Southern Eight Conference
Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference
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The Southern Eight Conference is a former high school athletic conference in southwestern Wisconsin, operating from 1971 to 1987. All member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
The Southern Eight Conference was formed as the result of a split of member schools in the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League. In 1970, Richland Center High School was accepted as the fifteenth member of the SWAL (effective 1971) and was added to the seven-member North Section.[1] Soon after their acceptance, the other eight schools in the South Section voted to split the conference along geographic lines[2][3] to maintain traditional rivalries and cut transportation expenses.[4] The Southern Eight began competition in 1971, and its membership roster was remarkably stable over the course of its history. The only changes happened in 1983 with Mount Horeb's exit to the Capitol Conference[5] and the addition of Southwestern High School in Hazel Green.[6] The end of the Southern Eight Conference came in 1987, when the conference remerged with the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League to create a new fourteen-member conference subdivided by enrollment size.[7]
Conference membership history
Final members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuba City | Cuba City, WI | Public | Cubans | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | Southwest Wisconsin Activities League | ||
| Darlington | Darlington, WI | Public | Redbirds | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | Southwest Wisconsin Activities League | ||
| Dodgeville | Dodgeville, WI | Public | Dodgers | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | SWAL | Southwest Wisconsin | |
| Iowa-Grant | Livingston, WI | Public | Panthers | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | Southwest Wisconsin Activities League | ||
| Lancaster | Lancaster, WI | Public | Flying Arrows | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | SWAL | Southwest Wisconsin | |
| Mineral Point | Mineral Point, WI | Public | Pointers | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | Southwest Wisconsin Activities League | ||
| Platteville | Platteville, WI | Public | Hillmen | 1971[3] | 1987[7] | SWAL | Southwest Wisconsin | |
| Southwestern | Hazel Green, WI | Public | Wildcats | 1983[6] | 1987[7] | Southwest Wisconsin Activities League | ||
Previous members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Horeb | Mount Horeb, WI | Public | Vikings | 1971[3] | 1983[5] | Capitol | Badger |
Membership timeline
List of state champions
Fall sports
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Dodgeville | 1972 | Small Schools |
| Platteville | 1979 | Class B |
| Platteville | 1980 | Class B |
| Mount Horeb | 1981 | Class B |
| Platteville | 1984 | Class B |
| Darlington | 1985 | Class C |
| Darlington | 1986 | Class C |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa-Grant | 1977 | Division 3 |
| Platteville | 1984 | Division 4 |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Platteville | 1977 | Class B |
| Iowa-Grant | 1978 | Class C |
| Platteville | 1979 | Class B |
Winter sports
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba City | 1981 | Class B |
| Iowa-Grant | 1981 | Class C |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 1976 | Class B |
| Cuba City | 1977 | Class B |
| Lancaster | 1979 | Class B |
| Cuba City | 1980 | Class B |
| Platteville | 1984 | Class B |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Horeb | 1978 | Class B |
| Mount Horeb | 1983 | Class B |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral Point | 1980 | Class C |
| Mineral Point | 1981 | Class C |
| Mineral Point | 1982 | Class C |
| Mineral Point | 1983 | Class C |
| Mineral Point | 1985 | Class C |
| Mineral Point | 1986 | Class C |
Spring sports
None
List of conference champions
Boys Basketball
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba City | 10 | 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 |
| Platteville | 4 | 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Dodgeville | 2 | 1973, 1978 |
| Iowa-Grant | 1 | 1982 |
| Mineral Point | 1 | 1974 |
| Darlington | 0 | |
| Lancaster | 0 | |
| Mount Horeb | 0 | |
| Southwestern | 0 |
Girls Basketball
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cuba City | 6 | 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985 |
| Lancaster | 3 | 1976, 1979, 1983 |
| Platteville | 1 | 1984 |
| Southwestern | 1 | 1986 |
| Darlington | 0 | |
| Dodgeville | 0 | |
| Iowa-Grant | 0 | |
| Mineral Point | 0 | |
| Mount Horeb | 0 | |
| Champions from 1987 unknown | ||
Football
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Platteville | 7 | 1971, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 |
| Iowa-Grant | 5 | 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979 |
| Cuba City | 2 | 1975, 1981 |
| Darlington | 1 | 1973 |
| Dodgeville | 1 | 1986 |
| Lancaster | 1 | 1971 |
| Mount Horeb | 1 | 1978 |
| Mineral Point | 0 | |
| Southwestern | 0 |