View source for Northeast Eight Conference

{{Short description|Athletic conference in Indiana, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox sports league
| name            = Northeast Eight Conference
| founded         = 1989 <br/> As Northeast Hoosier Conference <br/> 2014 <br/> As Northeast Eight Conference
| dissolved       = 2013 <br/> (Northeast Hoosier Conference)
| teams           = 8; 6 Class 4A, 2 Class 3A
| region          = 7 Counties: [[Adams County, Indiana|Adams]], [[Allen County, Indiana|Allen]], [[DeKalb County, Indiana|DeKalb]], [[Huntington County, Indiana|Huntington]], [[Noble County, Indiana|Noble]], [[Wells County, Indiana|Wells]], and [[Whitley County, Indiana|Whitley]], [[Indiana]]
| title           = Northeast Eight Conference
| map             = Image:Indiana (NE8).png
| map_size        = 240px
}}
An eight-member [[Indiana High School Athletic Association|IHSAA]]-Sanctioned Athletic Conference within the Northeastern Indiana counties of [[Adams County, IN|Adams]], [[Allen County, IN|Allen]], [[DeKalb County, IN|DeKalb]], [[Huntington County, IN|Huntington]], [[Noble County, IN|Noble]], [[Wells County, IN|Wells]], and [[Whitley County, IN|Whitley]]. The conference was started in 1989 as the '''Northeast Hoosier Conference''' when six schools from the [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference]] ([[Bellmont High School|Bellmont]], [[Columbia City High School|Columbia City]], [[DeKalb High School (Indiana)|DeKalb]], [[East Noble High School|East Noble]], [[Homestead High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)|Homestead]], and [[New Haven High School (Indiana)|New Haven]]) joined with two schools from the [[Allen County Athletic Conference]] ([[Carroll High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)|Fort Wayne Carroll]] and [[Norwell High School (Indiana)|Norwell]]). When the smaller six schools decided to pull out of the conference in 2015, the conference essentially ceased to exist, forcing the much larger Carroll and Homestead into joining the [[Summit Athletic Conference (IHSAA)|Summit Athletic Conference]]. The remaining schools, while settling on the current league name, added Huntington North of the [[North Central Conference (IHSAA)|North Central Conference]] and Leo of the [[Allen County Athletic Conference]], who are more similar in size to the rest of the schools. While the six NEHC schools technically dropped out, they never actually left the league, having succeeded in forcing out the two large Fort Wayne schools, ended up staying in the league. This is not an unheard of tactic, as most notably Ohio's [[Chagrin Valley Conference]] pulled virtually the same move around the same time.

==Membership==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! School
! Location
! Mascot
! Colors
! Enrollment [https://www.ihsaa.org/sites/default/files/documents/Boys%20Basketball%20Classifications%20for%202024-25%20and%202025-26.pdf] <br /> 24-25
! [[Indiana High School Athletic Association|IHSAA]] Class/Football Class
! # / County
! Year joined
! Previous conference
|-
| [[Bellmont High School|Bellmont]]
| [[Decatur, IN|Decatur]]
| Braves
| {{color box|crimson|border=silver}} {{color box|navy|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 610
| 3A/3A
| [[Adams County, IN|01 <br /> Adams]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
|-
| [[Columbia City High School|Columbia <br /> City]]
| [[Columbia City, IN|Columbia City]]
| Eagles
| {{color box|maroon|border=silver}} {{color box|gold|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 1,162
| 3A/4A
| [[Whitley County, IN|92 <br /> Whitley]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
|-
| [[DeKalb High School (Indiana)|DeKalb]]
| [[Waterloo, IN|Waterloo]]
| Barons
| {{color box|red|border=silver}} {{color box|black|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 1,044
| 3A/4A
| [[DeKalb County, IN|17 <br /> DeKalb]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
|-
| [[East Noble High School|East <br /> Noble]]
| [[Kendallville, IN|Kendallville]]
| Knights
| {{color box|royalblue|border=silver}} {{color box|gold|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 989
| 3A/4A
| [[Noble County, IN|57 <br /> Noble]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
|-
| [[Huntington North High School|Huntington <br /> North]]
| [[Huntington, Indiana|Huntington]]
| Vikings
| {{color box|red|border=silver}} {{color box|black|border=silver}}
| 1,382
| 4A/4A
| [[Huntington County, Indiana|35<br /> Huntington]]
| 2015
| [[North Central Conference (IHSAA)|North Central]]
|-
| [[Leo Junior/Senior High School|Leo]]
| [[Leo-Cedarville, Indiana|Leo]]
| Lions
| {{color box|purple|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}} 
| 900
| 3A/4A
|[[Allen County, Indiana|02 <br /> Allen]]
|2015
| [[Allen County Athletic Conference|Allen County]]
|-
| [[New Haven High School (Indiana)|New Haven]]
| [[New Haven, IN|New Haven]]
| Bulldogs
| {{color box|purple|border=silver}} {{color box|gold|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 1,068
| 3A/4A
| [[Allen County, IN|02 <br /> Allen]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
|-
| [[Norwell High School (Indiana)|Norwell]]
| [[Ossian, IN|Ossian]]
| Knights
| {{color box|#1D2951|border=silver}} {{color box|#CFB58A|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 745
| 3A/3A
| [[Wells County, IN|90 <br /> Wells]]
| 1989
| [[Allen County Athletic Conference|Allen County]]
|}

