The Lakeland Conference is an athletic conference for high schools in southwest Michigan in the United States. Founded in 2022 with the inaugural season of play in 2022-2023, the conference is a reboot of the old Lakeland Athletic Conference to which it shares a similar geographic footprint, school membership and historic rivalries.[2][3]
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| Conference | Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)[1][failed verification] |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2022 |
| No. of teams | 4 Class B, 1 Class C |
| Region | Southwest Michigan |
Sponsored sports
editThe league offers competition in nine boys' and eight girls' sports.
Boys
editBaseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling
Sports by school
edit| School | Baseball | Basketball | Cross Country | Football | Golf | Soccer | Tennis | Track & Field | Wrestling |
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| Benton Harbor |  |
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| Berrien Springs | |
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| Buchanan | |
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| Dowagiac | |
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| Niles Brandywine | |
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Girls
editBasketball, Competitive Cheerleading, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Sports by school
edit| School | Basketball | Competitive Cheer | Cross Country | Soccer | Softball | Tennis | Track & Field | Volleyball |
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| Benton Harbor | |
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| Berrien Springs | |
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| Buchanan | |
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| Dowagiac | |
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| Niles Brandywine | |
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Member schools
editThere are currently five member schools. The geographic footprint of the league includes Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan.
Current members
editSchool data in the table below is current for the 2023-24 season according to the MHSAA website.[4]
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Enrollment | Class | Affiliation | Joined | Previous Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Harbor | Benton Harbor | Tigers | Orange & Black | 528 | B | Public | 2022 | Independent |
| Berrien Springs | Berrien Springs | Shamrocks | Green & White | 554 | B | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Buchanan | Buchanan | Bucks | Maroon & White | 398 | B | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Niles Brandywine | Niles Township | Bobcats | Maroon & Gold | 348 | C | Public | 2022 | BCS League |
| Dowagiac | Dowagiac | Chieftains | Orange & Black | 517 | B | Public | 2022 | Wolverine Conference |
Former members
edit| School | Location | Joined | Previous Conference | Departed | Successive Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Membership Timeline
edit
Conference championships
editBaseball
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ||
Boys Basketball
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Benton Harbor | 22-2[5] |
Girls Basketball
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Buchanan | 8-0[6] |
Boys Cross Country
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Berrien Springs[7] | 4-0 |
Girls Cross Country
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Buchanan[7] | 4-0 |
Football
editBoys Soccer
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Dowagiac[10] | 3-0 |
Girls Soccer
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Berrien Springs[11] | 4-0 |
Softball
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
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| 2023 | Buchanan[12] | 8-0 |
Volleyball
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Buchanan[13] | 4-0 |
Wrestling
edit| Season | School | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Niles Brandywine | 5-0[14] |
State championships
editSchools that have participated in MHSAA state championship finals while being members of the Lakeland Conference.
| TBD | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Year | School | Division |
| n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
References
edit- ↑ "About". Michigan High School Athletic Association.
- ↑ "New athletic conference gets the go-ahead from school boards". December 17, 2021.
- ↑ Walkden, Jack. "Dowagiac to leave Wolverine Conference". South Bend Tribune.
- ↑ "2023-24 MHSAA Enrollment List. Procedures for determining classification are outlined on pages 104 - 105 of the MHSAA Handbook" (PDF). www.mhsaa.com. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ↑ "Benton Harbor edges Brandywine; Bobcat girls rout Tigers". February 19, 2023.
- ↑ "Faith Carson carries No. 7 Buchanan girls past No. 9 Brandywine Thursday night".
- 1 2 Staff Report (October 23, 2022). "Buchanan, Berrien wins Lakeland crowns". Leader Publications.
- ↑ STAFF, HP. "High school football: Buchanan tops Benton Harbor, clinches Lakeland title". The Herald Palladium.
- ↑ Staff Report (October 15, 2022). "Roundup: Bucks win Lakeland Conference title; Bobcats fall to Shamrocks". Leader Publications.
- ↑ Novak, Scott (October 6, 2022). "UPDATED: Roundup: Dowagiac, Edwardsburg wins conference championships". Leader Publications.
- ↑ "Roundup: Chieftains, Eddies fall in conference matches". May 5, 2023.
- ↑ "Roundup: Bucks win Lakeland championship; baseball falls in 11 innings". May 5, 2023.
- ↑ Novak, Scott (October 24, 2022). "Buchanan tops Dowagiac for Lakeland crown". Leader Publications.
- ↑ "Roundup: Bobcats win Lakeland title; Eddies have pair of Wolverine champs". February 6, 2023.