North Central Conference (Iowa)

The North Central Conference (NCC) is an athletic conference comprising eight high schools located in North Central Iowa. The member schools are classified as 3A (the second largest classification in Iowa), 2A, and 1A (the smallest classification). Established in 1925, the conference boasts a rich history and numerous intense rivalries.

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North Central Conference School Locations

North Central Conference

Conference	IHSAA / IGHSAU
Founded	1925
Sports fielded	18
No. of teams	8
Region	North central Iowa
Official website	www.northcentralconf.org

Historically, the North Central Conference has maintained its status as an eight-team league. The participating schools include Algona, Clarion, Clear Lake, Eagle Grove, Hampton, Humboldt, Iowa Falls, and Webster City. In the 1980s, both Hampton and Clarion initiated whole grade-sharing agreements with smaller adjacent districts, leading to the formation of Hampton–Dumont and Clarion–Goldfield, respectively.

During the 1993–94 academic year, the conference welcomed two prominent Catholic institutions: Bishop Garrigan from Algona and St. Edmond from Fort Dodge.

In 2004, Iowa Falls and Alden began whole grade-sharing, followed by Clarion-Goldfield and Dows in 2005. The latter two eventually consolidated to form Clarion–Goldfield–Dows in 2014.

In 2012, Humboldt and Twin Rivers entered into a whole grade-sharing agreement. Additionally, Algona and Titonka began whole grade-sharing in 2012, culminating in their consolidation in 2014. Lu Verne also initiated a whole grade-sharing arrangement with Algona in 2015. Furthermore, Webster City and Northeast Hamilton began a whole grade-sharing agreement in 2015.

The longstanding affiliations of member schools with the conference have recently been challenged by the significant differences in school sizes, prompting concern among league members. CAL (in Latimer) began a whole grade-sharing with Hampton–Dumont in 2018.

In October 2012, Bishop Garrigan Catholic explored the option of joining the North Iowa Conference. By December 2012, the NIC approved Bishop Garrigan's application, and the transition was finalized in 2014.

On December 10, 2012, the Eagle Grove Community School Board voted to pursue membership in the North Iowa Conference, a decision that received approval from the NIC. Clarion–Goldfield–Dows has also engaged in discussions regarding NIC membership, although no formal steps have been taken by CGD. Other institutions within the NCC, including Iowa Falls-Alden, Hampton–Dumont, and St. Edmond, at one point expressed interest in potentially departing from the NCC.

In February 2013, the superintendents of the NCC voted unanimously, with results of 9–0 and 8–0, to implement divisional play. This structure will feature a large school division and a small school division, categorized by enrollment numbers. In sports such as basketball, baseball, and softball, teams will compete against schools within their own division twice, as well as against schools in the opposite division twice. This initiative aims to maintain cohesion among the remaining eight NCC teams while also attracting nearby schools to join the league. The large school division comprises Webster City, Algona, Humboldt, and Iowa Falls-Alden, while the small school division includes Clear Lake, Hampton–Dumont, Clarion–Goldfield–Dows, and St. Edmond.

In July 2024, it was announced that the Charles City Community School would serve as a non-voting member of the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years, transitioning to full membership in the 2027-28 school year. In their initial two years, they will participate in all NCC sports with the exception of volleyball, as well as girls' and boys' basketball, baseball, and softball.

Charles City will be the first new addition to the North Central Conference since St. Edmond and Bishop Garrigan became members in 1993, with Bishop Garrigan departing alongside Eagle Grove after the 2013-14 school year.

On Monday, November 11, 2024, the school boards of Eagle Grove, Forest City, and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura made the decision to join the North Central Conference. The Eagle Grove board approved rejoining the NCC with a unanimous 5-0 vote, contingent upon the affirmative votes from Forest City and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura. The Forest City board voted 7-0 in favor of joining the NCC, while the Garner-Hayfield-Ventura board voted 3-2 against it.

On Wednesday, November 13, 2024, the Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Community School announced that it would reconsider its decision regarding joining the NCC. They have until December 1, 2024, to cast a new vote; if they do not, the NCC will proceed with the addition of other schools to achieve a total of 12 members, enabling the conference to establish two divisions, named tradition and pride, based on the size of each institution.

Member schools

Institution	Location	Affiliation	2023-2024 BEDS	Mascot	Colors
Tradition Division
Webster City	Webster City	Public	407	Lynx
Charles City	Charles City	Public	383	Comets
Humboldt	Humboldt	Public	350	Wildcats
Algona	Algona	Public	352	Bulldogs
Hampton-Dumont/CAL	Hampton	Public	344	Bulldogs
Clear Lake	Clear Lake	Public	356	Lions
Pride Division
Iowa Falls	Iowa Falls	Public	283	Cadets
Forest City	Forest City	Public	239	Indians
Clarion–Goldfield–Dows	Clarion	Public	229	Cowboys
Eagle Grove	Eagle Grove	Public	249	Eagles
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura	Garner	Public	223	Cardinals
St. Edmond	Fort Dodge	Private	118	Gaels

Former member

Institution	Location	Mascot	Colors	Affiliation	Current Conference
Bishop Garrigan Catholic	Algona	Golden Bears		Private	Top of Iowa Conference

Future members

Institution	Location	Mascot	Colors	Affiliation	Current Conference	Year Joining
Eagle Grove	Eagle Grove	Eagles		Public	Top of Iowa Conference	2026-2027
Forest City	Forest City	Indians		Public	Top of Iowa Conference	2026-2027
Garner	Garner	Cardinals		Public	Top of Iowa Conference	2026-2027
Charles City	Charles City	Comets		Public	Northeast Iowa Conference	2025-2026

RED - Awaiting a probable affirmative vote for the invitation

Membership timeline

External links

• Official site