Southern Five Conference

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The Southern Five Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Its membership was concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin and was in existence from 1928 to 1946. All members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

Southern Five Conference
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Location of Original Southern Five Conference Members

The Southern Five Conference, alternatively known as the Little Five Conference [1] and the Southern State Conference [2] during its history, was formed in 1928 by a group of five medium-sized high schools in Racine and Walworth Counties: Burlington, Delavan (now Delavan-Darien), Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater Normal. [3] The addition of Walworth to the conference, first as a football-only member in 1932 and for all sports in 1935 brought the membership roster to its high of six schools. [4] They would only last two more seasons as conference members, [5] and the ledger experienced a net decrease to five schools with Whitewater Normal and Whitewater of the Rock River Valley League swapping affiliations. [6] Competition lasted for eighteen years before the members of the Southern Five joined with three IHSA-affiliated high schools in neighboring McHenry County, Illinois (Harvard, Marengo and McHenry) to form the Southern Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Conference, more commonly known as the SWANI Conference, in 1946. [7]

Conference membership history

Full members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment NicknameColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Burlington Burlington, WI Public1,001Demons  1928 [3] 1946 [7] SWANI Southern Lakes
Delavan Delavan, WI Public628Comets  1928 [3] 1946 [7] SWANI Rock Valley
Elkhorn Elkhorn, WI Public1,142Elks  1928 [3] 1946 [7] SWANI Southern Lakes
Lake Geneva Lake Geneva, WI PublicN/AResorters  1928 [3] 1946 [7] SWANI Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger)
Whitewater Normal Whitewater, WI Public (Lab school)N/AQuakers, Preps  1928 [3] 1937 [5] Rock River Valley Closed in 1959
Walworth Walworth, WI PublicN/AWarriors  1935 [4] 1937 [5] IndependentClosed in 1958 (consolidated into Big Foot)
Whitewater Whitewater, WI Public606Quakers  1937 [5] 1946 [7] SWANI Capitol (2025)

Football-only members

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary Conference
Walworth Walworth, WI PublicN/AWarriors  1932-1934 [4] [5] Southeastern Wisconsin

Membership timeline

Southern Five Conference

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Delavan81930, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1942
Burlington71931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1944
Elkhorn31929, 1945, 1946
Lake Geneva21935, 1943
Whitewater11940
Walworth0
Whitewater Normal0

Football

SchoolQuantityYears
Lake Geneva61933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945
Burlington41932, 1935, 1943, 1944
Delavan31929, 1939, 1942
Elkhorn31928, 1930, 1931
Walworth11934
Whitewater11940
Whitewater Normal0

References

  1. "Rivals Are Tied in Conference Race". Racine Journal Times. January 27, 1931. p. 9. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  2. "Southern State Conference (standings)". Wisconsin State Journal. February 28, 1934. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Conference Is Formed by Five High Schools". Lake Geneva Regional News. April 26, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 "Southern Conference Expands Cage Loop". Burlington Free Press. April 25, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Southern State Athletic Group". Burlington Free Press. May 6, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  6. "Rock Valley League Opens This Weekend". Stoughton Courier. December 8, 1937. p. 6. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Illinois, Wisconsin High Schools Organize New "Swami" Conference". Racine Journal Times. March 29, 1946. p. 14. Retrieved December 17, 2024.