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Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference
The Classic Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin . Consisting entirely of private schools during its ten year existence from 1973 to 1983, all member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association .
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Location of Original Classic Conference Members
The Classic Conference was founded in 1973 by seven private high schools in southeastern Wisconsin: Central Wisconsin Christian in Waupun , de Sales Prep in St. Francis , Notre Dame in Milwaukee , Sheboygan Christian , St. Bonaventure in Sturtevant , St. John’s Military Academy in Delafield and University Lake School in Hartland .[ 1] Notre Dame and St. Bonaventure were previously part of the Milwaukee Catholic Conference , and the other five schools were independents at the time of the Classic Conference’s formation.[ 2] SJMA would only spend one season in the conference before joining the Midwest Prep Conference in 1974, and they were replaced by Maranatha Baptist Academy in Watertown .[ 3] Shoreland Lutheran in Somers joined in 1975,[ 4] and Brookfield Academy became members of the Classic Conference in 1976.[ 5] They swapped affiliations with Maranatha Baptist Academy, who left to join the Indian Trails Conference .[ 6] Kettle Moraine Lutheran in Jackson joined as full members in 1977 after becoming members in girls’ sports the year prior.[ 7] The Prairie School in Wind Point also joined the conference, bringing membership in the Classic Conference to ten schools.[ 8] This was KML’s first conference affiliation after opening a few years earlier, while The Prairie School came over from the Indian Trails Conference.
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Location of Final Classic Conference Members
De Sales Preparatory Seminary closed its doors in 1979, and were immediately replaced by another Catholic seminary, St. Lawrence in Mount Calvary . Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac also joined the conference that year, bringing the roster to eleven members.[ 9] Both schools were previously members of the Bay-Lakes Conference, which had disbanded the season before. In 1981, University Lake School left the Classic Conference[ 10] to compete as an independent for one season prior to the formation of the Southern Wisconsin and Illinois Small Schools (SWISS) Conference in 1982.[ 11] Sheboygan Lutheran joined the Classic Conference to take ULS’s place.[ 12] The eleven schools would compete until 1983, when a merger agreement was reached with the Midwest Prep Conference.[ 13] All but two schools in the conference joined the new Midwest Classic Conference for the 1983-84 school year, with Brookfield Academy competing as an independent before entering the SWISS Conference in 1984 and St. Bonaventure High School closing its doors after over eighty years of operation.[ 14]
Conference membership history [ edit ]
School
Location
Affiliation
Enrollment
Mascot
Colors
Joined
Left
Conference Joined
Current Conference
Central Wisconsin Christian
Waupun, WI
Private (Reformed )
119
Crusaders
1973[ 1]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Trailways
de Sales Preparatory Seminary
St. Francis, WI
Private (Catholic )
N/A
Saints
1973[ 1]
1979[ 9]
Closed in 1979
Notre Dame
Milwaukee, WI
Private (Catholic )
N/A
Redwings
1973[ 1]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Closed in 1988
Sheboygan Christian
Sheboygan, WI
Private (Christian )
131
Eagles
1973[ 1]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Big East
St. Bonaventure
Sturtevant, WI
Private (Catholic )
N/A
Cardinals
1973[ 1]
1983[ 13]
Closed in 1983
St. John's Military Academy
Delafield, WI
Private (Military )
236
Lancers
1973[ 1]
1974[ 3]
Midwest Prep
Midwest Classic
University Lake School
Hartland, WI
Private (Nonsectarian )
73
Lakers
1973[ 1]
1981[ 10]
Independent
Lake City
Maranatha Baptist Academy
Watertown, WI
Private (Baptist )
65[ 15]
Crusaders
1974[ 3]
1976[ 6]
Indian Trails
Shoreland Lutheran
Somers, WI
Private (WELS )
384
Pacers
1975[ 4]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Metro Classic
Brookfield Academy
Brookfield, WI
Private (Nonsectarian )
334
Blue Knights
1976[ 5]
1983[ 13]
Independent
Midwest Classic
Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Jackson, WI
Private (WELS )
553
Chargers
1977[ 7]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Glacier Trails (2025)
The Prairie School
Wind Point, WI
Private (Nonsectarian )
226
Hawks
1977[ 8]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Metro Classic
