Saint Paul City Conference

Last updated
Saint Paul City Conference
Sppslogo.jpg
Classification MSHSL
Founded1898
Headquarters Saint Paul, Minnesota
RegionFlag of Minnesota.svg  Minnesota

The Saint Paul City Conference is the athletic conference for seven high schools in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Much like the divisions in professional sports, the Saint Paul City Conference is one of many in the state that divides schools in close proximity into different conferences. [1] It is the second oldest conference in the state behind the Minneapolis City Conference. The conference officially began on Friday, October 28, 1898 when Central High School and Mechanic Arts High School played the first football game between the schools. [2]

Contents

Members

InstitutionLocation (Population)FoundedJoined City ConferenceAffiliationEnrollmentNickname
Central High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		18661898Public2,124Minutemen
Como Park High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		19791979Public1,528Cougars
Harding Senior High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		19261926Public2,070Knights
Highland Park High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		19641964Public1,469Scots
Humboldt Senior High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		18891898Public858Hawks
(formerly the Indians)
Johnson Senior High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		18971898Public1,887Governors
Washington Technology Magnet School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		2012Public2080 (6-12)Eagles
Former memberLocation (Population)FoundedMember of City ConferenceAffiliationEnrollmentNickname
Arlington Senior High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		19961997-2011Public875Phoenix
Cretin-Derham Hall High School Saint Paul, Minnesota
(287,151)		18711977-2003Private/Catholic1,318Raiders
Saint Thomas Academy Mendota Heights, Minnesota
(11,594)		18851977-1987Private/Catholic704Cadets
Hill-Murray School Maplewood, Minnesota
(34,947)		19581977-1987Private/Catholic1,025Pioneers

Membership timeline

Washington Technology Magnet SchoolArlington Senior High SchoolComo Park Senior High SchoolCretin-Derham Hall High SchoolSaint Thomas AcademyHill-Murray SchoolHighland Park High School (Minnesota)Wilson High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Murray Junior High School (Minnesota)Monroe High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Marshall High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Harding Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)Washington High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Mechanic Arts High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Humboldt Senior High SchoolJohnson Senior High School (St. Paul, Minnesota)Central High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)Saint Paul City Conference

History

The conference originally had four members: Central, Cleveland, Humboldt and Mechanic Arts. In 1911, Cleveland High School changed its name to Johnson High School, and in the 1920s Washington High School and Harding High School joined the conference. In 1941 the smaller high schools of Marshall High School, Monroe High School, Murray High School and Wilson High School were added to the conference, bringing the number of schools in the conference to ten. In 1953, Marshall closed as a senior high and ten years later, Wilson would also close, with most of its students attending the newly built Highland Park High School. In 1976, one of its original members, Mechanic Arts, was closed, and in a span of two years from 1977 to 1978, Monroe, Washington, and Murray high schools would do the same. Most of the students from Washington and Murray were incorporated into Como Park Senior High School.

Addition and dropping of private schools

In 1977, the conference added four private schools from the Saint Paul area: Cretin, Derham Hall, Hill-Murray and St. Thomas Academy. The decision to admit the schools had mixed support. The Saint Paul School Board approved the addition 7-0 while the St. Paul Athletic Council voted against the addition as well as the City Conference Coaches 95-4. In January 1986 the Saint Paul Athletic Council and the Public Schools coaches both voted to drop the four private schools and have a six team public school conference. Coaches were concerned that the private schools were winning a disproportionate amount of conference titles and had several unfair advantages. [3] The private schools were able to attract students from throughout the Metro Area while the public schools were limited to neighborhood boundaries. In April of that year the Saint Paul School Board voted 5-1 to drop Hill-Murray and Saint Thomas Academy. The board acted on a March recommendation by the Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent and a two-year study by the Saint Paul Public School Coaches' Association. Cretin High School and Derham Hall High School were allowed to remain because they were located within the Saint Paul City limits. [4] [5] The vote also let St. Bernard's, St. Agnes and St. Paul Academy join the Conference if they desired although they all were in different athletic conferences. [6]

