History
The Fox River Classic Conference was formed in 2007 when four members of the Bay Conference (Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, De Pere and Pulaski) joined with the eight members of the shuttered Fox River Valley Conference (Green Bay East, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Green Bay West, Manitowoc Lincoln, Notre Dame Academy, Sheboygan North and Sheboygan South). [1] One of the reasons this was done was to create greater parity among conferences in the region, as the four schools in the Green Bay suburbs were some of the largest in the Bay Conference. [2] This realignment also brought more high schools in the Green Bay metropolitan area closer together for travel purposes. [3]
As early as 2011, both Green Bay East and Green Bay West requested to leave the Fox River Classic Conference, citing an inability to compete and desire to maintain their football rivalry. [4] [5] In January 2014, the WIAA approved a realignment plan that would move Green Bay East and Green Bay West out of the FRCC and into the Bay Conference, a plan that took effect for the 2015–16 school year. [6] The FRCC's membership roster remained stable until 2025, when Sheboygan South exited to join the new Glacier Trails Conference, [7] with the arrival of former Bay Conference member West De Pere as their replacement. [8]
In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin, set to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. [9] This plan would not take effect for FRCC members until 2021, as the conference made the decision to cancel the 2020 fall season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A temporary conference was formed for the alternate spring 2021 competition season called the Fox Valley Classic Conference, and it included all FRCC members (with the exception of Notre Dame) along with members of the former Valley Football Association. [10] When the WIAA/WFCA realignment plan was finally implemented for the 2021 football season, the conference added former full members Green Bay East and Green Bay West as football-only members, along with Menasha and West De Pere of the Bay Conference: [11]
| North Division | South Division |
|---|
| Ashwaubenon | Green Bay East |
| Bay Port | Green Bay West |
| De Pere | Manitowoc Lincoln |
| Green Bay Preble | Menasha |
| Green Bay Southwest | Notre Dame Academy |
| Pulaski | Sheboygan North |
| West De Pere | Sheboygan South |
This alignment continued through the 2022-2023 football competition cycle,. [12] and added two new football-only members for the 2024-2025 cycle: Appleton West of the Wisconsin Valley Conference and Oshkosh North of the Fox Valley Association. Appleton West was added to the FRCC's North Division, while Oshkosh West joined the South Division. [13] The Fox River Classic Conference's football alignment will be maintained at sixteen schools over two divisions through at least the 2027 football season. [14]
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