Conference called: Northern Illinois Big 12 to combine NCIC, Western Sun

LASALLE – Dixon, Sterling and five other schools said so long Monday morning to the North Central Illinois Conference.

The Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference made its official debut in a classroom at LaSalle-Peru High School. The new league features the six schools from the NCIC Reagan division, new NCIC addition Morris, and five schools leaving the three-year-old Western Sun Conference.

“I feel really good about this,” said Jerry Binder, human resources director at Sterling High School. “This conference has the potential to be together for a really long time.”

The NCIC had been the oldest continuous conference in Illinois, with the same 12 teams comprising the league from 1964 to 2006. Since then, Rochelle and Kewanee have left, with Morris and Illinois Valley Central replacing them.

The NCIC name will remain with the five schools currently in the NCIC Lincoln division: Rock Falls, Hall, IVC, Mendota and Princeton, as well as future addition St. Bede.

“It’s kind of sad that we’re leaving the NCIC,” Sterling activities director Nathan DeLany said. “But if you look around, DeKalb was an original NCIC member. Rochelle has a long history with the NCIC. I think getting those teams back together is one of the neater things about this process.”

The Northern Illinois Big 12, like the recent edition of the NCIC, will be split into two six-team divisions. Dixon, Geneseo, LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, Sterling and Streator will be in the West division, with DeKalb, Kaneland, Morris, Rochelle, Sycamore and Yorkville in the East.

Most team sports will feature a champion in each division. Wrestling, cross country, golf, and track and field will see the return of 12-team conference tournaments.

“It almost makes too much sense,” Dixon principal Mike Grady said. “We have the familiarity with the NCIC Reagan teams, and some of the facilities and schools on the east side are just outstanding. It’s an exciting day for everybody.”

The 12 schools joined forces because of enrollment and competitive disparities in their current conferences, as well as additional educational opportunities the new partnership should provide.

“These schools all share the same interests and the same issues,” Binder said. “We’re going to see more music festivals, art festivals, leadership conferences – things that we couldn’t necessarily do before.”