wayne 544 538 1,082 Northview 511 503 1,014 Springfield 452 432 884 Cardinal Division Football (2023 & 2024)(based on OHSAA 19-20, 20-21, & 21-22 final total enrollments) Clay 442 432 874 Fremont Ross 454 399 853 Southview 368 377 745 Bowling Green 361 353 714 Napoleon 248 258 506
All-time membership
Football champions
Year Champions 1956 Maumee 1957 Port Clinton 1958 Perrysburg 1959 Maumee, Port Clinton 1960 Port Clinton 1961 Perrysburg 1962 Maumee, Port Clinton 1963 Rossford 1964 Rossford 1965 Elmwood 1966 Eastwood 1967 Perrysburg 1968 Rossford 1969 Rossford 1970 Springfield 1971 Lake 1972 Rossford 1973 Anthony Wayne 1974 Anthony Wayne, Maumee, Springfield 1975 Maumee 1976 Anthony Wayne 1977 Perrysburg 1978 Lake 1979 Perrysburg 1980 Perrysburg 1981 Lake, Springfield 1982 Rossford 1983 Lake, Springfield 1984 Bowling Green, Perrysburg 1985 Perrysburg 1986 Maumee 1987 Anthony Wayne 1988 Anthony Wayne, Bowling Green 1989 Rossford 1990 Rossford 1991 Bowling Green, Springfield 1992 Maumee, Southview, Springfield 1993 Springfield, Bowling Green 1994 Springfield, Maumee 1995 Bowling Green 1996 Bowling Green 1997 Bowling Green, Southview 1998 Bowling Green, Southview 1999 Southview 2000 Bowling Green 2001 Maumee, Perrysburg 2002 Rossford 2003 Southview 2004 Southview 2005 Northview, Southview 2006 Perrysburg 2007 Southview 2008 Southview 2009 Maumee, Southview 2010 Southview 2011 Southview 2012 Napoleon 2013 Perrysburg 2014 Perrysburg 2015 Perrysburg 2016 Springfield 2017 Anthony Wayne 2018 Anthony Wayne 2019 Anthony Wayne 2020 Perrysburg 2021 Anthony Wayne 2022 Perrysburg
Divisional Era Champions YearDivisionChampions2023BuckeyeAnthony Wayne, Findlay, WhitmerCardinalSouthview2024BuckeyeAnthony WayneCardinalClay2025BuckeyePerrysburg, WhitmerCardinalNapoleon
See also Ohio High School Athletic Conferences
References
External links List of NLL Football Champions 5 from SLL join Rossford for new league Napoleon replaces Rossford in NLL NLL Basketball Standings with 10 Members, Toledo Blade, January 26 1963