Big East Conference (Wisconsin)

Last updated

Big East WIAA Logo.jpg

The Big East Conference is a high school athletic conference comprising small high schools in east central Wisconsin. Formed in 2015, all members are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

The Big East Conference was formed in 2015 from the merger of two previously established conferences for small high schools in east central Wisconsin. Nine schools in the Central Lakeshore Conference (Cedar Grove-Belgium, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, Howards Grove, Kohler, Oostburg, Ozaukee, Random Lake, Sheboygan Christian and Sheboygan Lutheran) joined with five smallest schools in the former Olympian Conference (Hilbert, Manitowoc Lutheran, Mishicot, Reedsville and St. Mary Catholic) to form the current fourteen-member circuit. [1] For most sports, the Big East Conference is subdivided into North and South Divisions:

North DivisionSouth Division
Elkhart Lake-GlenbeulahCedar Grove-Belgium
HilbertKohler
Howards GroveOostburg
Manitowoc LutheranOzaukee
MishicotRandom Lake
ReedsvilleSheboygan Christian
St. Mary CatholicSheboygan Lutheran

Football-only alignment

The Big East Conference's initial football lineup featured two cooperative programs due to the small size of its member schools. Hilbert and Stockbridge joined forces for football until the 2017 season, and three programs (Kohler, Sheboygan Christian and Sheboygan Lutheran) combined to form KLC Football. The only full member to have never participated in football is Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, who has sponsored eight-player football since 2012. When St. Mary Catholic entered into a cooperative with Valley Christian in Oshkosh in 2017, they transitioned into eight-player football and left the conference the year after.

In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. [2] The Big East Conference lost two of its ten football members to realignment: KLC to the Eastern Wisconsin Conference and Mishicot to the Packerland Conference . [3] The eight remaining schools (Cedar Grove-Belgium, Hilbert, Howards Grove, Manitowoc Lutheran, Oostburg, Ozaukee, Random Lake and Reedsville) continued on and maintained this alignment through the 2022-2023 realignment cycle. [4] In 2024, Ozaukee and Random Lake entered into a cooperative agreement to run a joint football program, leaving the Big East Conference with seven football-playing members. [5] That number will increase back to eight for the 2026-2027 cycle, with full members Mishicot rejoining from the Packerland Conference. [6]

List of member schools

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsDivision
Cedar Grove-Belgium Cedar Grove, WI Public291Rockets  South
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Elkhart Lake, WI Public161Resorters  North
Hilbert Hilbert, WI Public143Wolves  North
Howards Grove Howards Grove, WI Public266Tigers  North
Kohler Kohler, WI Public232Blue Bombers  South
Manitowoc Lutheran Manitowoc, WI Private (Lutheran, WELS)248Lancers  North
Mishicot Mishicot, WI Public268Indians  North
Oostburg Oostburg, WI Public324Flying Dutchmen  South
Ozaukee Fredonia, WI Public196Warriors  South
Random Lake Random Lake, WI Public221Rams  South
Reedsville Reedsville, WI Public192Panthers  North
Sheboygan Christian Sheboygan, WI Private (Non-denominational Christian)148Eagles  South
Sheboygan Lutheran Sheboygan, WI Private (Lutheran, LCMS)185Crusaders  South
St. Mary Catholic Neenah, WI Private (Catholic)273Zephyrs   North

Membership timeline

Big East Conference (Wisconsin)

 North Division South Division

Football members

Big East Conference (Wisconsin)

Membership map

Big East Conference
Big East Conference (Wisconsin)
Transparent.svg
Transparent.svg
30km
19miles

List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Kohler2022Division 3
Kohler2023Division 3
Cedar Grove-Belgium2024Division 3
Kohler2024Division 2
Girls Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Kohler2024Division 3
Football
SchoolYearDivision
Reedsville2021Division 7
Boys Soccer
SchoolYearDivision
Sheboygan Christian/

Sheboygan Lutheran

2021Division 4
Girls Volleyball
SchoolYearDivision
Howards Grove2016Division 3
Howards Grove2019Division 3
Howards Grove2020Division 3
Howards Grove2021Division 3
Howards Grove2022Division 3

Winter sports

Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Howards Grove2017Division 4
Oostburg2025Division 3

Spring sports

Baseball
SchoolYearDivision
St. Mary Catholic2016Division 3
Boys Golf
SchoolYearDivision
Kohler2021Division 3
Kohler2022Division 3
Girls Soccer
SchoolYearDivision
Cedar Grove-Belgium2024Division 4

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Howards Grove62016, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025
Oostburg52019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025
Sheboygan Lutheran52019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025
Kohler32023, 2024, 2025
Hilbert22017, 2020
Manitowoc Lutheran12020
Reedsville12022
St. Mary Catholic12021
Cedar Grove-Belgium0
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah0
Mishicot0
Ozaukee0
Random Lake0
Sheboygan Christian0

Girls Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Oostburg82016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Howards Grove42017, 2019, 2020, 2021
St. Mary Catholic42022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Mishicot22019, 2020
Manitowoc Lutheran12025
Cedar Grove-Belgium0
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah0
Hilbert0
Kohler0
Ozaukee0
Random Lake0
Reedsville0
Sheboygan Christian0
Sheboygan Lutheran0

Football

SchoolQuantityYears
Cedar Grove-Belgium52017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2024
Reedsville32020, 2021, 2023
Hilbert22019, 2021
Hilbert/
Stockbridge
22015, 2016
Howards Grove0
KLC0
Manitowoc Lutheran0
Mishicot0
Oostburg0
Ozaukee0
Random Lake0
Random Lake/
Ozaukee
0
St. Mary Catholic0

References

  1. "Oostburg takes conference meet". Sheboygan Press. February 8, 2015. pp. B1. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  2. "Revised Football-Only Conference Plan Released". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 9, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  3. "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 6, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  4. "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 11-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  5. "2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. December 14, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  6. "2026 - 27 Conference Realignment – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. December 10, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2025.