Big Rivers Conference

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The Big Rivers Conference is a high school athletic conference consisting of large high schools in western Wisconsin. Formed in 1956, its member schools are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

1956-1989

Big Rivers Conference
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Location of Original Big Rivers Conference Members

The Big Rivers Conference was formed by five large high schools in northern and western Wisconsin. [1] Four long-time independents (Eau Claire, La Crosse Central, Marinette and Menominee (MI)) joined with Wausau, who was forced out of the Wisconsin Valley Conference by the other league members to create greater parity in competition. [2] [3] The twin cities of Marinette and Menominee left the conference in 1963, primarily due to travel issues and lack of competitiveness in basketball. [4] The two exiting schools were replaced by four newcomers: Chippewa Falls from the disbanded Mississippi Valley Conference, the newly opened Eau Claire North, and two former independents in La Crosse Logan and Menomonie. [5] The conference added an eighth member in 1970 when Wausau High School split into Wausau East and the new Wausau West High School. [6] The two Wausau high schools would go back to the Wisconsin Valley Conference in 1973, [7] [8] and membership stayed consistent until realignment in the late 1980s.

1989-present

In 1989, the two La Crosse high schools (Central and Logan) left the Big Rivers Conference to become charter members of the new Mississippi Valley Conference, [9] along with other schools that were geographically closer than the Eau Claire-area schools. [10] In 1986, Hudson of the Middle Border Conference and Rice Lake of the Heart O'North Conference joined the Big Rivers Conference as football-only members, [11] attaining full membership three years later along with fellow MBC member River Falls. [12] They replaced the two La Crosse high schools, who became charter members of the Mississippi Valley Conference in 1989. [13] New Richmond briefly joined the Big Rivers in 1998 from the Middle Border Conference, [14] which they returned to after a four-year stint. [15] In football, New Richmond was replaced by Lake Superior Conference members Superior in 2002 after they joined as associate members. [16] New Richmond would return to the Big Rivers in 2020, [17] first as a football-only member and then as a full member in 2021. [18]

Football-only alignment

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. [19] For the first competition cycle, the Big Rivers Conference lost River Falls to the Mississippi Valley Conference, replacing them with New Richmond of the Middle Border Conference. [20] River Falls made their return to the Big Rivers for the 2022-2023 realignment cycle, replacing the departing Rice Lake, who became football-only members of the Middle Border Conference. [21] For the 2024-2025 cycle, both Eau Claire schools joined the Wisconsin Valley Conference as football-only members and were replaced by Rice Lake after being shifted back from the Middle Border Conference. The BRC and WVC also entered into a scheduling partnership where each member would play a mandatory crossover game that would count towards their conference's standings. [22] This alignment is set to remain in place through at least the 2026-2027 competition cycle. [23]

List of member schools

Current members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoined
Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls, WI Public1,454Cardinals  1963
Eau Claire Memorial Eau Claire, WI Public1,589Old Abes  1956
Eau Claire North Eau Claire, WI Public1,720Huskies  1963
Hudson Hudson, WI Public1,800Raiders  1989
Menomonie Menomonie, WI Public1,022Mustangs  1963
New Richmond [a] New Richmond, WI Public1,112Tigers  1998,

2021

Rice Lake Rice Lake, WI Public714Warriors  1989
River Falls River Falls, WI Public1,114Wildcats  1989

Notes

  1. ↑ Left for Middle Border Conference in 2002, returned to Big Rivers Conference in 2021

Current football-only members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedPrimary Conference
Superior Superior, WI Public1,308Spartans  2002 Lake Superior (MSHSL)

Former members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
La Crosse Central La Crosse, WI Public1,029RiverHawks  19561989 Mississippi Valley
Marinette Marinette, WI Public623Marines  19561963None (independent) North Eastern
Menominee Menominee, MI Public353Maroons  19561963N/A Great Northern UP
Wausau East [a] Wausau, WI Public948Lumberjacks  19561973 Wisconsin Valley
La Crosse Logan La Crosse, WI Public738Rangers  19631989 Mississippi Valley
Wausau West Wausau, WI Public1,535Warriors  19701973 Wisconsin Valley

