[1] In many respects, including membership and organization, the NI-Big 12 was much like a reboot of the old North Central Illinois Conference (NCIC).
The former NCIC schools were Geneseo, LaSalle-Peru, Sterling, Ottawa, and Rochelle.
The former Western Sun Schools are DeKalb, Kaneland, Sycamore, Yorkville, and Rochelle, which left the NCIC in 2007 to join the WSC, and was thus a member of both extinct conferences.
The creation of the new conference appeared to have settled an unstable situation that existed in the NCIC since the departure of the Rochelle Hubs after winning nine consecutive NCIC (Southwest Div.)
Streator was burdened by the greatest traveling distances in the conference, and Dixon simply proved too weak to be able to compete.