SWANI Conference
The Southern Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Conference, more commonly referred to as the SWANI Conference, is a former high school athletic conference with members in Wisconsin and Illinois. It was in existence from 1946 to 1952 and its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association and the Illinois High School Association.
History
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The SWANI Conference was formed in 1946 by a group of eight similarly-sized high schools: five in Wisconsin (Burlington, Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater) and three in Illinois (Harvard, Marengo and McHenry). The five Wisconsin high schools formerly comprised the Southern Five Conference, two high schools in Illinois (Harvard and Marengo) formerly competed in the North Six Conference, and McHenry competed independent of conference affiliation.[1] This cross-border loop lasted for six seasons before the five Wisconsin-based high schools voted to disband the SWANI Conference after the 1952 football season.[2] Soon after the conference's dissolution, the five Wisconsin high schools initiated talks with East Troy, Mukwonago and Wilmot (all members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference) to form a new athletic conference for the 1953-54 school year,[3] which eventually was named the Southern Lakes Conference.[4] The five former SWANI members played an independent home-and-home schedule for the remainder of the 1952-53 school year, filling open dates with the three members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference where feasible.[5] The three Illinois-based high schools joined the IHSA-affiliated SHARK Conference after the demise of the SWANI Conference in 1952.[6]
Conference membership history
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | Burlington, WI | Public | 1,001 | Demons | 1946[1] | 1952[2][4] | Southern Lakes | Southern Lakes | |
| Delavan | Delavan, WI | Public | 628 | Comets | 1946[1] | 1952[2][4] | Southern Lakes | Rock Valley | |
| Elkhorn | Elkhorn, WI | Public | 1,142 | Elks | 1946[1] | 1952[2][4] | Southern Lakes | Southern Lakes | |
| Harvard | Harvard, IL | Public | 773[7] | Hornets | 1946[1] | 1952[2][6] | SHARK (IHSA) | Kishwaukee River (IHSA) | |
| Lake Geneva | Lake Geneva, WI | Public | N/A | Resorters | 1946[1] | 1952[2][4] | Southern Lakes | Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger) | |
| Marengo | Marengo, IL | Public | 656[7] | Indians | 1946[1] | 1952[2][6] | SHARK (IHSA) | Kishwaukee River (IHSA) | |
| McHenry | McHenry, IL | Public | 2165[7] | Warriors | 1946[1] | 1952[2][6] | SHARK (IHSA) | Fox Valley (IHSA) | |
| Whitewater | Whitewater, WI | Public | 606 | Quakers | 1946[1] | 1952[2][4] | Southern Lakes | Capitol (2025) |
Membership timeline
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References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Three County High Schools Join New Loop". Woodstock Daily Sentinel. April 6, 1946. p. 1. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Meet to Form New Conference". Racine Journal Times. January 11, 1952. p. 17. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ "Meet Monday to Plan Athletic League to Succeed SWANI". Lake Geneva Regional News. March 6, 1952. p. 9. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "New Southern Lakes Conference Ready to Start Games Next Fall". Lake Geneva Regional News. April 2, 1953. p. 10. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "Schools Join New League". Racine Journal Times. March 12, 1952. p. 23. Retrieved May 13, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Elkhorn, Marengo Cagers Monopolized SWANI Loop". Janesville Weekly Gazette. March 11, 1952. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Two-Year Enrollments and Classifications". Illinois HIgh School Association. March 9, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2024.