SWAPS Conference
The Southern Wisconsin Association of Private Schools Conference, more commonly known by its abbreviated form (SWAPS Conference), is a former high school athletic conference consisting mostly of private high schools in southern Wisconsin. It was formed in 1957 and disbanded in 1961.
History
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The SWAPS Conference was founded in 1957 by five small high schools in southern Wisconsin. Despite the name of the conference, only four of the five original members were private schools.[1] Beloit Catholic and St. Mary's both belonged to the newly created Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association,[2] and the two military academies (Northwestern Military & Naval Academy and St. John's Military Academy) did not belong to any sort of larger organization at that time. The fifth member, Wisconsin School for the Deaf, was funded by the state of Wisconsin, and was therefore the only school in the conference's original roster to be eligible for membership in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. A second public high school (Williams Bay) was added in 1958 after the dissolution of the Southern Regional Conference.[3] They were members of the conference for one school year before joining the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference in 1959.[4] The SWAPS Conference was disbanded after the 1960-1961 school year.[5] Only one former member joined another conference for 1961 (St. Mary's to the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference),[6] and the rest became independents before eventually joining other conferences.
Conference membership history
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beloit Catholic | Beloit, WI | Private (Catholic) | N/A | Crusaders | 1957[1] | 1961[5] | Independent | Closed in 2000 | |
| Northwestern Military & Naval Academy | Lake Geneva, WI | Private (Nonsectarian, Military) | N/A | Falcons | 1957[1] | 1961[5] | Independent | Closed in 1995 (merged with St. John's Military Academy) | |
| St. John's Military Academy | Delafield, WI | Private (Nonsectarian, Military) | 236 | Lancers | 1957[1] | 1961[5] | Independent | Midwest Classic | |
| St. Mary's | Burlington, WI | Private (Catholic) | 128 | Hilltoppers | 1957 | 1961[5] | Southeastern Wisconsin | Midwest Classic | |
| Wisconsin School for the Deaf | Delavan, WI | Public (Special Needs) | 26 | Firebirds | 1957[1] | 1961[5] | Independent | Indian Trails | |
| Williams Bay | Williams Bay, WI | Public | 212 | Bulldogs | 1958[3] | 1959[4] | Southeastern Wisconsin | Trailways |
Membership timeline
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References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Dunn, Pat (1 September 1957). "Two Burlington Prep Elevens, Salem Hope for Better Years". Racine Journal Times. p. 28. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "St. Mary's High Entered in WCIAA Regional Tourney at Little Chute". Twin City News-Record. 16 January 1957. p. 5. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ a b "2 Championship Cage Teams to Play in SWAPS This Year". Racine Journal Times. 17 November 1958. p. 15. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Conferences Make Changes". Racine Journal Times. 15 March 1959. pp. 5 (Section 3). Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bay and Cadets to Meet in Benefit Game". Lake Geneva Regional News. 11 January 1962. p. 9. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ "St. Mary's Joins SEC Next Year". Racine Journal Times. 23 March 1960. p. 27. Retrieved 26 February 2025.