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Northeastern Wisconsin Conference

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The Northeastern Wisconsin Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, opening competition in 1927 and disbanding in 1970. Its members were concentrated in the northeastern part of the state, and all members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

Founding and Early Years (1927-1933)

The Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Conference was formed in 1927 by thirteen small- to medium-sized high schools in northeastern Wisconsin. Algoma, Clintonville, De Pere, Kaukauna, Kewaunee, Menasha, Neenah, New London, Oconto, Oconto Falls, Shawano, Sturgeon Bay and West De Pere were charter members.[1] Gillett and Two Rivers joined the conference before the 1927 football season to give the NEW Conference fifteen members. [2] The conference had a large geographic footprint, including schools in nine counties (Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca and Winnebago). Four years after the NEW Conference's formation, Clintonville and Gillett left the conference, putting the membership tally at thirteen schools.[3]

Two-Division Split (1933-1952)

In 1933, the NEW Conference split its thirteen member schools into Eastern and Western Divisions:[4]

Eastern Division Western Division
Algoma Kaukauna
De Pere Menasha
Kewaunee Neenah
Oconto New London
Oconto Falls Shawano
Sturgeon Bay West De Pere
Two Rivers

Clintonville rejoined the conference in 1934, and they took up residence in the Western Division, putting each division at seven members apiece.[5] Conference membership remained stable for over a decade until West De Pere left the NEW Conference in 1943 to compete as an independent.[6] Two Rivers moved from the Eastern to the Western Division in 1949,[7] and the conference added two schools in 1950: Kimberly and Seymour. Both schools had recently left the Little Nine Conference in search of stronger competition, and both joined the Eastern Division for their first season in the NEW Conference.[8] Kimberly switched to the Western Division in 1951, and the Eastern Division welcomed Pulaski and West De Pere. Both schools were formerly in the Mid-Valley Conference, and West De Pere was making its return after it left the NEW Conference eight years prior:[9]

Eastern Division Western Division
Algoma Clintonville
De Pere Kaukauna
Kewaunee Kimberly
Oconto Menasha
Oconto Falls Neenah
Pulaski New London
Seymour Shawano
Sturgeon Bay Two Rivers
West De Pere

Mid-Eastern Secession and Expansion (1952-1966)

In 1952, all eight schools in the Northeastern Wisconsin Conference's Western Division left to form the Mid-Eastern Conference.[10] The remaining nine schools in the Eastern Division of the NEW Confernce continued on as a nine-member circuit. Growth in the Green Bay metropolitan area and the opening of new high schools drove expansion of the NEW Conference in the 1950s and 1960s. Preble High School was opened in 1955 and joined the NEW Conference the next year, bringing membership to ten.[11] In 1964, Preble left the NEW Conference after their school district was consolidated into Green Bay's school district. They joined their new brethren with the larger schools of the Fox River Valley Conference and were replaced by Bonduel, formerly of the Central Wisconsin Conference.[12] Two recently opened high schools joined the NEW Conference in 1966 to bring membership to twelve schools: Ashwaubenon High School and Bay Port High School of the Howard-Suamico district.[13]

Realignment and Oblivion (1966-1970)

The Northeastern Wisconsin Conference would continue with twelve member schools for the next four years before a major realignment occurred in the region. Several conferences were disbanded that year, and the NEW Conference was one of them. Eight of the twelve former NEW Conference schools, along with Clintonville of the Mid-Eastern Conference and former independent Marinette, formed the new Bay Conference: Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, De Pere, Oconto, Oconto Falls, Pulaski, Seymour and West De Pere. Three of the smaller schools (Algoma, Kewaunee and Sturgeon Bay) became charter members of the Packerland Conference and Bonduel returned to the Central Wisconsin Conference after leaving six years prior.[14]