The decision allowed Saint Thomas Academy and Hill-Murray to remain for the 1986-1987 school year and guaranteed them a non-conference schedule during the 1987-1988 school year but forced them to find a new conference for the 1989-1990 school year or to schedule games as an independent. [6] Hill-Murray and Saint Thomas Academy applied for entry into the Twin Cities Federation or Umbrella Conference, then a twenty three school athletic conference split into three distinct conferences. Hill-Murray was accepted into the North Suburban division while Saint Thomas Academy was rejected for not meeting the criteria of the original twenty three schools. [7] Saint Thomas Academy applied twice to seven different conferences but was rejected by all of them including the Saint Paul Suburban Conference three times. [8] A month after Hill-Murray and St. Thomas were dropped the Minnesota State Legislature held a legislative task force to discuss the Minnesota State High School League's role in placing school's in athletic conferences. The MSHSL stated that they did not want the authority to do so. [9] [10] However, in the following year in the Spring of 1987 the Minnesota State Legislature passed a law requiring the Minnesota State High School League to place a high school in a conference if certain conditions were met. [11] [12] Eventually in the Spring of 1988, the Minnesota State High School league placed Saint Thomas Academy in the Saint Paul Suburban Conference, a member of the Twin Cities Federation [8] [13] [14]

Dropping of Cretin

In 1987 Cretin and Derham Hall merged into a co-ed facility to form Cretin-Derham Hall High School. In September 1996 the athletic directors of the seven public high schools voted to recommend the exclusion of Cretin when the new Arlington High School began competing in varsity sports for the 1997-1998 season. Whenever the public school coaches were polled about removing Cretin they were overwhelmingly in favor. [15] [16] They offered to allow Cretin play the conference as an independent and as a result not be eligible for Conference titles or awards. The following spring the Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent decided not to bring the issue to the school board, which had the authority to drop Cretin. The superintendent cited that the issue was too political to remove the only Catholic school in a heavily Catholic city. He also reasoned that it would be better to improve the competitive level of the public schools including the elementary and junior high sports teams. That plan would have cost seven figures and was quickly discarded. [17] In the fall of 1998 Cretin expressed interest in joining a new athletic conference. [18] In 1999 supporters of Humboldt High School asked the Saint Paul Public Schools superintendent to either remove Cretin or find a new conference for Humboldt to compete in because of the large gap in talent. [19] [20] [21] A month later the public school's athletic directors agreed to support a proposal to remove Cretin for the 2000-2001 school year. Cretin applied at the same time to the now defunct St. Paul Suburban Conference. [22] [23]

In March 2002 Cretin began making steps away from the Saint Paul City Conference. The football team announced plans to compete as an independent beginning in the fall of 2002. [24] [25] The team later agreed to play the Classic Lake Conference schools in 2003 and 2004 as an independent. [26] After the 2002-2003 season, Cretin-Derham Hall left the conference and began competition in the Suburban East Conference. [27] Nine conferences had rejected Cretin before the Minnesota State High School league placed Cretin in the Suburban East Conference. [28] The Suburban East Conference and Cretin both appealed the decision but it was upheld. [29] Cretin had wanted to be placed in the Classic Suburban Conference. [30]

Recent history

The most recent addition was in 1996 when the newly built Arlington Senior High School joined. Arlington did not compete at the varsity level in athletics until the fall of 1997. [2]

Twin Cities Conference

In 1985 Minneapolis proposed merging the Saint Paul and Minneapolis City Conferences. One plan had a two division alignment with Saint Paul and Minneapolis schools in separate divisions. The ease at scheduling non-conference games with teams from the other division was seen as acceptable to Minneapolis officials. [3] The proposal did not happen but talks returned the following year when the Saint Paul City Conference was planning to remove the four private schools from the conference. At that time the scheduling proposal was seen as being more restrictive and not favorable to Minneapolis administrators. [31] Saint Paul ended the possibility several months later in April 1986 when the Saint Paul Public School Board voted to withdraw its invitation for the Minneapolis City Conference to join with the Saint Paul schools for a Twin Cities Conference. [5]

Related Research Articles

Cretin may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)</span> Catholic university in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota

The University of St. Thomas is a private Catholic research university with campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1885 as a Catholic seminary, it is named after Thomas Aquinas, the medieval Catholic theologian and philosopher who is the patron saint of students. As of fall 2021, St. Thomas enrolled 9,347 students, making it Minnesota's largest private, nonprofit university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota State High School League</span> High school activities governing organization

The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) is a voluntary, non-profit association for the support and governance of interscholastic activities at high schools in Minnesota, United States. The association supports interscholastic athletics and fine arts programs for member schools. Membership includes nearly 500 schools, including special schools, home schools, and 435 high schools. The State High School League is an affiliate of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Saint Paul (Minnesota)</span> Historic church in Minnesota, United States

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is the co-cathedral of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, along with the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis. One of the most distinctive cathedrals in the United States, it sits on Cathedral Hill overlooking downtown Saint Paul and features a distinctive copper-clad dome. It is dedicated to Paul the Apostle, who is also the namesake of the City of Saint Paul. The current building opened in 1915 as the fourth cathedral of the archdiocese to bear this name. On March 25, 2009, it was designated as the National Shrine of the Apostle Paul by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It is the third-largest Catholic cathedral and sixth-largest church in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Catherine University</span> Private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.

