Southern Eight Conference

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The Southern Eight Conference is a former high school athletic conference in southwestern Wisconsin, operating from 1971 to 1987. All member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

Southern Eight Conference
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Location of Original Southern Eight Conference Members

The Southern Eight Conference was formed as the result of a split of member schools in the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League. In 1970, Richland Center High School was accepted as the fifteenth member of the SWAL (effective 1971) and was added to the seven-member North Section. [1] Soon after their acceptance, the other eight schools in the South Section voted to split the conference along geographic lines [2] [3] to maintain traditional rivalries and cut transportation expenses. [4] The Southern Eight began competition in 1971, and its membership roster was remarkably stable over the course of its history. The only changes happened in 1983 with Mount Horeb's exit to the Capitol Conference [5] and the addition of Southwestern High School in Hazel Green. [6] The end of the Southern Eight Conference came in 1987, when the conference remerged with the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League to create a new fourteen-member conference subdivided by enrollment size. [7]

Conference membership history

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Cuba City Cuba City, WI Public273Cubans  1971 [3] 1987 [7] Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Darlington Darlington, WI Public280Redbirds  1971 [3] 1987 [7] Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Dodgeville Dodgeville, WI Public375Dodgers  1971 [3] 1987 [7] SWAL Southwest Wisconsin
Iowa-Grant Livingston, WI Public204Panthers  1971 [3] 1987 [7] Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Lancaster Lancaster, WI Public295Flying Arrows  1971 [3] 1987 [7] SWAL Southwest Wisconsin
Mineral Point Mineral Point, WI Public245Pointers  1971 [3] 1987 [7] Southwest Wisconsin Activities League
Mount Horeb Mount Horeb, WI Public792Vikings  1971 [3] 1983 [5] Capitol Badger
Platteville Platteville, WI Public513Hillmen  1971 [3] 1987 [7] SWAL Southwest Wisconsin
Southwestern Hazel Green, WI Public162Wildcats  1983 [6] 1987 [7] Southwest Wisconsin Activities League

Membership timeline

Southern Eight Conference

List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearDivision
Dodgeville1972Small Schools
Platteville1979Class B
Platteville1980Class B
Mount Horeb1981Class B
Platteville1984Class B
Darlington1985Class C
Darlington1986Class C
Football
SchoolYearDivision
Iowa-Grant1977Division 3
Platteville1984Division 4
Girls Volleyball
SchoolYearDivision
Platteville1977Class B
Iowa-Grant1978Class C
Platteville1979Class B

Winter sports

Boys Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Cuba City1981Class B
Iowa-Grant1981Class C
Girls Basketball
SchoolYearDivision
Lancaster1976Class B
Cuba City1977Class B
Lancaster1979Class B
Cuba City1980Class B
Platteville1984Class B
Gymnastics
SchoolYearDivision
Mount Horeb1978Class B
Mount Horeb1983Class B
Boys Wrestling
SchoolYearDivision
Mineral Point1980Class C
Mineral Point1981Class C
Mineral Point1982Class C
Mineral Point1983Class C
Mineral Point1985Class C
Mineral Point1986Class C

Spring sports

None

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Cuba City101972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987
Platteville41979, 1984, 1985, 1986
Dodgeville21973, 1978
Iowa-Grant 11982
Mineral Point11974
Darlington0
Lancaster0
Mount Horeb0
Southwestern0

Girls Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Cuba City61977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985
Lancaster31976, 1979, 1983
Platteville11984
Southwestern11986
Darlington0
Dodgeville0
Iowa-Grant 0
Mineral Point0
Mount Horeb0
Champions from 1987 unknown

Football

SchoolQuantityYears
Platteville71971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Iowa-Grant 51974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979
Cuba City21975, 1981
Darlington11973
Dodgeville11986
Lancaster11971
Mount Horeb11978
Mineral Point0
Southwestern0

References

  1. "Richland Center Joins Big SWAL". The La Crosse Tribune. March 24, 1970. p. 12. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  2. "Six Schools Bolt SWAL To Form Own Conference". The Boscobel Dial. p. 1. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "New Conference Is Southern Eight". Wisconsin State Journal. December 18, 1970. p. 22. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  4. "Darlington OKs New Sports Link". The Capital Times. February 17, 1970. p. 5. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Mount Horeb prepares for a new group of foes". Wisconsin State Journal. August 28, 1983. pp. 49 (Football '83 insert). Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Realignment plan approved". Racine Journal Times. pp. 2C. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "SWAL, Southern Eight combined as one league". The Boscobel Dial. p. 17. Retrieved December 10, 2024.