Tri-County Conference (Michigan) Explained

The Tri-County Conference (TCC) is an MHSAA athletic league currently located in Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe Counties.

Member schools

Current members

The following schools are currently members:[1]

SchoolNicknameLocationClassEnrollmentColorsJoinedPrevious Conference
Adrian Lenawee ChristianCougarsAdrianD1382023Independent
Britton DeerfieldPatriotsBrittonD1382011None (school opened)
Erie MasonEaglesErie TownshipC3732020Lenawee County Athletic Association
MorenciBulldogsMorenciD1651981Lenawee County Athletic Association
Ottawa Lake WhitefordBobcats Whiteford TownshipC2641975Michigan-Ohio Border Conference
Petersburg SummerfieldBulldogsSummerfield TownshipD1721973River Raisin Conference
Sand CreekAggiesMadison TownshipC2711975Lenawee County Athletic Association
Notes:

Former members

SchoolNicknameLocationJoinedPrevious ConferenceDepartedSuccessive Conference
Ann Arbor Father Gabriel RichardFighting IrishAnn Arbor Township1973Catholic High School League1976Independent
Britton-MaconToriesBritton1973River Raisin Conference2011None (school consolidated)
DeerfieldMinutemenDeerfield1973River Raisin Conference2011None (school consolidated)
Whitmore LakeTrojans Northfield Township1973Independent2019Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
ClintonRedskinsClinton2007Lenawee County Athletic Association2020Lenawee County Athletic Association
Adrian MadisonTrojansMadison Township1973River Raisin Conference2023Lenawee County Athletic Association
PittsfordWildcatsPittsford Township2020Southern Central Athletic Association2023Southern Central Athletic Association
Notes:

History

The league began with the 1973-74 sports season.[2] The charter members were Britton-Macon, Deerfield, and Madison in Lenawee Country, St. Thomas (Now Father Gabriel Richard) and Whitmore Lake in Washtenaw County, and Summerfield in Monroe County. Whiteford would leave the Michigan-Ohio Border Conference and Sand Creek would leave the Lenawee County Athletic Association (LCAA) to join the TCC beginning in the 1975-76 sports season, while St. Thomas would depart to be an independent at the conclusion of the season. Morenci would leave the LCAA and join the conference in 1981. In 2007, Clinton would also leave the LCAA to join the conference. This would give the TCC 9 member schools at one time.[3]

Britton-Macon and Deerfield combined all sports starting with the 2009-10 sports season, although they already were combining some sports for several years. Their districts combined on July 1, 2011 into the Britton Deerfield School District.[4]

In 2018, Whitmore Lake elected to leave the conference in favor of joining the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference for the 2019-2020 season.[5] However, Erie Mason was invited to join the TCC in its place beginning in the 2020-21 athletic year.[6]

In 2019, Clinton announced it would depart the conference and return to LCAA beginning in the 2020-21 athletic year.[7] To take their place, Pittsford announced they would join the league as an associate member in football, wrestling, and bowling. This move came as a result of every other member of the Southern Central Athletic Association (SCAA) moving to 8-man football. Pittsford would remain in the SCAA for all other sports.[8]

In 2020, Britton Deerfield announced that they would be dropping down to 8-man football, due a lack of numbers in the program. In 2021, they would form the Tri-River 8 Conference, an 8-man football only conference, along with 4 other schools.[9]

After the conclusion of the 2021 football season, both Morenci[10] and Pittsford[11] announced they would be transitioning to 8-man football for the 2022 season, both due to a lack of numbers within their respective programs. Morenci will join the Tri-River 8 Conference and Pittsford will return to the SCAA's 8-man conference in 2022, remaining a TCC member in bowling only.

On June 27, 2022 the Madison board of education voted to leave the conference after the 2022-23 school year to join the Lenawee County Athletic Association.[12] Concurrently, the league began discussions with the Toledo Area Athletic Conference about a possible merger.[13] Following the announcement of Madison's departure, Lenawee Christian would apply for membership and would be accepted into the conference, beginning with the 2023-24 school year.

At the conclusion of the 2023 football regular season, Sand Creek announced their intention to join the Big "8" Conference as a football-only member beginning in 2024, remaining in the TCC for all other sports. As a result of this decision, the TCC will only have three 11-man football members: Erie Mason, Summerfield, and Whiteford.[14]

Football

This list goes through the 2023 season.[15]

Team DRL Championships
1 Sand Creek 1977, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991-1993, 2004-2008, 2011
2 Morenci 1982, 1983, 1986, 1990, 1995-1997, 2001, 2003
3 Britton-Macon 1974, 1976, 1979, 1981, 1998-2000
Petersburg Summerfield 1978, 1980-1982, 1986, 1989, 2010
Clinton 2007, 2009, 2012-2015, 2019
6 Ottawa Lake Whiteford 1994, 2016-2018, 2021-2023
7 Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard 1973, 1975
Deerfield 1973, 1979
Whitmore Lake 1986, 2002
10 Erie-Mason 2020
11 Britton Deerfield
Adrian Madison
Pittsford

References

Tri-County Conference Historian Blog History, Records, Daily Update Blog by TCC Historian

Notes and References

  1. http://www.mhsaa.com/AbouttheMHSAA/LeaguesConferences/LeagueMembership/tabid/481/Default.aspx?Leagueid=6990 Tri-County Conference membership
  2. Web site: Home . tricountyconference.wordpress.com.
  3. Web site: TCC History. 25 July 2019 .
  4. Web site: Britton Building . 2012-12-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130627090640/http://www.bdschools.us/schools/britton.html . 2013-06-27 . Britton-Deerfield Schools
  5. Web site: Whitmore Lake reportedly leaving the Tri-County Conference for 2019-20 school year. 9 November 2018.
  6. Web site: Erie Mason invited to join the Tri-County Conference. 7 February 2019.
  7. Web site: And then there was seven – Clinton to leave TCC to join LCAA. 21 May 2019.
  8. Web site: Pittsford to join TCC for football. 31 October 2019.
  9. Web site: Downsizing football: Britton Deerfield moving to 8-man. 23 December 2020.
  10. Web site: Morenci moving to 8-man football. 2 November 2021.
  11. Web site: Pittsford announces move to 8-player football in 2022. 7 October 2021.
  12. Web site: Madison officially moving from TCC to LCAA in 2023-24. June 28, 2022.
  13. Web site: Monroe. Mark. Meeting held between TAAC and Tri-County Conference about possible merger. . June 28, 2022. June 29, 2022.
  14. Web site: Sand Creek set to leave TCC to join Big 8 for football only in 2024. 27 October 2023.
  15. Web site: TCC Champion List. tricountyconference. October 2019. 30 July 2023.