The Fox Valley Christian Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, consisting entirely of private schools in northeastern Wisconsin. Operational from 1971 to 1999, all of its member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association.
History
1971–1993
The Fox Valley Christian Conference was formed in 1971 when its predecessor, the Fox Valley Catholic Conference, accepted its first non-Catholic member (Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton). The new conference made its debut with ten schools: Abbot Pennings in De Pere, Fox Valley Lutheran, Lourdes Academy in Oshkosh, Marinette Central Catholic, Our Lady of Premontre in Green Bay, Roncalli in Manitowoc, St. John in Little Chute, St. Mary Catholic in Neenah, St. Mary's Springs in Fond du Lac and Xavier in Appleton. All Catholic members of the conference with the exception of one were affiliated with the Green Bay diocese (St. Mary's Springs was part of the Milwaukee archdiocese). The conference accepted its first all-girls school when St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay joined in 1972. The next year, St. John High School left the conference when the school closed. Membership was stable for the next seventeen years until the three Catholic high schools in the Green Bay area (Pennings, Premontre and St. Joseph) merged into Notre Dame Academy in 1990. The new school inherited their predecessors' place in the Fox Valley Christian Conference. Manitowoc Lutheran would join the conference in 1991 to bring membership to nine schools.
1993–1999
In 1993, Notre Dame would move to the Fox River Valley Conference, a conference of public high schools sponsored by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. This turned out to be a harbinger of things to come, as in 1997, WISAA agreed to a merger with the WIAA to be finalized by the 2000-01 school year. The next year, the Fox Valley Christian Conference lost two schools to the Midwest Classic Conference: Lourdes Academy and St. Mary Catholic. The final six schools would play one more year before the conference disbanded in 1999. All member schools went on to join WIAA-sponsored conferences prior to the merger being final.
Football The Fox Valley Christian Conference sponsored football for most of its history, with the membership roster mostly coinciding with the conference's full roster. Nine out of the conference's ten full members competed in the initial season with Fox Valley Lutheran joining in 1972. The next year, St. John left the conference after closing its doors, and by 1987 the FVCC was down to seven football-playing members with the departure of Marinette Catholic Central and St. Mary Catholic. The latter would return for the 1988 season, when the conference was divided by school size with three members (Fox Valley Lutheran, Roncalli and Xavier) carrying dual affiliation: Large SchoolsSmall SchoolsAbbot PenningsFox Valley LutheranFox Valley LutheranLourdes AcademyOur Lady of PremontreRoncalliRoncalliSt. Mary CatholicSt. Mary's SpringsXavierXavier The Large Schools division experienced a net loss of one school in 1990 when Notre Dame Academy was created from the merger of Abbot Pennings and Our Lady of Premontre. Their stay would be short, leaving after only two seasons to compete as an independent before joining the Fox River Valley Conference in 1993. The five remaining schools (plus new members Manitowoc Lutheran, resumed competition as a single division in 1992. The membership ranks thinned to five schools for the 1996 season, with the FVCC losing Lourdes Academy to the Wisconsin Independent Football Association's Classic Division. This would also be the conference's last season, as four members (Fox Valley Lutheran, Manitowoc Lutheran, St. Mary's Springs and Xavier) joined with three former WIFA members (Edgewood, Luther Prep and Winnebago Lutheran) to form the Wisconsin Christian Football Conference.
Conference membership history
Final members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceFox Valley LutheranAppleton, WIPrivate (WELS)Foxes 19711999Valley 8Bay (2025)Manitowoc LutheranManitowoc, WIPrivate (WELS)Lancers 19911999OlympianBig EastMarinette Central CatholicMarinette, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cavaliers 19711999Marinette & OcontoRoncalliManitowoc, WIPrivate (Catholic)Jets 19711999Eastern WisconsinSt. Mary's SpringsFond du Lac, WIPrivate (Catholic)Ledgers 19711999FlywayWisconsin FlywayXavierAppleton, WIPrivate (Catholic)Hawks 19711999Valley 8Bay
Previous members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceAbbot PenningsDe Pere, WIPrivate (Catholic, Norbertine)Squires 19711990Closed (merged into Notre Dame Academy)Lourdes AcademyOshkosh, WIPrivate (Catholic)Knights 19711998Midwest ClassicTrailwaysNotre Dame AcademyGreen Bay, WIPrivate (Catholic)Tritons 19901993Fox River ValleyFox River ClassicOur Lady of PremontreGreen Bay, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cadets 19711990Closed (merged into Notre Dame Academy)St. JohnLittle Chute, WIPrivate (Catholic)Flying Dutchmen 19711973ClosedSt. Joseph AcademyGreen Bay, WIPrivate (Catholic)Sajoacs 19721990Closed (merged into Notre Dame Academy)St. Mary CatholicNeenah, WIPrivate (Catholic)Zephyrs 19711998Midwest ClassicBig East
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
List of state champions Fall sports + Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. Mary's Springs1971WISAAClass BRoncalli1973WISAAClass BRoncalli1976WISAAClass BOur Lady of Premontre1982WISAAClass AOur Lady of Premontre1983WISAAClass A
