As high school athletics in New Jersey grew in the 1990s and 2000s, problems began to develop in the organization of leagues and conferences. Transportation costs began to grow, as some conferences had teams from as many as four different counties competing against each other. Other conferences were losing competitive balance, as a growth in non-public school enrollment and athletic programs caused tension between non-public and public schools, with public schools accusing non-public schools of recruiting. Conferences also demanded more flexibility in scheduling, as schools felt locked into league and division schedules against opponents either too weak or too strong for true competitive balance. The strongest tensions were found in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, where public schools who were frustrated by the competitive imbalance with non-public schools, especially Don Bosco Preparatory and Bergen Catholic in football or Immaculate Heart Academy in girls' athletics, threatened to secede from the league. Therefore, in 2008 the NJSIAA established a "Leagues and Conferences Realignment Committee" to discuss the need for realigning conferences and leagues throughout New Jersey. Their original proposal for schools in northern New Jersey was the creation of six super conferences from the eleven conferences then in existence. While the original proposal was not accepted as presented, it was adjusted and schools realigned yet again, to create the current system in place in New Jersey athletics. The current realignment started in the 2010–11 school year, after a one-year transition period, when many Big North members schools were part of the North Jersey Tri-County Conference. The NJSIAA had stated that the present system may only go into effect for two to three years, and after a review of the system, a reversion to the old conference alignment may be possible. Athletic Directors in the conference, however, voted in March 2011 to revise the division alignments within the conference for the 2012-2013 academic years and voted against the transfer of DePaul Catholic High School into the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference. Pascack Hills High School initially changed its mind about leaving the NJIC to join the Big North, but subsequently asked to be admitted. The Cowboys became the 41st member of the conference to begin the 2012-13 school year.
As conference play started in the 2010 academic year, teams were split into six divisions for football purposes, seven divisions for every other sport. The hope in developing the division system is that the system will increase rivalries and promote competitive balance while minimizing travel time between schools within each division.