Conference Membership History

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Algoma Algoma, WI Public 219 Wolves     1927[1] 1970[14] Packerland
Clintonville Clintonville, WI Public 412 Truckers     1927,[1] 1934[5] 1931,[3] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern North Eastern
De Pere De Pere, WI Public 1,457 Redbirds     1927[1] 1970[14] Bay Fox River Classic
Gillett Gillett, WI Public 158 Tigers     1927[2] 1931[3] Independent Marinette & Oconto
Kaukauna Kaukauna, WI Public 1,253 Galloping Ghosts     1927[1] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Fox Valley Association
Kewaunee Kewaunee, WI Public 298 Indians     1927[1] 1970[14] Packerland
Menasha Menasha, WI Public 966 Blue Jays     1927[1] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Fox Valley Association
Neenah Neenah, WI Public 1,979 Rockets     1927[1] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Fox Valley Association
New London New London, WI Public 712 Bulldogs     1927[1] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Bay
Oconto Oconto, WI Public 282 Blue Devils     1927[1] 1970[14] Bay Packerland
Oconto Falls Oconto Falls, WI Public 521 Panthers     1927[1] 1970[14] Bay North Eastern
Shawano Shawano, WI Public 797 Indians     1927[1] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Bay
Sturgeon Bay Sturgeon Bay, WI Public 394 Clippers     1927[1] 1970[14] Packerland
Two Rivers Two Rivers, WI Public 480 Raiders     1927[2] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Eastern Wisconsin
West De Pere De Pere, WI Public 1,087 Phantoms     1927,[1] 1951[9] 1943,[6] 1970 Bay
Kimberly Kimberly, WI Public 1,595 Papermakers     1950[8] 1952[10] Mid-Eastern Fox Valley Association
Seymour Seymour, WI Public 655 Indians     1950[8] 1970 Bay
Pulaski Pulaski, WI Public 1,141 Red Raiders     1951[9] 1970[14] Bay Fox River Classic
Preble Preble, WI Public 2,235 Hornets     1956[11] 1964[12] Fox River Valley Fox River Classic
Bonduel Bonduel, WI Public 262 Bears     1964[12] 1970[14] Central Wisconsin
Ashwaubenon Ashwaubenon, WI Public 989 Jaguars     1966[13] 1970[14] Bay Fox River Classic
Bay Port Suamico, WI Public 1,915 Pirates     1966[13] 1970[14] Bay Fox River Classic

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

None

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball
School Year Division
Neenah 1930 Single Division
De Pere 1934 Class B
Shawano 1938 Class B
Shawano 1940 Single Division
Two Rivers 1941 Single Division
Skiing
School Year Division
Sturgeon Bay 1968 Single Division

Spring Sports

Baseball
School Year Division
Menasha 1950 Single Division
Boys Tennis
School Year Division
Shawano 1939 Single Division
Shawano 1940 Single Division
Shawano 1941 Single Division
Neenah 1946 Single Division
Neenah 1951 Single Division
Boys Track & Field
School Year Division
Shawano 1936 Class B
Sturgeon Bay 1959 Class B

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Interscholastic Athletics Attracts 155 Badger High Schools". The Capital Times. 7 February 1927. p. 16. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Oconto Falls Holds N. E. Wis. Loop Lead". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 11 October 1927. p. 15. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Menasha and Sturgeon Bay Clash Friday". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 27 October 1931. p. 12. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Menasha, Shawano Clash Tomorrow". Appleton Post-Crescent. 2 February 1934. p. 13. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Draft Schedule to Give Clintonville Conference Games". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 15 May 1934. p. 13. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Ansorge to See Grid Material In First Workout". Appleton Post-Crescent. 26 August 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  7. ^ United Press (19 May 1949). "Admit Two Rivers". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 11. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Kimberly, Seymour Voted Into NEW Eastern Division". Appleton Post-Crescent. 23 March 1950. p. 17. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "'Phants Home, DP to Seymour Friday". Green Bay Press-Gazette. 5 December 1951. p. 39. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "NEW Becomes Mid-Eastern Conference". Appleton Post-Crescent. 16 May 1952. p. 22. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Donovan Paces Rugged Task at Stevens Point". Wisconsin State Journal. 24 November 1954. p. 36. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Seymour '11' Plays Host to Pulaski". Appleton Post-Crescent. 11 September 1964. p. 3. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  13. ^ a b c "2 Newcomers Begin NEW Play Tonight". Appleton Post-Crescent. 29 November 1966. p. 16. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Walter, Tony (21 December 1969). "High School Realignment Begins To Take Definite Shape in Area". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 47. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
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