===Former members (As Northeast Hoosier Conference)===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! School
! Location
! Mascot
! Colors
! Enrollment
! [[Indiana High School Athletic Association|IHSAA]] Class
! # / County
! Year joined
! Previous conference
! Year left
! Conference joined
|-
| [[Carroll High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)|'''<small>Fort Wayne</small> <br /> Carroll''']]
| [[Fort Wayne]]
| Chargers
| {{color box|royalblue|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 2,472
| AAAA
| [[Allen County, IN|02 <br /> Allen]]
| 1989
| [[Allen County Athletic Conference|Allen County]]
| 2015
| [[Summit Athletic Conference (IHSAA)|Summit]]
|-
| [[Homestead High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)|'''<small>Fort Wayne</small> <br /> Homestead''']]
| [[Fort Wayne]]
| Spartans
| {{color box|blue|border=silver}} {{color box|gold|border=silver}} {{color box|white|border=silver}}
| 2,502
| AAAA
| [[Allen County, IN|02 <br /> Allen]]
| 1989
| [[Northeastern Indiana Athletic Conference|Northeastern Indiana]]
| 2015
| [[Summit Athletic Conference (IHSAA)|Summit]]
|}

==State championships==

===Bellmont (8)===
* 1987 Wrestling
* 1988 Wrestling
* 1994 Wrestling
* 2007 Volleyball (3A)
* 2008 Football (3A)
* 2010 Volleyball (3A)
* 2016 Wrestling
* 2020 Wrestling

===Columbia City (1)===
1979 Football

===DeKalb (3)===

* 1980 Baseball
* 1986 Football (4A)
* 2021 Unified Flag Football

===East Noble (1)===

* 2000 Football (4A)

===Leo (6)===

* 2014 Softball (3A)
* 2012 Hockey (3A)
* 2014 Hockey (4A)
* 2016 Hockey (3A)
* 2018 Rugby (D-1)
* 2019 Rugby (D-1)

===Carroll (2)===

* 2010 Baseball (4A)
* 2011 Baseball (4A)

===Homestead (10)===

* 1983 Gymnastics
* 1984 Gymnastics
* 1985 Gymnastics
* 1990 Hockey (2A)
* 1991 Hockey (A)
* 1995 Hockey (2A)
* 1996 Gymnastics
* 1999 Gymnastics
* 2001 Gymnastics
*2015 Boys Basketball (4A)

=== Huntington North (2) ===

*1990 Girls Basketball
*1995 Girls Basketball

===New Haven (0)===

===Norwell (3)===

* 2003 Baseball (3A)
* 2007 Baseball (3A)
* 2013 Baseball (3A)

==Notable athletes==
*[[Rob Bowen]], [[Major League Baseball]] Catcher
*[[Chandler Harnish]], [Norwell] [[Northern Illinois Huskies football|Northern Illinois]], [[Indianapolis Colts]] Quarterback
*[[Jarrod Parker]], [Norwell] [[Major League Baseball]] Pitcher
*Josh VanMeter, [Norwell] [[Major League Baseball]] Second Baseman,Utility
*[[David Doster|Dave Doster]], [[New Haven High School (Indiana)|New Haven High School]], [[Major League Baseball]], [[Philadelphia Phillies]] 2nd Baseman
*[[Addison Wiley]], [Huntington North] American professional middle- and long-distance runner

== Resources ==
* [http://community.digitalsports.com/scripts/p_f_fb.asp?f=381&s=1011&cl=3001 Northeast Hoosier Conference Football]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081013165447/http://www.ihsaa.org/school_rosters_frame.htm IHSAA Conferences]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080624194937/http://www.ihsaa.org/school-directory/SchoolDirectory2.pdf IHSAA Directory]

{{Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA)}}

[[Category:Indiana high school athletic conferences]]
[[Category:High school sports conferences and leagues in the United States]]


{{Indiana-school-stub}}
{{Indiana-sport-stub}}