St. Catherine University is a private Catholic university in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was established as one of the first institutions of higher learning specifically for women in the Midwest and was known as the College of St. Catherine until 2009. St. Kate's offers baccalaureate programs for women as well as graduate and associate programs for women and men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis</span> Archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, United States

The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by an archbishop who administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. The archbishop has both a cathedral and co-cathedral: the mother church – the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Saint Paul, and the co-cathedral, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Crétin</span>


Joseph Crétin was the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Cretin Avenue in St. Paul, Cretin-Derham Hall High School, and Cretin Hall at the University of St. Thomas are named for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High school boys ice hockey in Minnesota</span>

Minnesota boys high school ice hockey is made up of multiple leagues and programs representing different associations. The two organizations associated with high school are the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey. The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, nonprofit association of public and private schools with a history of service to Minnesota's high school youth since 1916. Minnesota Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota. Minnesota Hockey is governed by a board of directors and consists of approximately 140 community based associations who are formed into 12 districts.

Stephen John Walsh is an American football coach and former player. He is a former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Indianapolis Colts. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning consensus All-American honors in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Coleman (politician)</span> American politician and lawyer

Christopher B. Coleman is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 54th Mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota between 2006 and 2018. He defeated incumbent mayor Randy Kelly in 2005 and took office on January 3, 2006. He was later succeeded by city councilman Melvin Carter on January 2, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cretin-Derham Hall High School</span> Private co-ed catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Cretin-Derham Hall High School (CDH) is a private, co-educational Catholic high school in Saint Paul, Minnesota operated by the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. It is co-sponsored by the Brothers of the Christian Schools and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harding Senior High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)</span> Public school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Harding Senior High School is a public comprehensive high school located on the East Side of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The school is one of the nine high schools in the Saint Paul Public School District and is the largest high school in the city of Saint Paul, with enrollment at approximately 1,908. The school was opened in 1926 as the second high school on the East Side, after Johnson Senior High School. Harding is part of the IB Diploma Programme. Harding is a member of the Minnesota State High School League and the athletic teams compete in the Saint Paul City Conference.

Sports in Minnesota include professional teams in all major sports, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State of Minnesota has a team in all five major professional leagues. Along with professional sports, there are numerous collegiate teams including the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and St. Thomas Tommies in NCAA Division I, as well as many others across the Minnesota public and private colleges and universities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Hannahan</span> American baseball player (born 1980)

John Joseph "Jack" Hannahan IV is an American former professional baseball utility player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnson Senior High School (Saint Paul, Minnesota)</span> Public school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States

Johnson Senior High School is a comprehensive high school for grades 9 to 12 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Originally named Cleveland High School, the school was renamed after Minnesota governor John A. Johnson in 1911. Johnson is the second oldest high school in the Saint Paul Public Schools district and is only surpassed in age by Central High School. The school has operated in three different buildings since 1897, all located on the East Side of Saint Paul.

Saint Paul, Minnesota contains many educational institutions from grade school to high school, college and beyond. A number of educational "firsts" have happened in Saint Paul. Hamline University, the first and oldest college in Minnesota, was founded in Saint Paul in 1854. In 1991, Minnesota became the first state in the United States to pass legislation allowing the existence of charter schools. The following year, the first charter school in the nation, City Academy High School, was established in Saint Paul. The oldest library in Minnesota, the Minnesota State Law Library, was opened in 1849.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Community High School</span> High school in Minneapolis, Minnesota

North Community High School, or simply Minneapolis North, is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The school has existed for over 120 years in several buildings all located on the city's northside. Minneapolis North once had a predominantly Jewish student body but by 1982, the school and the neighborhood it is located in had become mostly African American. Desegregation efforts, such as magnet school programs, have attempted to attract students from throughout Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. KBEM-FM, established by Minneapolis Public Schools in 1970, is operated partially by North students and has been located at the school since 1985.

Humboldt Senior High School is a public high school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States which serves students in grades 6-12. The school is the smallest of the nine high schools in the Saint Paul Public Schools district with an enrollment of 858 students. It is the only high school located on the West Side of Saint Paul. The school was founded in 1889 and is one of the oldest in Saint Paul. A founding member of the Saint Paul City Conference, Humboldt fields regular and adapted sports teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Mr. Basketball</span>

Minnesota Mr. Basketball is an annual award recognizing excellence in Minnesota boys' high school basketball. The female equivalent is Minnesota Miss Basketball.

