While none of the schools in the NTC (as it is informally known) sponsor football, the conference is well-recognized around the state for having strong boys and girls basketball teams.
Effingham St. Anthony, Stewardson-Strasburg, and St. Elmo have also made appearances at the Illinois high school boys basketball championship, while Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City (a co-op between two member schools in girls basketball) has made two appearances (2010, 2012) in the girls final four.
Nine of the twelve schools — all except Dieterich, South Central, and North Clay — have been members since the conference's founding.
South Central left the Midland Trail Conference to join the NTC and replace Teutopolis for the 2012-13 school year.
NTC teams have won numerous regional and sectional titles and most have competed in the final four at least once in either boys or girls basketball.