Little Eight Conference (Wisconsin)

The Little Eight Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Founded in 1926 and dissolved in 1937, the conference and its member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

The Little Eight Conference was formed in 1926 by eight small high schools in west central Wisconsin: Altoona, Augusta, Black River Falls, Fairchild, Fall Creek, Humbird, Merrillan and Osseo. Most conference members were located in Eau Claire County (or the neighboring counties of Clark, Jackson and Trempealeau) and all members with one exception were located along U.S. Route 12. A ninth member was added to the Little Eight in 1931 when Elk Mound moved over from the Dunn-St. Croix Conference. The next year, Neillsville joined as members and the conference was realigned into Northern and Southern sections: Northern SectionSouthern SectionAltoonaBlack River FallsAugustaFairchildElk MoundHumbirdFall CreekMerrillanOsseoNeillsville

This alignment lasted for three seasons before four members left the Little Eight Conference in 1935: Augusta, Black River Falls, Neillsville and Osseo. Augusta left for membership in the Mississippi Valley Conference along with Osseo, who relinquished dual membership in the Little Eight to join the MVC on a full-time basis. Black River Falls and Neillsville both became independents before forming the Mississippi Valley Triangular League with Augusta in 1936. The six remaining members carried on for two more seasons before the Little Eight Conference ceased operations in 1937. Elk Mound returned to the Dunn-St. Croix Conference and Merrillan became members of the Trempealeau Valley Conference. The other four schools (Altoona, Fairchild, Fall Creek and Humbird) became independents until joining new conferences after World War II.

Conference membership history

Final members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceAltoonaAltoona, WIPublicRailroaders 19261937IndependentMiddle BorderElk MoundElk Mound, WIPublicMounders 19311937Dunn-St. CroixFairchildFairchild, WIPublicPurple Dragons 19261937IndependentClosed in 1968 (merged into Osseo-Fairchild)Fall CreekFall Creek, WIPublicCrickets 19261937IndependentCloverbeltHumbirdHumbird, WIPublicGame Birds 19261937IndependentClosed in 1949 (merged into Alma Center Lincoln)MerrillanMerrillan, WIPublicYellow Jackets 19261937Trempealeau ValleyClosed in 1949 (merged into Alma Center Lincoln)

Previous members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceAugustaAugusta, WIPublicBeavers 19261935Mississippi ValleyDairylandBlack River FallsBlack River Falls, WIPublicTigers 19261935IndependentCouleeNeillsvilleNeillsville, WIPublicWarriors 19321935IndependentCloverbeltOsseoOsseo, WIPublicChieftains 19261935Mississippi ValleyCloverbelt

Membership timeline

List of state champions

Fall sports None

Winter sports +Boys BasketballSchoolYearDivisionFall Creek1937Class C

Spring sports +Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearDivisionAltoona1934Class C

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsFall Creek51927, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1937Altoona41928, 1931, 1932, 1934Merrillan31928, 1929, 1933Augusta21930, 1935Neillsville21934, 1935Black River Falls0Elk Mound0Fairchild0Humbird0Osseo0

References