St. Lawrence Seminary
Mount Calvary, WI
Private (Catholic , Capuchin )
256 (Boys only)
Hilltoppers
1979[ 9]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Wisconsin Flyway (2025)
Winnebago Lutheran
Fond du Lac, WI
Private (WELS )
319
Vikings
1979[ 9]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Wisconsin Flyway
Sheboygan Lutheran
Sheboygan, WI
Private (LCMS )
206
Crusaders
1981[ 12]
1983[ 13]
Midwest Classic
Big East
Membership timeline [ edit ]
List of state champions [ edit ]
Boys Cross Country
School
Year
Organization
Division
Central Wisconsin Christian
1978[ 16]
WISAA
Class C
Boys Soccer
School
Year
Organization
Notre Dame
1977[ 17]
WISAA
University Lake School
1978[ 18]
WISAA
Girls Tennis
School
Year
Organization
The Prairie School
1980[ 19]
WISAA
Boys Basketball
School
Year
Organization
Division
Notre Dame
1976[ 20]
WISAA
Class B
Notre Dame
1978[ 21]
WISAA
Class B
Notre Dame
1979[ 22]
WISAA
Class B
Central Wisconsin Christian
1980[ 23]
WISAA
Class B
Sheboygan Christian
1981[ 24]
WISAA
Class B
The Prairie School
1982[ 25]
WISAA
Class B
Girls Track & Field
School
Year
Organization
Division
Winnebago Lutheran
1980[ 26]
WISAA
Class C
^ a b c d e f g h "ULS, St. John's Join New League" . Waukesha Daily Freeman . October 12, 1973. p. 16. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ "Seven Schools Form Classic Conference" . Wisconsin State Journal . October 13, 1972. p. 26. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b c "Maranatha Joins Classic Conference" . Waukesha County Freeman . March 18, 1974. p. 12. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b "Maranatha Joins Classic Loop" . Sheboygan Press . March 19, 1974. p. 15. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b "BA Switches Conferences" . Waukesha County Freeman . November 5, 1975. p. 17. Retrieved January 2, 2024 .
^ a b "Changes to Classic Conference" . Racine Journal Times . November 7, 1975. p. 16. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b Kohl, Tom (November 15, 1977). "Bart Bruins wears 3 hats well" . Fond du Lac Reporter . p. 38. Retrieved January 3, 2025 .
^ a b "Prairie Hawks get a classic change" . Racine Journal Times . February 19, 1977. p. 9. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b c d "Vikes, Hilltops to join Classic" . Fond du Lac Reporter . August 1, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b Casper, Jim (November 26, 1981). "New lineup at Shoreland" . Kenosha News . p. 25. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ "ULS Joins New League" . Oconomowoc Enterprise . January 28, 1982. p. 14. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b "Lutheran High Joins Classic Conference" . Sheboygan Press . September 18, 1980. p. 29. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Classic, Midwest loops merge" . Sheboygan Press . November 18, 1982. p. 33. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ "St. Bonaventure may have buyer" . Racine Journal Times . February 15, 1984. pp. 4A. Retrieved January 2, 2025 .
^ "Maranatha Baptist Academy" . Private School Review . December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 13, 2024 .
^ "Waupun Christian wins Class C" . Beaver Dam Daily Citizen . October 30, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved January 3, 2025 .
^ "Squires Beaten in Finals" . Green Bay Press Gazette . November 7, 1977. pp. B-5. Retrieved January 3, 2025 .
^ "ULS wins state soccer championship" . Oconomowoc Enterprise . November 9, 1978. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2025 .
^ "Prairie girls win WISAA tennis title" . Racine Journal Times . October 12, 1980. pp. 3C. Retrieved January 3, 2024 .
^ "Marquette Upset, Pius WISAA Champ" . Beaver Dam Daily Citizen . March 8, 1976. p. 9. Retrieved January 3, 2025 .
^ "Notre Dame recaptures WISAA "B" cage crown" . Wausau Daily Herald . March 6, 1978. p. 20. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
^ "Notre Dame captures WISAA B championship" . Appleton Post-Crescent . March 5, 1979. p. 26. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
^ UPI (March 10, 1980). "Prairie runs out of gas" . Kenosha News . p. 20. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
^ "They drove coach bananas, but came up winners" . Sheboygan Press . March 9, 1981. p. 9. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
^ Uschan, Michael (March 7, 1982). "Lepp key to state title" . Kenosha News . pp. D1. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
^ "Aquinas boys WISAA track champions" . La Crosse Tribune . May 25, 1980. p. 23. Retrieved January 4, 2025 .
Organizations Current Former Football-only Future