The offseason has been anything but dull for Minnesota prep football.
In addition to the All-Star Game moving to TCF Bank Stadium, the creation of Class 6A and six 2012 grads already having made verbal commitments to play for the Minnesota Gophers, conferences across the state have been in upheaval.
The formation of Granite Ridge Conference, re-emergence of the North Star East and West, and the dissolution of the Northern Plains conferences are just a few of the huge changes made this year.
Joining the fray are three new schools in the St. Louis County Conference. Northeast Range, North Woods and South Ridge will replace some familiar co-ops such as BEST and Albrook/Cotton.
Check out the chart below for a complete look at all of the conference changes for 2011.
Note: If there are any changes that are not addressed or inaccuracies in the chart, please e-mail Eric Ebert, MN Football Hub web producer.
CONFERENCE | STATUS | 2011 SCHOOLS | CHANGE |
---|---|---|---|
Central Lakes | Realigned | • Alexandria • Brainerd • Fergus Falls • Rocori • Sartell-St. Stephen • Sauk Rapids-Rice • St. Cloud Apollo • St. Cloud Tech • Willmar |
Little Falls moves to the newly formed Granite Ridge Conference |
Gopher Valley A | Realigned | • Le Center • Mankato Loyola • Randolph • Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity • Blooming Prairie • Bethlehem Academy • St. Clair • Medford |
Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity moves to the Gopher Valley A from the Minnesota Christian Conference. |
Granite Ridge | New | • Foley • Little Falls • Milaca • Mora • Princeton • St. Cloud Cathedral • Zimmerman |
Conference is new for 2011 football season. Little Falls moves from Central Lakes. Princeton and Zimmerman come in from the Mississippi 8. Foley, Milaca, Mora and St. Cloud Cathedral transfer from the West Central North Conference. |
Great Northern | Realigned | • Cromwell • Floodwood • Isle • Hill City • McGregor • Nevis • Northland • Northome/ Kelliher • Onamia • Wrenshall |
Wrenshall rejoins the nine-man Great Northern after taking 2010 off to rebuild its varsity program. |
Heart O' Lakes - Classic | Realigned | • Breckenridge • Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton • Hawley • Pelican Rapids • Roseau • Staples-Motley • Warroad |
West Central Area joins the Prairie South Conference. Wadena-Deer Creek joins the Prairie North. Roseau moved to the Classic from Heart O' Lakes - North. Hawley comes from the now defunct Northern Plains AA. |
Heart O'Lakes - North | Realigned | • Crookston • Detroit Lakes • East Grand Forks • Park Rapids • Pequot Lakes • Perham • Thief River Falls |
Roseau moved into the Heart O' Lakes - Classic Conference. Detroit Lakes joins Heart O' Lakes after being independent in 2010. |
Hiawatha Valley - Blue | Realigned | • Byron • Cannon Falls • Kasson-Mantorville • La Crescent • Pine Island • Rochester Lourdes • Stewartville |
Lake City and Pine Island swap places in the Hiwatha Valley conferences. |
Hiawatha Valley - Gold | Realigned | • Goodhue • Hayfield • Kenyon-Wanamingo • Lake City • Triton • Winona Cotter • Zumbrota-Mazeppa |
Lake City and Pine Island swap places in the Hiwatha Valley conferences. |
Independent | Realigned | • Bemidji • Duluth Denfeld • Duluth East • Grand Rapids • Holy Family Catholic • MN Academy for the Deaf • Parkers Prairie • West Lutheran |
West Lutheran moves from the Minnesota Christian Conference. Parkers Prairie comes from the Prairie North Conference. Holy Family Catholic joins the comes to the independents from the Minnesota River Conference. Detroit Lakes moves to the Heart O' Lakes - North Conference. |
Minnesota Christian | Eliminated | N/A | New Life Academy, St. Agnes and Providence Academy/Heritage depart the Minnesota Christian for the Tri-Metro East and West. Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity moves to the Gopher Valley A. West Lutheran adopts an independent schedules |
Minnesota River | Realigned | • Belle Plaine • Jordan • Le Sueur-Henderson • Mayer Lutheran • Montgomery Lonsdale • Norwood-Young America • Sibley East • Watertown- Mayer |
Watertown-Mayer joins from the Wright County Conference. Holy Family takes an independent schedule. |
Mississippi 8 | Realigned | • Becker • Big Lake • Buffalo • Cambridge-Isanti • Elk River • Monticello Rogers • St. Michael-Albertville |
Princeton and Zimmerman depart the the Mississippi 8 for the newly formed Granite Ridge Conference |
North Tri-County | Realigned | • Ada-Borup • Ulen-Hitterdal • Norman County East • Waubun • Rothsay • Norman County West • Park Christian • Win-E-Mac |
Win-E-Mac joins the North Tri-County from the Top of the State Conference. Park Christian joins the conference with its inaugral varsity squad. |
