Eastern Wisconsin Conference

dThe Eastern Wisconsin Conference is a high school athletic conference with its membership based in east central Wisconsin. It existed in two incarnations: the original conference from 1923 to 1970 and the current one since 1979. The conference and its member schools belong to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

1923–1930

The Eastern Wisconsin Conference, originally known as the Big Eight High School Athletic Conference, was founded in 1923 by eight small high schools in the area between Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago in east central Wisconsin (Brillion, Chilton, Elkhart Lake, Hilbert, Kiel, New Holstein, Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls). Original member schools were located in three counties: Calumet, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. After the conference's first season of competition, three schools (Brillion, Elkhart Lake and Hilbert) were dropped from the membership roster. Elkhart Lake rejoined the conference in 1925 to bring membership back up to six schools. A seventh member school was added when Valders joined the Big Eight in 1928, and Kohler brought the ledger back to eight members when they entered the league in 1929.

1930–1948 In 1930, three football-playing members of the Big Eight (Chilton, Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls) began to discuss the formation of a football conference. The Eastern Wisconsin Conference adopted its official moniker in 1935, and started eleven-man football competition the next year with Chilton, Kiel, Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls. A division for six-man football was formed in 1938, and its original members were New Holstein, Sheboygan Falls and Valders. Kohler joined in 1941 when they started their six-man football program, which is the same year that the eleven-man division stopped keeping records. In 1948, the decision was made by six of the eight conference members to transition to eleven-man football with six members (Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls and Valders) participating. Elkhart Lake and Kohler elected to continue as six-man programs and did not remain as football members.

1948–1970 After the initial membership shuffle, the Eastern Wisconsin Conference maintained a steady membership roster for over two decades for most of their sports. Original conference member Brillion rejoined the EWC in 1951 after moving over from the Little Nine Conference. The Eastern Wisconsin Conference increased to ten members in 1960, adding Oostburg to its membership roster. In 1965, Brillion rejoined the Little Nine Conference, with their place being taken by former Kettle Moraine Conference members Cedar Grove. In football, Kohler and Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah joined the EWC after moving to eleven-man football in 1960 and 1964, respectively. Five schools left the conference in 1969; four became charter members of the Central Lakeshore Conference (Cedar Grove, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, Kohler and Oostburg) and Chilton competed as an independent after completion of the 1969 football season. The EWC disbanded at the end of the 1969-1970 school year, with members dispersed to two new conferences. Five schools joined the Packerland Conference (Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Plymouth and Sheboygan Falls) and Valders accepted membership in the Olympian Conference.

1979-present

The Eastern Wisconsin Conference was reformed in 1979 by six of the previous members (Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Plymouth, Sheboygan Falls and Valders) along with newcomers Two Rivers. The six previous members all left the conferences that were previously joined in 1970, and Two Rivers came over from the Fox Valley Association. Valders only stayed in the new EWC for one season, rejoining the Olympian Conference in 1980. Kewaskum joined the Eastern Wisconsin Conference as their replacement after being left without conference affiliation following the dissolution of the Scenic Moraine Conference. This alignment stayed intact for nearly two decades, until in 1999, Chilton left to become members of the Olympian Conference. Campbellsport moved over from the Flyway Conference and Roncalli joined from the Fox Valley Christian Conference as their replacements. Roncalli's entry into the league coincided with the merger between the WIAA and the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, and they became the first private school affiliated with the EWC. Roncalli's affiliation would last until 2007, when they accepted membership in the Olympian Conference and Waupun joined from the East Central Flyway Conference to keep the roster at eight schools. The most recent change to conference membership came in 2015, when the Eastern Wisconsin Conference lost four members (Campbellsport, Kewaskum, Plymouth and Waupun) to the revival of the East Central Conference. They were replaced by four schools displaced by the ceasing of the Olympian Conference. Chilton, Roncalli and Valders made their return to the EWC, along with Brillion, who were members of the original conference from 1951 to 1965.

Football-only alignment In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. Seven members of the Eatsern Wisconsin Conference were carried over into the football conference (Brillion, Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Roncalli, Two Rivers and Valders) and the Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Sheboygan Christian (KLC) football cooperative was brought over from the Big East Conference. This alignment remained in place for the 2022-2023 realignment cycle. For the 2024-2025 cycle, Two Rivers was realigned to the North Eastern Conference for football, and St. Mary Catholic in Neenah took their place after moving from the Trailways Conference. The Eastern Wisconsin Conference will swamp members with the North Eastern Conference for the 2026-2027 cycle, with Two Rivers making their return and the KLC football cooperative taking their place in the NEC.

