Upstate Eight Conference

Upstate Eight Conference
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Established 1963
Motto Spirit within schools and community
Members 16
Sports 25 (13 boys, 12 girls)
State Illinois
Region Chicago area
Counties DuPage, Cook, Kane
Divisions A (larger) & B (smaller)

The Upstate Eight Conference (UEC, U8C, or Upstate 8) is an organization of sixteen high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing ten communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School Association.

The high schools of the Upstate Eight Conference are located in Kane County, Cook County, and DuPage County. Originally, the conference had eight member schools, but over time the membership has varied from six to as many as sixteen schools without any change of name.

History

Formed in 1963 its charter members were DeKalb High School, East Aurora High School, Elgin High School, Larkin High School, Glenbard East High School, Naperville Community, West Aurora High School and Wheaton Community high schools. That next year Wheaton Community was renamed Wheaton Central when the district split. In 1965 Glenbard East left to join the Des Plaines Valley League and was replaced by St. Charles High School. Naperville Community and Wheaton Central left in 1975 to join the newly formed DuPage Valley Conference. Lake Park High School and newly opened Streamwood High School were added in 1979, which led to a stable lineup for the next 12 years.

Waubonsie Valley High School, located in Aurora, joined in 1991. West Aurora High School left in 1997 to join the DuPage Valley Conference. Newly opened schools Bartlett High School and Neuqua Valley High School located in Naperville joined in 1998. St. Charles High School split into St. Charles East and St. Charles North in 2000, with St. Charles North joining in 2001. South Elgin High School joined upon opening in 2005, preemptively taking DeKalb's place, as they left in 2006. Batavia High School and Geneva High School joined in 2010 following the dissolution of the Western Sun Conference, and joined newly opened Metea Valley High School in Aurora to bring conference membership to 14 schools. Lake Park left the conference to join the DuPage Valley Conference for the 2013-2014 season and was replaced by West Chicago. Glenbard East High School and West Aurora High School will return to the Upstate Eight Conference for the 2014-2015 athletic season, leaving the DuPage Valley Conference. For the 2015-2016 athletic season, Metea Valley High School, Neuqua Valley High School, and Waubonsie Valley High School will be leaving the Upstate Eight conference for the DuPage Valley Conference.

Membership

Valley

School Town Team Name Colors IHSA Classes (2/3/4) Reference
Bartlett High School Bartlett Hawks                AA/3A/4A [1]
East Aurora High School Aurora Tomcats           AA/3A/4A [2]
Glenbard East High School Lombard Rams                AA/3A/4A [3]
Metea Valley High School Aurora Mustangs           AA/3A/4A [4]
Neuqua Valley High School Naperville Wildcats           AA/3A/4A [5]
South Elgin High School South Elgin Storm                AA/3A/4A [6]
Waubonsie Valley High School Aurora Warriors           AA/3A/4A [7]
West Aurora High School [Aurora, Illinois|Aurora Blackhawks                AA/3A/4A [8]

River

School Town Team Name Colors IHSA Classes (2/3/4) Reference
Batavia High School Batavia Bulldogs           AA/3A/4A [9]
Community High School West Chicago Wildcats           AA/3A/4A [10]
Elgin High School Elgin Maroons           AA/3A/4A [11]
Larkin High School Elgin Royals           AA/3A/4A [12]
Geneva High School Geneva Vikings           AA/3A/4A [13]
St. Charles East High School St. Charles Fighting Saints           AA/3A/4A [14]
St. Charles North High School St. Charles North Stars           AA/3A/4A [15]
Streamwood High School Streamwood Sabres           AA/3A/4A [16]

Former members

SchoolTownNicknameYears in conference
DeKalb High SchoolDeKalbBarbs1963—2006 [17]
Lake Park High SchoolRoselleLancers1979—2013
Metea Valley High SchoolAuroraMustangs2010—2015
Naperville Community High School*NapervilleRedskins1963—1975
Neuqua Valley High SchoolNapervilleWildcats1998—2015
Waubonsie Valley High SchoolAuroraWarriors1991—2015
Wheaton Central High School**WheatonTigers1963—1975

* Naperville Community HS split into Naperville Central HS and Naperville North HS (which had no connection with the conference) in 1970.
**School renamed Wheaton Warrenville South HS in 1992.

Timeline

Metea Valley High School Geneva High School (Illinois) Batavia High School South Elgin High School St. Charles North High School St. Charles East High School Neuqua Valley High School Bartlett High School (Bartlett, Illinois) Waubonsie Valley High School Streamwood High School Lake Park High School Naperville Central High School St. Charles East High School Wheaton Warrenville South High School Wheaton Warrenville South High School West Aurora High School Naperville Central High School Larkin High School Glenbard East High School Elgin High School (Illinois) East Aurora High School DeKalb High School (Illinois)

Sports

The conference currently oversees a total of 15 sports. Young men and women may compete in basketball, bowling, cross country, chess, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Young men may compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while young women may compete in badminton and softball.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Bartlett". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  2. ↑ "Aurora (East)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Aurora Glenbard (East)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  4. ↑ "Aurora (Metea Valley)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Naperville (Neuqua Valley)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "South Elgin". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  7. ↑ "Aurora (Waubonsie Valley)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "West Aurora (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  9. ↑ "Batavia". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  10. ↑ "West Chicago (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  11. ↑ "Elgin (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Elgin (Larkin)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  13. ↑ "Geneva". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  14. ↑ "St. Charles (East)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  15. ↑ "St. Charles (North)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  16. ↑ "Streamwood". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 5 May 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  17. ↑ http://www.newser.com/archive-headline-news/1G1-132132899/dekalb-officially-notifies-uec-its-leaving-leaguesports.html
  18. ↑ "Upstate 8 Sport Guidelines". Upstate Eight Conference. Retrieved 7 August 2009.

External links