Milwaukee City Conference

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The Milwaukee City Conference (often shortened simply to "City Conference") is a high school athletic conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All full-time member institutions are located in the city of Milwaukee and are members of the Milwaukee Public Schools. It's members have often produced the WIAA Division 1 state champions in boys and girls basketball and track and field.

Contents

[edit] Membership

Institution Enrollment Nickname Colors Varsity Teams

(including co-op teams)
Bay View High School 1,706 Redcats Scarlet & Black 18
Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School (Bradley Tech) 1,554 Trojans Purple & White 17
Custer High School 1,442 Cougars Red & White 13
Hamilton High School 2,226 Wildcats Green & Gold 18
Rufus King High School 1,474 Generals Royal Blue & Gold 18
Madison University High School 1,530 Knights Forest Green & White 19
Marshall High School 783 Eagles Scarlet Red & Columbia Blue 17
North Division High School 606 Blue Devils Blue & White 5
Pulaski High School 1,586 Rams Crimson Red & Navy Blue 17
Riverside University High School 1,572 Tigers Orange & Black 18
South Division High School 1,536 Cardinals Cardinal & White 17
Vincent High School 1,612 Vikings Maroon & Gold 17
Washington High School 1,062 Purgolders Purple & Gold 16


[edit] Affiliate members

The following schools are also members of the City Conference on a part-time basis:

  • Milwaukee High School Of The Arts
  • Malcolm X Academy
  • Metropolitan High School
  • Ronald W. Regan University High School
  • Milwaukee School of Languages
  • Thomas Edison High School
  • Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning

[edit] Co-op teams

Because many of the City Conference schools are at a financial disadvantage compared to other schools, a number of them operate co-op teams. These co-op's are usually between a full-time member and an affiliate member, although there are some exceptions. If applicable, the "host" school is listed in bold.

  • Bay View & Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning (football, boys & girls tennis)
  • Pulaski & Milwaukee High School Of The Arts (football, girls volleyball, baseball, boys tennis, girls soccer)
  • Marshall & School Of Languages (football)
  • Ronald W. Reagan& Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning (girls basketball)
  • Madison, Marshall & School Of Languages (boys tennis)
  • South Division & Bradley Tech (boys tennis)
  • Pulaski Milwaukee High School Of The Arts and Ronald W. Reagan (Girls and Boys Swim)
  • Riverside Milwaukee and Shorewood (Wrestling)

[edit] Sanctioned sports

  • Boys and Girls
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
  • Boys Only
    • Baseball
    • Football
    • Wrestling
  • Girls Only
    • Softball
    • Volleyball

[edit] WIAA championships

[edit] Boys basketball

The City Conference did not allow its teams to compete in the WIAA tournament until the 1951-52 season. The now disbanded Lincoln High School became the first City team to win the state title in 1959. They would go on to win four more state titles ('61 '62 '66 and '67) and are largely considered the tournament's first dynasty.[1]

Hamilton won the Class A title in 1972, the first year where separate tournaments were conducted based on enrollment size. Three different city schools won consecutive titles at the turn of the decade as Bradley Tech (1979), North Division (1980) and Madison (1981) each took home a Class A crown. Bradley Tech repeated its success in 1983, a year after all of the freshmen from the 1979 squad had graduated.

Since then, 14 of the titles have gone to one of three City schools: Rufus King ('84, '91, '95, '03, '04), Washington ('85, '87, '91, '93) and Vincent ('96, '97, '98, '00).[2] Because of this, and intense rivalry has developed between the schools. The one which does the best against the other two is often viewed as the team to beat come state tournament time.

[edit] Boys track and field

Vincent has won three of the past six Division 1 titles (2001, 2003 and 2005). Their success, however, is not unprecedented as South Division put together a string of five straight Class A (now known as Division 1) titles from 1985 to 1989. Other City Conference schools have made their presence felt during that time with North Division (1992) and Bradley Tech (1995) each having claimed a Division 1 title. King won in 2006.

[edit] Girls basketball

Washington is one of two City Conference team to have ever won the title, and have done it a WIAA Division 1 record 5 times.[3] Their first Class A title came in 1979 with their second coming in 1990. They would go on to accomplish the only three-peat in girls tournament history (in any division) winning the title in 1994, 1995 and 1996. In addition to the overall and Division 1 team records they hold many individual records are held by members of those teams. Vincent has won the title once, in 2007. [4]

[edit] Girls track and field

Since it was established in 1972, the following City schools that have won the WIAA Class A/Division 1 tournament: Custer (1976), Riverside (1986), Bradley Tech (1996) and Rufus King (1989 and 2002).[5] In addition, athletes from the member schools hold 5 of the individual tournament records. [6]

[edit] Controversy

There is often perceived to be a longstanding rift between the City Conference and the WIAA. Most recently, this has come to the forefront in the WIAA's decision to restrict travel outside of Wisconsin and its border states. The decision was made as a direct response to a practice of City Conference boy's basketball teams which often travel long distances to find top-notch competition. Athletic directors from City schools argued against the decision, saying the travel is paid for by the host school or event organizer.[7]

Supporters of City Conference schools also point out that its teams are often paired off against each other in the early rounds of WIAA tournaments, assuring that a minimal number of Milwaukee teams make it to the state finals.

The situation has caused some supporters to call for the City Conference to follow the lead of leagues in other major cities such as Chicago and Philadelphia to hold its own tournaments separate from the WIAA. But so far, nothing has come from it.

[edit] See also

List of high school athletic conferences in Wisconsin

[edit] External links and resources