List of conference members (1979-present)

Current full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedBrillionBrillion, WIPublic314Lions 2015ChiltonChilton, WIPublic349Tigers 1979, 2015KielKiel, WIPublic389Raiders 1979New HolsteinNew Holstein, WIPublic326Huskies 1979RoncalliManitowoc, WIPrivate (Catholic)215Jets 1999, 2015Sheboygan FallsSheboygan Falls, WIPublic477Falcons 1979Two RiversTwo Rivers, WIPublic511Purple Raiders 1979ValdersValders, WIPublic278Vikings 1979, 2015

Notes

Current associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsPrimary ConferenceSport(s)BerlinBerlin, WIPublicIndians South CentralBoys Swim & Dive, Girls Swim & DiveHowards GroveHowards Grove, WIPublicTigers Big EastBoys Tennis, Girls TennisKohlerKohler, WIPublicBlue Bombers Big EastGirls Swim & Dive, Boys Tennis, Girls TennisLourdes AcademyOshkosh, WIPrivate (Catholic)Knights TrailwaysGirls TennisRiponRipon, WIPublicTigers South CentralBoys Tennis, Girls TennisSheboygan ChristianSheboygan, WIPrivate (Non-denominational Christian)Eagles Big EastBoys Swim & Dive, Girls Swim & DiveSt. Mary CatholicNeenah, WIPrivate (Catholic)Zephyrs Big EastFootball, Boys Tennis, Girls TennisWaupunWaupun, WIPublicWarriors CapitolBoys Tennis

Notes

Former full members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceCampbellsportCampbellsport, WIPublicCougars 19992015East CentralWisconsin FlywayKewaskumKewaskum, WIPublicIndians 19802015East CentralGlacier TrailsPlymouthPlymouth, WIPublicPanthers 19792015East CentralGlacier TrailsWaupunWaupun, WIPublicWarriors 20072015East CentralCapitol

Conference membership history (1923–1970)

Final members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceKielKiel, WIPublicRaiders 19231970PackerlandEastern WisconsinNew HolsteinNew Holstein, WIPublicHuskies 19231970PackerlandEastern WisconsinPlymouthPlymouth, WIPublicPanthers 19231970PackerlandGlacier TrailsSheboygan FallsSheboygan Falls, WIPublicFalcons 19231970PackerlandEastern WisconsinValdersValders, WIPublicVikings 19281970OlympianEastern Wisconsin

Previous members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceBrillionBrillion, WIPublicLions 1923, 19511924, 1965Independent, Little NineEastern WisconsinCedar GroveCedar Grove, WIPublicRockets 19651969Central LakeshoreBig EastChiltonChilton, WIPublicTigers 1923 1969IndependentEastern WisconsinElkhart Lake-GlenbeulahElkhart Lake, WIPublicResorters 1923, 19251924, 1969Independent, Central LakeshoreBig EastHilbertHilbert, WIPublicWolves 1923 1924 IndependentBig EastKohlerKohler WIPublicBlue Bombers 19291969Central LakeshoreBig EastOostburgOostburg, WIPublicDutchmen 19601969Central LakeshoreBig East

Football-only members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceChiltonChilton, WIPublicTigers 1969Independent

Membership timeline 1923-1970

Full members

Football members

1979-present

Full members

Football members

Membership map

Sponsored sports +Brillion●●●●●●●●●●●●●Chilton●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Kiel●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●New Holstein●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Roncalli●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Sheboygan Falls●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Two Rivers●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Valders●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

Notes

List of state champions

Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearDivisionTwo Rivers1999Division 2Valders2017Division 2Valders2018Division 2Valders2019Division 2Valders2021Division 2 +Girls Cross CountrySchoolYearDivisionChilton1996Division 2 +FootballSchoolYearDivisionTwo Rivers1980Division 3Two Rivers1981Division 3Two Rivers1982Division 3Sheboygan Falls2000Division 3 +Boys SoccerSchoolYearDivisionPlymouth2002Division 2Roncalli/Two Rivers2020Division 2 +Girls VolleyballSchoolYearDivisionSheboygan Falls1983Class BWaupun2008Division 2

Winter sports +Boys BasketballSchoolYearDivisionChilton1986Class BRoncalli2018Division 4Roncalli2022Division 4Brillion2023Division 3 +Girls BasketballSchoolYearDivisionChilton1992Division 3 +Boys WrestlingSchoolYearDivisionValders1957Single Division

Spring sports +Boys GolfSchoolYearDivisionRoncalli2009Division 3 +Girls SoccerSchoolYearDivisionNew Holstein2010Division 3Kiel2023Division 4 +Boys TennisSchoolYearDivisionRoncalli2000WISAA +Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearDivisionKohler1946Class CKohler1947Class CKohler1948Class CKohler1950Class CKohler1951Class CKohler1953Class CNew Holstein1955Class CNew Holstein1956Class CKohler1958Class CKohler1965Class CKohler1967Class CPlymouth1967Class BKohler1968Class C +Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearDivisionTwo Rivers1994Division 2Two Rivers2000Division 2Two Rivers2003Division 2

Summer sports +BaseballSchoolYearDivisionNew Holstein1965Single DivisionPlymouth1982Single Division

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsPlymouth201938, 1940, 1948, 1949, 1958, 1961, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014New Holstein171927, 1928, 1929, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 2003, 2017, 2018Two Rivers131981, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2011Valders131930, 1931, 1934, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1963, 1964, 2016, 2018Kiel101926, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1960, 1968, 1987, 1992, 2002, 2024Sheboygan Falls101927, 1932, 1935, 1948, 1962, 1963, 1967, 1984, 2004, 2020Roncalli91999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025Kohler71942, 1943, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1958, 1969Brillion31962, 2023, 2026Waupun32009, 2010, 2015Chilton21939, 1959Elkhart Lake11934Cedar Grove0Campbellsport0Hilbert0Kewaskum0Oostburg0

Girls Basketball