Robert William "Bob" Reif was an American politician and physician.

References

  1. ↑ See Minnesota High School conferences
  2. 1 2 "History". Saint Paul City Conference. Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
  3. 1 2 Brackin, Dennis (January 9, 1986). "St. Paul athletic council approves creation of public-school league". Star Tribune .
  4. ↑ Moton, Tony (April 16, 1986). "St. Paul votes to oust Hill-Murray, Tommies". Star Tribune.
  5. 1 2 Moton, Tony (April 10, 1986). "Board to vote on St. Paul league proposal". Star Tribune.
  6. 1 2 Moton, Tony (April 17, 1986). "Ouster no surprise to Hill-Murray principal". Star Tribune.
  7. ↑ Moton, Tony (October 15, 1986). "Pioneers in; Cadets denied Umbrella". Star Tribune.
  8. 1 2 Augustoviz, Roman (February 4, 1988). "St. Thomas placed in St. Paul Suburban". Star Tribune.
  9. ↑ Moton, Tony (May 8, 1986). "Panel to discuss prep league obligations". Star Tribune.
  10. ↑ Whereatt (May 13, 1986). "H.S. league balks at assigning conferences". Star Tribune.
  11. ↑ "If a school is forced out of a conference and makes a good effort to find another for 180 days, it gives the high school league the power to conduct hearings with all of those schools that may be affected. Then, after 60 days, it would have the power to assign a school to a conference. Any action, in terms of that bill, would not take effect until the '88-89 school year." Moton, Tony (May 7, 1987). "St. Thomas hopes bill will cure problems". Star Tribune.
  12. ↑ Moton, Tony (May 14, 1987). "League affiliation bill to aid independents". Star Tribune.
  13. ↑ Fermoyle, Mike (March 23, 1988). "Cadets' Move Could Come This Week". Saint Paul Pioneer Press .
  14. ↑ Fermoyle, Mike (April 7, 1988). "St. Thomas Closer to Finding a League". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  15. ↑ Augustoviz, Roman (September 14, 1996). "Cretin -DH may be forced from St. Paul Conference". Star Tribune.
  16. ↑ Fermoyle, Mike (September 14, 1996). "St. Paul's Athletic Directors Vote to Oust Cretin-Derham". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  17. ↑ Fermoyle, Mike (February 11, 1997). "Life in the Big City Still Includes Cretin-Derham Hall". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  18. ↑ Wells, Jim (October 2, 1998). "Conference Changes Give Cretin Choices". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  19. ↑ Wells, Jim (September 22, 1999). "Focus on Humboldt-Cretin Inequity". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  20. ↑ Augustoviz, Roman (September 22, 1999). "High School Notes – Cretin's league dominance raises concerns". Star Tribune.
  21. ↑ Dohrmann, George (September 26, 1999). "Against All Odds//Harding Hasn't Had a Winning Football Program for Years and Hasn't Beaten Cretin-Derham Since 1981 Many Say the Raiders Should Leave the City Conference. But for Now, the Knights Focus Only on Their Dream". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  22. ↑ Wells, Jim (October 13, 1999). "City Conference Athletics Directors Seek Cretin-Derham Hall's Ouster". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  23. ↑ "Cretin-Derham Sports//When School Always Wins, Everyone Loses". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. October 19, 1999.
  24. ↑ Leighton, Tim (March 22, 2002). "Cretin-Derham Steps Away From City". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  25. ↑ Augustoviz, Roman (March 23, 2002). "Notrs – Cretin football team to go independent". Star Tribune.
  26. ↑ "Cretin-Derham Hall 'Joins' Football League". Saint Paul Pioneer Press. May 8, 2002.
  27. ↑ Cretin-Derham Conference Rejection Archived 2006-10-20 at archive.today , Forest Lake Times. February 18, 2004.
  28. ↑ Wells, Jim (January 15, 2004). "Conference Orphan – Cretin-Derham Hall Has Been Turned Down for Admittance by Nine Conferences – The MSHSL Will Soon Decide Its Fate". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  29. ↑ Wells, Jim (February 14, 2004). "Cretin-DH Appeals Move". Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
  30. ↑ Augustoviz, Roman (April 14, 2004). "Cretin -Derham Hall going to Suburban East". Star Tribune.
  31. ↑ Brackin, Dennis (January 30, 1986). "City unlikely to accept St. Paul schedule proposal". Star Tribune.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.