Notes

  1. ↑ Known as Wausau High School prior to 1970

Membership timeline

Full members

Big Rivers Conference

Football members

Big Rivers Conference

Membership map

Big Rivers Conference
Big Rivers Conference
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19miles
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Location of Big Rivers Conference full members:
1
Chippewa Falls
2
Eau Claire Memorial
3
Eau Claire North
4
Hudson
5
Menomonie
6
New Richmond
7
Rice Lake
8
River Falls

List of state champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Wausau1957Large Schools
La Crosse Central1977Class A
Girls Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
La Crosse Central1985Class A
La Crosse Central1988Class A
Eau Claire Memorial2014Division 1
Eau Claire Memorial2015Division 1
Football
SchoolYearDivision
Menomonie1993Division 2
Menomonie1995Division 2
Menomonie1997Division 2
Menomonie1999Division 2
Menomonie2002Division 2
Rice Lake2017Division 3

Winter sports

Boys Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Wausau1960Single Division
Rice Lake1993Division 2
Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Hudson1998Division 1
Hudson2002Division 1
Curling
SchoolYearDivision
Wausau1959Single Division
Wausau1967Single Division
Gymnastics
SchoolYearDivision
La Crosse Central1984Class A
River Falls2002Division 2
River Falls2003Division 2
River Falls2004Division 2
River Falls2007Division 2
River Falls2010Division 2
River Falls2013Division 2
Chippewa Falls2025Division 1
Boys Ice Hockey
SchoolYearDivision
Menomonie1991Single Division
Hudson2001Single Division
Hudson2004Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial2008Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial2013Single Division
Hudson2017Single Division
Hudson2018Single Division
Hudson2021Division 1
Hudson2022Division 1
Rice Lake2022Division 2
New Richmond2023Division 2
Girls Ice Hockey
SchoolYearDivision
Hudson2002Single Division
Hudson2003Single Division
River Falls/St. Croix Central2009Single Division
River Falls/St. Croix Central2010Single Division
River Falls/St. Croix Central2011Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial2018Single Division
Chippewa Falls/McDonell/Menomonie2021Single Division
Boys Skiing
SchoolYearDivision
Wausau1958Single Division
Wausau1959Single Division
Wausau1960Single Division
Wausau1961Single Division
Wausau1962Single Division
La Crosse Central1969Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1970Single Division
La Crosse Central1974Single Division
La Crosse Central1975Single Division

Spring sports

Baseball
SchoolYearDivision
Eau Claire1957Single Division
Eau Claire1958Single Division
Eau Claire1961Single Division
Eau Claire1962Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1964Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1966Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1968Single Division
La Crosse Logan1971Single Division
La Crosse Central1978Class A
La Crosse Central1986Class A
Eau Claire North2011Division 1
Eau Claire North2019Division 1
Boys Golf
SchoolYearDivision
Eau Claire1959Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1974Single Division
Eau Claire Memorial1977Single Division
New Richmond1999Division 2
River Falls2002Division 1
River Falls2004Division 1
River Falls2005Division 1
Eau Claire Memorial2022Division 1
Softball
SchoolYearDivision
Menomonie1983Class A
Rice Lake2004Division 2
Chippewa Falls2012Division 1
Rice Lake2017Division 2
Boys Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
La Crosse Central1963Class A
Rice Lake2018Division 2
Girls Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
Hudson2007Division 1
Rice Lake2024Division 2

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

Source: [24]

SchoolQuantityYears
(Eau Claire) Memorial331957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1984, 1988, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, 2016, 2022, 2024, 2025
Eau Claire North101982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2008, 2017, 2018
Rice Lake101991, 1993, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Hudson71998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2019, 2023
River Falls61991, 1994, 2005, 2011, 2019, 2021
Chippewa Falls41980, 1983, 1988, 2020
(Wausau) East41958, 1959, 1967, 1971
La Crosse Central31968, 1979, 1987
La Crosse Logan21981, 1982
Menomonie21986, 2006
Marinette11961
Wausau West11973
Menominee (MI)0
New Richmond0

