Northern Indiana Valley Conference
The Northern Indiana Valley Conference was an IHSAA sactioned conference in the South Bend/Mishawaka metropolitan area. The conference began as the St. Joseph County Conference in 1932, made up of county schools and South Bend schools not in the Northern Indiana Conference. Smaller county schools consolidated and moved to different conferences with more similar-sized schools, and by 1966 the county league was down to four members. The league decided to take in the two county Catholic schools, Marian and St. Joseph, that next year, and rebranded as the NIVC. The league took a hard hits beginning in 1974. Penn was accepted into the NIC, it was announced South Bend Jackson would close after the school year, and the league stopped sponsoring football. South Bend LaSalle were invited to replace LaPorte in the NIC in 1976, though they, like Penn, played in both leagues where schedules permitted. However, when Clay joined the NIC in 1978, the schools broke off their relationship with the Catholic schools. Marian and St. Joseph continued on as independents for the next 27 years. Ironically, with LaSalle closing in 2002, the NIC discussed expanding beyond its seven schools, and took on both of the Catholic schools in 2005, which means every school in the NIVC at its folding eventually was absorbed into the NIC.
Membership
All schools located in St. Joseph County.
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Year Joined | Previous Conference | Year Left | Conference Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Greene Township | Crumstown | Bulldogs | 1932 | 1965 | none (consolidated into Walkerton | ||
Lakeville | Lakeville | Trojans | 1932 | 1965 | none (consolidated into LaVille | ||
Madison Township | Wyatt | Panthers | 1932 | 1964 | none (consolidated into Penn) | ||
New Carlisle | New Carlisle | Tigers | 1932 | 1966 | Northern State | ||
North Liberty | North Liberty | Shamrocks | 1932 | 1966 | Northern State | ||
South Bend Wilson | South Bend | Presidents | 1932 | 1950 | none (school closed) | ||
Walkerton | Walkerton | Indians | 1932 | 1966 | none (consolidated into Glenn | ||
South Bend Clay1 | South Bend | Colonials | 1939 1963 |
none (new school) Northern State |
1958 1978 |
Northern State Northern Indiana | |
Penn2 | Mishawaka | Kingsmen | 1958 | none (new school) | 1978 | Northern Indiana | |
South Bend Jackson | South Bend | Tigers | 1965 | none (new school) | 1975 | none (school closed) | |
South Bend LaSalle3 | South Bend | Lions | 1965 | none (new school) | 1978 | Northern Indiana | |
Mishawaka Marian | Mishawaka | Knights | 1967 | Independents | 1978 | Independents (NIC 2005) | |
South Bend St. Joseph's |
South Bend | Indians | 1967 | Independents | 1978 | Independents (NIC 2005) |
- Was Washington-Clay until 1953
- Concurrent in NIVC and NIC 1974-78.
- Concurrent in NIVC and NIC 1976-78.
Conference Champions (Football)
- 1967 - Mishawaka Marian (5-0)
- 1968 - South Bend St. Joseph's (4-1)
- 1969 - Mishawaka Marian (5-0)
- 1970 - Mishawaka Marian (5-0)
- 1971 - Mishawaka Marian (5-0)
- 1972 - South Bend St. Joseph's (5-0)
- 1973 - South Bend St. Joseph's (5-0)
Related links
- Northern Indiana Football History
- Indiana High School Athletic Association
- List of high school athletic conferences in Indiana
- Indiana big school football champions