Northern Plains A | Eliminated | N/A | Blackduck and Cass Lake-Bena move to newly formed North Star East Conference. Badger-Greenbush-Middle River moves to the Top of the State Conference. All remaining teams shift to North Star West. |
Northern Plains AA | Eliminated | N/A | Barnesville heads to the Prairie North Conference. Bagley, Lake of the Woods, Pine River-Backus and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley move to newly formed North Star East Conference. Frazee and Red Lake move to North Star West. Hawley heads to the Heart O' Lakes - Classic. |
North Star East | New | • Bagley • Blackduck • Cass Lake-Bena • Lake of the Woods • Pine River-Backus • Pillager • Walker-Hackensack-Akeley |
Blackduck and Cass Lake-Bena come over from Northern Plains A. Bagley, Lake of the Woods, Pine River-Backus and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley come from Northern Plains AA. Pillager transfers from Prairie North Conference. |
North Star West | New | • Fertile-Beltrami • Fosston • Frazee • Lake Park-Audubon • Mahnomen • Red Lake County • Warren-Alvarado-Oslo |
Frazee and Red Lake join from Northern Plains AA. Mahnomen, Fosston, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, Fertile-Beltrami and Lake Park-Audubon move from Northern Plains A. |
Prairie North | Realigned | • Barnesville • Long Prairie-Grey Eagle • Osakis • United North Central • Upsala/Swanville • Wadena-Deer Creek |
Only United North Central remains in the Prairie North from last season. Wadena-Deer Creek joins from the Heart O' Lakes - Classic Conference. Barnesville comes from the now defunct Northern Plains AA Conference. Pillager joins the newly formed North Star East. Parkers Prairie picks up an independent schedule in 2011. Ottertail Central and New York Mills both migrate to Prairie South. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle comes in from the West Central South. |
Prairie South | Realigned | • Browerville • Royalton • Ottertail Central • New York Mills • Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg • West Central |
Ottertail Central and New York Mills transfer from the Prairie North Conference. West Central Area comes in from Heart O' Lakes - Classic. Upsala/Swanville and Osakis move into the Prairie North. |
St. Louis County | Realigned | • Northeast Range • Mountain Iron-Buhl • Littlefork-Big Falls • Bigfork • Cherry • Silver Bay • North Woods • South Ridge |
Northeast Range, North Woods and South Ridge represent three new schools in St. Louis County. North Woods is comprised of Cook, Orr and western Tower, while South Ridge will be comprised of Albrook and Cotton. The Northeast Range school will also be added to the mix, representing Babbitt, Embarrass, Tower and Soudan. |
Top of the State | Realigned | • Badger-Greenbush-Middle River • Clearbrook-Gonvick • Climax/Fisher • Goodridge-Grygla/Gatzke • Kittson County Central • Northern Freeze • Sacred Heart • Stephen-Argyle |
With the elimination of Northern Plains A, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River moves to the Top of the State. Win-E-Mac moves to North Tri-County. |
Tri-Metro East | Subdivision | • Brooklyn Center • Concordia Academy • New Life Academy • St. Agnes • St. Anthony • St. Croix |
New Life Academy and St. Agnes migrate from the Minnesota Christian Conference. |
Tri-Metro West | Subdivision | • Blake • Breck • DeLaSalle • Minnehaha Academy • St. Paul Academy • Providence Academy/Heritage |
Providence Academy/Heritage comes in from the Minnesota Christian Conference. |
West Central North | Realigned | • Albany • Melrose • Minnewaska • Montevideo • New London-Spicer • Sauk Centre |
Foley, Milaca, Mora and St. Cloud Cathedral leave to join the new Granite Ridge Conference. Montevideo and Minnewaska come from the West Central South. |
West Central South | Realigned | • Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City • Benson • B.O.L.D • Lac qui Parle • Morris • Paynesville • Yellow Medicine |
Minnewaska and Montevideo shift to the West Central North. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle heads to the Prairie North Conference. |
Wright County | Realigned | • Annandale • Dassel-Cokato • Delano • Glencoe-Silver Lake • Hutchinson • Litchfield • Mound-Westonka • Orono • Waconia |
Watertown-Mayer leaves Wright County for the Minnesota River Conference. |
Tag(s): Featured MSHSL Districts Central Lakes Central Minnesota Gopher Valley A Independent Minnesota River Mississippi 8 Pheasant North Prairie North Big North Top of the State Tri-Metro West West Central North West Central South Wright County Gopher Valley AA North Tri-County North Star East North Star West Heart O'Lakes - Classic Heart O'Lakes - North Hiawatha Valley - Blue Hiawatha Valley - Gold Pheasant South Prairie South Tri-Metro