Milwaukee City Conference

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The Milwaukee City Conference (also known as "City Conference") is a high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. All full-time member institutions are located in the city of Milwaukee and are members of the Milwaukee Public Schools system.

Contents

History

Founding and Early Years (1893-1929)

The Milwaukee City Conference was founded in 1893, [1] when Milwaukee opened a second public high school (South Division [2] ) and regular athletic competition was established between East Division and South Division High Schools. The conference added a third member in 1894 when West Division High School opened [3] [4] and expanded to five in 1906 when Boys Technical and Trade High School [5] (now Bradley Tech) and North Division High School opened. By 1920, the conference had added three more schools in Washington (1911), [6] Bay View (1914) [7] and Lincoln (1920). [8] During this time period, the City Conference established themselves as a dominant force in track and field, taking the team title in twenty-five WIAA competitions between 1895 and 1929. [9]

Annexation-Driven Growth (1929-1966)

The City Conference added a ninth member in 1929, when the village of North Milwaukee was annexed into the City of Milwaukee. [10] [11] The village had its own high school prior to annexation, and after North Milwaukee High School was absorbed into MPS it became Custer High School in order to avoid confusion with North Division. [12] Three new high schools were built in consecutive years in the 1930s as Works Progress Administration projects: Juneau (1932), [13] Pulaski (1933) [14] [15] and Rufus King (1934). [16] [17] All became members of the City Conference after opening. Membership remained stable at twelve schools until the 1960s. John Marshall High School was opened as a combination junior/senior high school on the city's north side in 1961, [18] and two high schools were added in 1966 as a direct result of annexation [19] [20] : James Madison High School [21] in the former town of Granville and Alexander Hamilton High School [22] in the former town of Greenfield. Granville already had its own high school at this time, and when their district lost territory due to annexation, it became Brown Deer High School. [23]

Realignment and Name Change (1966-1993)

In 1979, Lincoln High School closed [24] and Harold S. Vincent High School [25] [26] opened on the city's far northwest side as a replacement. In the years prior, realignment of the high school athletic conferences in southeastern Wisconsin was discussed extensively, driven mostly by the WIAA's desire to get the high schools in Racine and Kenosha into a larger conference after they were forced out of the Big Eight Conference in 1970. [27] [28] The five-member South Shore Conference was created as a result, [29] and competition lasted for ten years before its dissolution. [30] Two members of the South Shore (Kenosha Tremper and Racine Park) joined the City Conference, and four of the City Conference's smaller members joined the Suburban Conference (Juneau, Riverside, Rufus King and West Division). [31] Due to the expansion of the conference's geographic footprint, the conference was briefly known as the Milwaukee Area Conference. [32] The newly renamed conference made a slight adjustment in 1983 when Kenosha Bradford joined from the Braveland Conference to replace Racine Park after their exit to the Suburban Conference. [33] The high schools in Kenosha left the MAC in 1985, taking four schools on the south side of Milwaukee with them (Bay View, Hamilton, Pulaski and South Division) and rejoining with the Racine high schools to form the Big Nine Conference. [34] During that same year, the four high schools who left for the Suburban Conference rejoined after it was realigned out of existence, [35] and the MAC changed its name back to the Milwaukee City Conference. The four south side Milwaukee high schools in the Big Nine did not want this realignment and threatened to sue [36] the WIAA to rejoin the City Conference. [37] [38] Bay View, Hamilton, Pulaski and South Division all rejoined the City Conference in 1993. [39]

Present Day (1993-present)

With the City Conference made whole again after the 1993 realignment, new schools continued to join the conference after they opened. Milwaukee School of Languages and Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning joined in 2000 [40] and 2001, respectively. Malcolm X Academy joined the City Conference in 2003 and left when it closed four years later. Solomon Juneau High School closed in 2006, reopening in 2012 as MacDowell Montessori School (the athletics program still competes under the Juneau banner). Reagan College Prep High School in the former Town of Lake took its place in 2007. Three more school openings rounded out the membership of the City Conference: Carmen in 2014, Golda Meir in 2017 and Audubon Tech in 2022.

