Across the Bay Conference
The Across the Bay Conference is a high school football conference consisting of small high schools in northeastern Wisconsin. It was founded in 2022 and is affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
The Across the Bay Conference was formed in 2022 as part of the biannual realignment of Wisconsin's high school football conferences by the WIAA in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association.[1] All eight original members (Algoma, Gibraltar, Gillett, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, NEW Lutheran/Oneida Nation/Providence Academy, Sevastopol, Suring and Wausaukee) were previously part of the Marinette & Oconto-Northern Lakes-Packerland Conference (MONLPC) eight-player football conference, with six of the eight members playing in the conference's East Division.[2][3] It was originally called the Peninsula Conference because of its proximity to the Door Peninsula, a name that was previously used by an athletic conference that existed from 1933 to 1970 in northeastern Wisconsin. In 2024, the Peninsula name was dropped and the conference was rechristened the Across the Bay Conference.[4] Wausaukee was shifted to the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference as part of the realignment.[5]
For the 2026-27 competition cycle, the Across the Bay Conference is losing three schools (Gillett, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas and Suring) to the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference, and the NEW Lutheran cooperative will be losing Oneida Nation to its own stand-alone football program. Two schools will be moving over from the Southeast 8-Player Football Conference (Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah and Valley Christian in Oshkosh) to replace them, and the Across the Bay will be entering into a crossover scheduling alliance with the Northeast 8-Player Football Conference.[6]
List of conference members
Current members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algoma | Algoma, WI | Public | 228[7] | Wolves | 2022 | Packerland | |
| Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah | Elkhart Lake, WI | Public | 146[8] | Resorters | 2026 | Big East | |
| Gibraltar | Fish Creek, WI | Public | 154[9] | Vikings | 2022 | Packerland | |
| N.E.W. Lutheran/ Providence Academy |
Green Bay, WI | Private (Lutheran), Private (Christian) | 181[10][11] | Blazers | 2026 | Packerland | |
| Oneida Nation | Oneida, WI | Federal (Tribal) | 156[12] | Thunderhawks | 2026 | Marinette & Oconto | |
| Sevastopol | Sturgeon Bay, WI | Public | 180[13] | Pioneers | 2022 | Packerland | |
| Valley Christian | Oshkosh, WI | Private (Christian) | 198[14] | Warriors | 2026 | Trailways |
Former members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Mascot | Colors | Seasons | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillett | Gillett, WI | Public | Tigers | 2022-2025 | Marinette & Oconto | |
| Lena/ St. Thomas Aquinas |
Lena, WI | Public, Private (Catholic) | Titans | 2022-2025 | Marinette & Oconto | |
| N.E.W. Lutheran/ Oneida Nation/ Providence Academy |
Green Bay, WI | Private (Lutheran), Federal (Tribal), Private (Christian) | Blazers | 2022-2025 | Packerland, Marinette & Oconto | |
| Suring | Suring, WI | Public | Eagles | 2022-2025 | Marinette & Oconto | |
| Wausaukee | Wausaukee, WI | Public | Rangers | 2022-2023 | Marinette & Oconto |
Membership timeline
List of conference champions
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lena/ St. Thomas Aquinas |
2 | 2023, 2025 |
| Algoma | 1 | 2024 |
| Gibraltar | 1 | 2022 |
| Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah | 0 | |
| Gillett | 0 | |
| N.E.W. Lutheran/ Providence Academy |
0 | |
| N.E.W. Lutheran/ Oneida Nation/ Providence Academy |
0 | |
| Oneida Nation | 0 | |
| Sevastopol | 0 | |
| Suring | 0 | |
| Valley Christian | 0 | |
| Wausaukee | 0 |
References
- ↑ "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "WFCA Eight Player Conference Alignment" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 20 May 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 8-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "Peninsula Conference Renamed Across the Bay". Door County Pulse. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 8-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "2026 - 27 Conference Realignment – 8-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ↑ "Algoma". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Gibraltar". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Providence Academy (Green Bay)". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Oneida Nation". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
- ↑ "Sevastopol". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 24 January 2026.
- ↑ "Valley Christian (Oshkosh)". WIAA School Database. Retrieved 25 August 2026.