Girls Basketball

Source: [25]

SchoolQuantityYears
Eau Claire North141984, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017
Eau Claire Memorial121983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2008, 2025
Hudson111995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023
Chippewa Falls102005, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Menomonie51985, 1986, 2010, 2022, 2024
Rice Lake22007, 2008
River Falls12020
La Crosse Central0
La Crosse Logan0
New Richmond0

Football

Source: [26]

SchoolQuantityYears
Menomonie241984, 1985, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021
(Eau Claire) Memorial141958, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1995, 1998, 2011
Chippewa Falls101964, 1968, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2008, 2015
(Wausau) East91957, 1958, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
La Crosse Central81962, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986
Hudson52009, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2023
River Falls51989, 1995, 2018, 2019, 2022
Eau Claire North31974, 1980, 1991
La Crosse Logan31972, 1973, 1975
Rice Lake32000, 2015, 2021
Marinette21956, 1960
Menominee (MI)21958, 1959
New Richmond12024
Superior12014
Wausau West11970

References

  1. ↑ Associated Press (April 24, 1956). "Big Rivers Conference Organized". Stevens Point Journal. p. 6. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Vincent Suggests Leave of Absence for Wausau". Stevens Point Journal. April 13, 1956. p. 6. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  3. ↑ Associated Press (May 15, 1956). "Okay Wausau Absence in Valley League". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. p. 9. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Menominee, Marinette Glad to Get Out of "Big Rivers"". Green Bay Press-Gazette. April 7, 1963. p. 23. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  5. ↑ Buzzell, Clell (February 28, 1963). "New Big Rivers Rivalry Topped by Old Abes' 9-1". Eau Claire Daily Telegram. p. 14. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Wausau West to open doors to 1,800 students". Wausau Daily Herald. August 11, 1970. p. 19. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  7. ↑ "East hosts Antigo in football opener". Wausau Daily Herald. September 6, 1973. p. 17. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ "West's 1st Valley foe is Shawano "11"". Wausau Daily Herald. September 6, 1973. p. 17. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  9. ↑ Heaton, Shannon (August 24, 1989). "WIAA breathes life into new conference". The La Crosse Tribune. pp. Special Section 2. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  10. ↑ Seering, Jeff (February 18, 1988). "New weights and realignment". Reedsburg Times-Press. p. 28. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  11. ↑ Miller, Pete (August 27, 1986). "Big Rivers: Hudson, Rice Lake added". La Crosse Tribune. pp. F-23 ('86 Football insert). Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  12. ↑ Steinbach, Glenn (May 18, 1988). "Sideline Chatter (WIAA realigns 41 schools)". The Dunn County News. p. 13. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  13. ↑ "New league given a name". The La Crosse Tribune. November 20, 1988. p. 15. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  14. ↑ Groskreutz, Stuart (December 17, 1998). "New Richmond would be happy to leave BRC". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. p. 14. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  15. ↑ "WIAA approves conference realignment". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. April 8, 2001. p. 13. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  16. ↑ Kleinhans, Jim (April 11, 2001). "Conference realignment: WIAA makes changes in Big Rivers, Dunn-St. Croix Conferences". The Dunn County News. p. 9. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  17. ↑ Berg, Brandon (July 15, 2020). "Uncommon turnover". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. pp. A7. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bloomer". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. March 9, 2021. pp. A7. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Revised Football-Only Conference Plan Released". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 9, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  20. ↑ "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 6, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  21. ↑ "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 11-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 11, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  22. ↑ "2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. December 14, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  23. ↑ "2026 - 27 Conference Realignment – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. December 10, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Big Rivers Conference Boys Basketball Champions" (PDF). Big Rivers Conference. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Big Rivers Conference Girls Basketball Champions" (PDF). Big Rivers Conference. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
  26. ↑ "Big Rivers Conference Football Champions" (PDF). Big Rivers Conference. Retrieved July 11, 2025.
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