Conference Membership History

Current Members

SchoolLocationAffliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoined
Audubon Tech Milwaukee, WI Public420Cardinals  2022
Bay View Milwaukee, WI Public966Redcats  1914, 1993
Bradley Tech [a] Milwaukee, WI Public954Trojans  1906
Carmen Northwest Milwaukee, WI Charter382Eagles   2014
Golda Meir Milwaukee, WI Public594Owls  2017
Hamilton Milwaukee, WI Public1,475Wildcats  1966, 1993
High School of the Arts [b] Milwaukee, WI Public1,023Crimson Stars [c]   1894, 1985
Juneau [d] Milwaukee, WI Public233Pioneers  1932, 1985, 2012
Madison University Milwaukee, WI Public713Knights  1966
Marshall Milwaukee, WI Public811Eagles  1961
North Division Milwaukee, WI Public382Blue Devils  1906
Obama SCTE [e] Milwaukee, WI Public756Cougars [f]   1929
Pulaski Milwaukee, WI Public1,248Rams  1933
Reagan Prep [g] Milwaukee, WI Public1,366Huskies  2007
Riverside University [h] Milwaukee, WI Public1,235Tigers  1893, 1985
Rufus King Milwaukee, WI Public1,284Generals  1934, 1985
School of Languages Milwaukee, WI Public596Hawks  2000
South Division Milwaukee, WI Public1,109Cardinals  1893, 1993
Vincent Milwaukee, WI Public973Vikings  1979
Washington Milwaukee, WI Public432Purgolders  1911
Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning Milwaukee, WI Public210Wizards  2001

Notes

  1. Known as Boys Technical and Trade High School from 1906-1975 and Milwaukee Tech from 1975-2002
  2. Known as West Division High School from 1894-1985
  3. Nickname was Redmen prior to 1985
  4. Athletics program from MacDowell Montessori School plays under Juneau banner
  5. Known as Custer High School from 1929-2011
  6. Nickname was Indians prior to 1992
  7. Known as Town of Lake College Preparatory High School prior to 2004
  8. Known as East Division High School from 1893-1915

Affiliate members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColors
Carmen Southeast Milwaukee, WI Charter718Eagles   
Carmen South Milwaukee, WI Charter382Eagles   
Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy Milwaukee, WI Charter345Lions  
Milwaukee Academy of Science Milwaukee, WI Charter395Novas  

Former Members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Lincoln Milwaukee, WI PublicN/AComets  19201979Closed in 1979
Kenosha Tremper Kenosha, WI Public1,835Trojans  19801985 Big Nine Southeast
Racine Park Racine, WI Public1,059Panthers  19801983 Suburban Southeast
Kenosha Bradford Kenosha, WI Public1,765Red Devils  19831985 Big Nine Southeast
Malcolm X Academy Milwaukee, WI CharterN/AN/A  20032007Closed in 2007

Co-op teams

Several co-op teams exist in the conference. These co-op teams usually include a full-time member and an affiliate member. The "host" school is listed in bold.

Sanctioned sports

List of State Championships

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
East Division1913Single Division
East Division1914Single Division
Riverside1915Single Division
Riverside1916Single Division
Riverside1917Single Division
Riverside1918Single Division
Riverside1919Single Division
Riverside1920Single Division
South Division1921Single Division
South Division1922Single Division
Riverside1923Single Division
Riverside1924Single Division
Riverside1925Single Division
Riverside1926Single Division
Riverside1927Single Division
Riverside1928Single Division
Washington1930Single Division
South Division1931Single Division
Bay View1932Single Division
Washington1932Single Division
Riverside1933Large Schools
Washington1935Single Division
Riverside1936Single Division
Rufus King1942Single Division
Bay View1943Single Division
Bay View1944Single Division
Bay View1945Single Division
Washington1952Large Schools
Lincoln1953Small Schools
Lincoln1954Small Schools
Lincoln1958Small Schools
North Division1958Medium Schools
Bay View1959Large Schools
Bay View1960Large Schools
North Division1960Medium Schools
Lincoln1963Small Schools
Washington1964Large Schools
Marshall1970Large Schools
Girls Volleyball
SchoolYearDivision
Madison1977Class A

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Lincoln1959Single Division
Lincoln1961Single Division
Lincoln1962Single Division
Lincoln1966Single Division
Lincoln1967Single Division
Hamilton1972Class A
Tech1979Class A
North Division1980Class A
Madison1981Class A (Vacated)
Tech1983Class A
Rufus King1984Class A
Washington1985Class A
Washington1987Class A
Washington1990Class A
Rufus King1991Class A
Washington1993Division 1
Rufus King1995Division 1
Vincent1996Division 1
Vincent1997Division 1
Vincent1998Division 1
Vincent2000Division 1
Vincent2001Division 1
Rufus King2003Division 1
Rufus King2004Division 1

The City Conference did not allow its teams to compete in the WIAA tournament until the 1951-52 season.

Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Washington1979Class A
Washington1990Class A
Washington1994Division 1
Washington1995Division 1
Washington1996Division 1
Vincent2007Division 1
Vincent2008Division 1
Vincent2009Division 1
Riverside University2013Division 1
Boys Gymnastics
SchoolYearDivision
Marshall1967Single Division
Bay View1968Single Division
Bay View1971Single Division
Madison1977Single Division
Girls Gymnastics
SchoolYearDivision
Custer1972Single Division
Bay View1974Single Division
Boys Swimming & Diving
SchoolYearDivision
West Division1925Single Division
Bay View1927Single Division
Bay View1928Single Division
Boys Wrestling
SchoolYearDivision
Washington1940Single Division
Washington1941Single Division
Washington1942Single Division
South Division1947Single Division
South Division1950Single Division
South Division1951Single Division
South Division1952Single Division
South Division1953Single Division
South Division1954Single Division
South Division1958Single Division
Rufus King1959Single Division
Pulaski1961Single Division

Spring Sports

Baseball
SchoolYearDivision
Boys Tech1948Single Division
Tech1985Class A
Boys Golf
SchoolYearDivision
Washington1938Single Division
Softball
SchoolYearDivision
Bay View1985Class A
Boys Tennis
SchoolYearDivision
Washington1926Single Division
Washington1928Single Division
Washington1932Single Division
Washington1942Single Division
Riverside1950Single Division
Boys Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
East Division1895Single Division
East Division1896Single Division
West Division1898Single Division
East Division1899Single Division
West Division1900Single Division
East Division1903Single Division
East Division1905Single Division
South Division1906Single Division
South Division1908Single Division
West Division1912Single Division
West Division1914Single Division
East Division1915Single Division
West Division1916Single Division
Riverside1917Single Division
North Division1918Single Division
West Division1919Single Division
Riverside1920Class A
Riverside1921Class A
Riverside1922Class A
Riverside1923Class A
Washington1924Class A
Riverside1925Class A
Washington1926Class A
Bay View1928Class A
Washington1929Class A
South Division1930Class A
Riverside1931Class A
West Division1932Class A
Riverside1935Class A
Riverside1936Class A
Washington1938Class A
Washington1939Class A
Washington1940Class A
Washington1941Class A
Washington1945Class A
Washington1946Class A
Washington1951Class A
Rufus King1955Class A
North Division1958Class A
North Division1960Class A
North Division1961Class A
Bay View1966Class A
South Division1975Class A
Custer1977Class A
Custer1979Class A
Custer1981Class A
South Division1985Class A
North Division1992Division 1
Tech1995Division 1
Vincent2001Division 1
Vincent2003Division 1
Vincent2005Division 1
Marshall/

School of Languages

2007Division 1
Girls Track & Field
SchoolYearDivision
Riverside University1986Class A
Rufus King1989Class A
Marshall1990Class A
Tech1996Division 1
Rufus King2002Division 1
Bradley Tech2009Division 1
Bradley Tech2011Division 1
Riverside University2012Division 1
Rufus King2016Division 1
Rufus King2017Division 1

Controversy

Recently[ when? ] the WIAA decided to restrict travel outside Wisconsin and its border states. The decision was made as a response to the practice of City Conference boys' basketball teams, which often traveled long distances to find competition. Athletic directors from City schools argued against the decision, saying the travel was paid for by the host school or event organizer. [41]

The situation has caused some supporters to call for the City Conference to follow the lead of leagues in other major cities, such as Chicago and Philadelphia, to hold its own tournaments separate from the WIAA.[ citation needed ]

See also

List of high school athletic conferences in Wisconsin

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