{{Short description|Former Michigan high school athletic conference}} The '''Gogebic Range Conference''' is a former high school athletic conference with most of its members located in the upper peninsula of Michigan and one in Wisconsin. Founded in 1980 and disbanded in 1986, conference members belonged to the Michigan High School Athletic Association and Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
== History == {{OSM Location map | title = | coord = {{coord|46.5000|-90.1000}} | float = right | zoom = 9 <!--(1=wisconsin, 18=a street)--> | width = 250 | height = 250 | mark-size1=10 | mark-title1=Bessemer | mark-coord1={{coord|46.4815|-90.0529}} | mark-description1=Location: | shape-color1=#002d6c | shape1=circle | mark-title2=Hurley | mark-coord2={{coord|46.4560|-90.2018}} | mark-description2=Location: | shape-color2=#ff8200 | shape2=circle | mark-title3=Ironwood | mark-coord3={{coord|46.4587|-90.1583}} | mark-description3=Location: | shape-color3=#ba0c2f | shape3=circle | mark-title4=Wakefield | mark-coord4={{coord|46.4778|-89.9357}} | mark-description4=Location: | shape-color4=#9d2235 | shape4=circle | caption = Location of Gogebic Range Conference Members | auto-caption= | wrap=wrap}} The Gogebic Range Conference, named after the region in which its member schools were located, was formed in 1980 by four former members of the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference: Bessemer, Hurley, Ironwood and Wakefield.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=21 January 1980 |title=Torrid Teams Tangle in Tuesday Feature |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/4721772/?match=1&terms=%22gogebic%20range%20conference%22 |access-date=21 October 2025 |work=Ironwood Daily Globe |pages=8}}</ref> For the three Michigan-based schools, this was a dual affiliation: Bessemer and Wakefield were part of the Great Western Conference<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Bessemer Speedboys |url=https://michigan-football.com/t/bessemer.htm |access-date=21 October 2025 |website=Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Wakefield Cardinals |url=https://michigan-football.com/t/wakefeld.htm |access-date=21 October 2025 |website=Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse}}</ref> while Ironwood was affiliated with the Superior Six Conference.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=Ironwood Red Devils |url=https://michigan-football.com/t/ironwood.htm |access-date=21 October 2025 |website=Michigan High School Football Data Warehouse}}</ref> Hurley's sole affiliation was with the Gogebic Range,<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Hurley High School Boys Basketball Records |url=https://4.files.edl.io/5327/03/15/25/155927-a3b91ddb-76eb-473b-950d-1fa5848e6696.pdf |access-date=21 October 2025 |website=Hurley School District}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Hurley High School Football Records |url=https://4.files.edl.io/acbb/06/26/25/232753-00797b99-0274-4f9d-9fc6-d50df84e8f66.pdf |access-date=21 October 2025 |website=Hurley School District}}</ref> as they had left the WIAA's Lumberjack Conference after the 1979-80 school year.<ref name=":2" /> The Gogebic Range Conference was disbanded in 1986 after Hurley's exit to become members of the Indianhead Conference of the WIAA. The three Michigan-based schools continued their previous affiliations.{{clear}}
== Conference membership history == {| class="wikitable sortable" !School !Location !Affiliation !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |- |'''Bessemer''' |Bessemer, MI |Public |Speedboys |{{color box|002d6c}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1980<ref name=":2" /> |1986<ref name=":3" /> |Great Western |Independent |- |'''Hurley''' |Hurley, WI |Public |Midgets |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ff8200}} |1980<ref name=":2" /> |1986<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> | colspan="2" |Northern Lights (WIAA) |- |'''Ironwood''' |Ironwood, MI |Public |Red Devils |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |1980<ref name=":2" /> |1986<ref name=":5" /> |Superior Six |Independent |- |'''Wakefield''' |Wakefield, MI |Public |Cardinals |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |1980<ref name=":2" /> |1986<ref name=":4" /> |Great Western |Independent |}
== Membership timeline == <timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:24 Period = from:1980 till:1986 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white
PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1980 till:1986 text:Bessemer (1980-1986) bar:2 color:tan1 from:1980 till:1986 text:Hurley (1980-1986) bar:3 color:tan1 from:1980 till:1986 text:Ironwood (1980-1986) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1980 till:1986 text:Wakefield (1980-1986)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:1980
</timeline>
== List of conference champions ==
=== Boys Basketball === {| class="wikitable" !School !Quantity !Years |- | style="background: black; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #ff8200, inset -2px -2px 0 #ff8200;" |'''Hurley''' |3 |1981, 1982, 1983 |- | style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;" |'''Ironwood''' |2 |1984, 1985 |- | style="background: #002d6c; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #ffc72c, inset -2px -2px 0 #ffc72c;" |'''Bessemer''' |1 |1986 |- | style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;" |'''Wakefield''' | | |}
=== Football === {| class="wikitable" !School !Quantity !Years |- | style="background: #002d6c; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #ffc72c, inset -2px -2px 0 #ffc72c;" |'''Bessemer''' |3 |1980, 1981, 1985 |- | style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;" |'''Ironwood''' |3 |1982, 1983, 1984 |- | style="background: black; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #ff8200, inset -2px -2px 0 #ff8200;" |'''Hurley''' | | |- | style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #000000, inset -2px -2px 0 #000000;" |'''Wakefield''' | | |} == References == <!-- Inline citations added to your article will automatically display here. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --> {{reflist}}
Category:Michigan high school sports conferences Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences Category:1980 establishments in Michigan Category:1980 establishments in Wisconsin Category:1986 disestablishments in Michigan