Northern Hills Conference: A History of Northern New Jersey High School Athletics
The Northern Hills Conference served as a prominent athletic organization for nineteen private and public high schools across Northern New Jersey. Spanning three key regions—Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties—the conference provided a structured competitive environment for student-athletes before a major statewide realignment.
Conference Structure and Membership
To manage its diverse membership, the Northern Hills Conference was organized into two distinct divisions: the Skyline and the Suburban. The conference consisted of nineteen member schools, an uneven total that stemmed from a specific shift in membership.
The Passaic County Technical Institute joined the conference after previously spending years in the Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League. This move was driven by the school's classification as a Group IV institution (a designation based on school size), which made it an outlier in its previous league, which consisted primarily of Group I and Group II schools.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]The NJSIAA Realignment and Dissolution
The Northern Hills Conference eventually ceased operations due to a comprehensive realignment of athletic conferences mandated by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), the governing body for high school sports in the state.
The dissolution saw member schools redistributed into three new regional conferences based on their county locations:
- Passaic County schools merged with members of the North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League and former Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) schools from Passaic and Bergen counties to form the Big North Conference.
- Essex County schools combined with institutions from the Iron Hills, Colonial Hills, NNJIL, and Watchung Conferences to establish the Super Essex Conference.
- Morris County schools joined members of the Iron Hills Conference and the Sussex County Interscholastic League to create the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.
Key Facts
- Total Members: 19 private and public high schools.
- Geographic Reach: Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties in Northern New Jersey.
- Divisions: Skyline and Suburban.
- Catalyst for Change: NJSIAA conference realignment.
- Successor Conferences: Big North, Super Essex, and Northwest Jersey Athletic Conferences.
| Original County | New Conference Affiliation | Partnering Leagues/Conferences |
|---|---|---|
| Passaic | Big North Conference | North Bergen Interscholastic Athletic League, NNJIL |
| Essex | Super Essex Conference | Iron Hills, Colonial Hills, NNJIL, Watchung |
| Morris | Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference | Iron Hills, Sussex County Interscholastic League |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools were members of the Northern Hills Conference?
The conference consisted of nineteen private and public high schools.
Which counties were represented in the conference?
The member schools were located in Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties in Northern New Jersey.
Why did the Passaic County Technical Institute join the conference?
The school joined because it was a Group IV school and had been the only one of its size in the Bergen-Passaic Scholastic League, which was mostly composed of Group I and Group II schools.
What were the two divisions of the Northern Hills Conference?
The conference was split into the Skyline and Suburban divisions.
What caused the Northern Hills Conference to split up?
The conference was dissolved as a result of a realignment of conferences by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).