+ Girls Cross CountrySchoolYearOrganizationDivisionNotre Dame Academy1990WISAAClass ASt. Mary's Springs1992WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1993WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1995WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1996WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1997WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1998WISAADivision 2
+ FootballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionAbbot Pennings 1971WISAALourdes Academy1974WISAAOur Lady of Premontre1978WISAAClass ASt. Mary's Springs1983WISAAClass ASt. Mary's Springs1984WISAAClass ASt. Mary's Springs1990WISAADivision 1St. Mary's Springs1991WISAADivision 1Notre Dame Academy1992WISAADivision 1St. Mary's Springs1995WISAADivision 1Roncalli1996WISAADivision 2Roncalli1997WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1997WISAADivision 3Roncalli1998WISAADivision 3St. Mary's Springs1998WISAADivision 2
+ GolfSchoolYearOrganizationOur Lady of Premontre1978WISAAOur Lady of Premontre1979WISAAOur Lady of Premontre1981WISAAOur Lady of Premontre1985WISAAAbbot Pennings1986WISAAAbbot Pennings1987WISAAAbbot Pennings1988WISAANotre Dame Academy1991WISAA
+ Boys SoccerSchoolYearOrganizationAbbot Pennings1987WISAA
+ Girls TennisSchoolYearOrganizationSt. Joseph Academy1981WISAA
+ VolleyballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. Mary Catholic1981WISAAClass BSt. Mary Catholic1982WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1985WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1986WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1987WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1990WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1996WISAADivision 2
Winter sports + Boys BasketballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionOur Lady of Premontre1982WISAAClass AMarinette Catholic Central1983WISAAClass BAbbot Pennings1990WISAAClass ASt. Mary's Springs1993WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1994WISAADivision 2Xavier1995WISAADivision 1
+ Girls BasketballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionRoncalli1975WISAAXavier1978WISAAMarinette Catholic Central1981WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1982WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1983WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1984WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1992WISAADivision 3Marinette Catholic Central1993WISAADivision 3Lourdes Academy1994WISAADivision 2Marinette Catholic Central1994WISAADivision 3Lourdes Academy1995WISAADivision 2Marinette Catholic Central1995WISAADivision 3Marinette Catholic Central1996WISAADivision 3Marinette Catholic Central1997WISAADivision 3St. Mary Catholic1998WISAADivision 2
+ WrestlingSchoolYearOrganizationLourdes Academy1993WISAALourdes Academy1994WISAA
Spring sports + BaseballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionXavier1978WISAAXavier1979WISAAMarinette Catholic Central1986WISAAClass BMarinette Catholic Central1987WISAAClass BSt. Mary Catholic1990WISAAClass BRoncalli1991WISAAClass A
+ GolfSchoolYearOrganizationRoncalli1973WISAA
+ SoftballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. Joseph Academy1984WISAASt. Mary Catholic1986WISAAClass BSt. Joseph Academy1987WISAAClass ASt. Joseph Academy1988WISAAClass ASt. Mary Catholic1990WISAAClass BFox Valley Lutheran1998WISAADivision 1
+ Boys TennisSchoolYearOrganizationAbbot Pennings1987WISAA
+ Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. John1973WISAAClass CRoncalli1974WISAAClass BSt. Mary's Springs1975WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1976WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1977WISAAClass BSt. Mary's Springs1979WISAAClass BOur Lady of Premontre1980WISAAClass AXavier1984WISAAClass BXavier1985WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1986WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1987WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1990WISAAClass BSt. Mary's Springs1993WISAADivision 2Roncalli1994WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1996WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1997WISAADivision 2St. Mary's Springs1998WISAADivision 2Manitowoc Lutheran1999WISAADivision 2
+ Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionRoncalli1975WISAAFox Valley Lutheran1980WISAAClass BFox Valley Lutheran1983WISAAClass BLourdes Academy1988WISAAClass BRoncalli1990WISAAClass BXavier1992WISAADivision 2Manitowoc Lutheran1994WISAADivision 2
List of conference champions
Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsXavier81979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997Our Lady of Premontre61976, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1985, 1988Abbot Pennings51972, 1973, 1974, 1987, 1990Lourdes Academy31983, 1984, 1992St. Mary Catholic31975, 1986, 1987Manitowoc Lutheran21998, 1999Notre Dame Academy21991, 1992Roncalli21974, 1983Fox Valley Lutheran11995St. Mary's Springs11993Marinette Catholic Central0St. John0
Girls Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsXavier111977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1999Marinette Catholic Central31984, 1992, 1994St. Joseph Academy31981, 1982, 1984Fox Valley Lutheran21998, 1999Lourdes Academy21990, 1995Roncalli21989, 1997Notre Dame Academy11991St. Mary Catholic11996Manitowoc Lutheran0St. Mary's Springs0
Football SchoolQuantityYearsSt. Mary's Springs181975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996Abbot Pennings61971, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985Our Lady of Premontre61973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1984, 1985Fox Valley Lutheran31988, 1990, 1991Roncalli31980, 1988, 1989Xavier11988Lourdes Academy0Manitowoc Lutheran0Marinette Catholic Central0Notre Dame Academy0St. John0St. Mary Catholic0
References