Mississippi Valley Conference (Wisconsin) Explained

Mississippi Valley Conference
Font Color:FFFFFF
Founded:1989
Conference:WIAA
Division:Division 1
Teams:7
Sports:19
Mens:10
Womens:9
Region:La Crosse Metropolitan
Headquarters:La Crosse, Wisconsin
Website:www.mvconference.org

The Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) is a high school athletic conference in southwest Wisconsin. All MVC schools are members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and are located in the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta combined statistical area.

History

Original Mississippi Valley Conference (1933-1965)

The first incarnation of the Mississippi Valley Conference was founded in 1933 and contained five smaller high schools in western Wisconsin: Alma, Arcadia, Durand, Mondovi and Osseo.[1] Augusta joined from the Little Eight Conference in 1935,[2] replacing Alma after their return to the Bi-County Conference. Whitehall followed in 1936[3] while maintaining dual membership in the Trempeleau Valley Conference (which they left in 1938). Black River Falls became the conference's seventh member school when it joined in 1938.[4] These seven schools competed together for two decades before three left to become charter members of the new Dairyland Conference in 1959: Augusta, Osseo and Whitehall.[5] Chippewa Falls and Cochrane-Fountain City took their place that same year.[6] Menomonie was also accepted into the conference for 1959 but withdrew before ever playing a game.[7] Three schools exited the conference in 1963: Black River Falls for the South Central Conference, Chippewa Falls for the Big Rivers Conference and Cochrane-Fountain City for the Dairyland Conference.[8] For the last two years of its existence, the Mississippi Valley Conference competed as a three-school circuit until Arcadia left for the Coulee Conference in 1965, thus ending the conference's run.[9]

New Mississippi Valley Conference (1989-present)

The current incarnation of the Mississippi Valley Conference was formed in 1989[10] to accommodate for the growing attendance in schools in traditional rural-based conferences and shorten travel distances for its members.[11] Holmen and Onalaska joined from the Coulee Conference, Sparta and Tomah from the South Central Conference, and La Crosse Central High School and Logan High School from the Big Rivers Conference. Shortly after, in 1997, Aquinas High School joined from the Central Wisconsin Catholic Conference of the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, a private school athletic league, to become the conference's seventh member.[12]

In 2014, West Salem began competition in the Mississippi Valley Conference for football only. They remain in the Coulee Conference for all other sports. Due to competitive differences between Aquinas and the rest of the conference, their football team moved to the Coulee Conference with all other sports remaining in the MVC.[13]

Sports Sponsored

The MVC sponsors 19 varsity sports. They are:

List of Member Schools (1989-present)

Current Members

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsYear Joined
AquinasLa Crosse, WIPrivate (Catholic)307Blugolds1997
HolmenHolmen, WIPublic1,215Vikings1989
La Crosse CentralLa Crosse, WIPublic1,029Riverhawks1989
La Crosse LoganLa Crosse, WIPublic738Rangers1989
OnalaskaOnalaska, WIPublic923Hilltoppers1989
SpartaSparta, WIPublic909Spartans1989
TomahTomah, WIPublic919Timberwolves1989

Associate Members

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedParticipating SportsPrimary Conference
West SalemWest Salem, WIPublic607Panthers2014Football, Soccer, VolleyballCoulee
ReedsburgReedsburg, WIPublic897Beavers2022FootballBadger

All Sports

Nineteen varsity sports count towards the Mississippi Valley Conference "All Sports Award". Points are awarded based on a team's finish in a given sport (seven for the conference championship, six for second place and so on to one point for the seventh-place finisher). At the completion of each sport season (fall, winter and spring), updated standings are posted on the league's Web site, and at the end of the school year, the school with the most points is declared the winner of the "All Sports Award."[14]

List of Member Schools (1933-1965)

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
AlmaAlma, WIPublic65Rivermen19331935Bi-CountyDairyland
ArcadiaArcadia, WIPublic417Raiders19331965Coulee
DurandDurand, WIPublic307Panthers19331965IndependentDunn-St. Croix
MondoviMondovi, WIPublic250Buffaloes19331965IndependentDunn-St. Croix
OsseoOsseo, WIPublic255Chieftains19331959DairylandCloverbelt
AugustaAugusta, WIPublic226Beavers19351959Dairyland
WhitehallWhitehall, WIPublic216Norse19361959Dairyland
Black River FallsBlack River Falls, WIPublic481Tigers19381963South CentralCoulee
Chippewa FallsChippewa Falls, WIPublic1,454Cardinals19591963Big Rivers
Cochrane-Fountain CityFountain City, WIPublic175Pirates19591963Dairyland

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country!School!Year!Division
La Crosse Central1990Division 1
Aquinas2007Division 3
Aquinas2018Division 3
Aquinas2019Division 3
Aquinas2020Division 2
Onalaska2021Division 1
Girls Cross Country!School!Year!Division
La Crosse Central1989Division 1
La Crosse Central1990Division 1
Football!School!Year!Division
Aquinas2007Division 5
Girls Golf!School!Year!Division
Onalaska1989Single Division
La Crosse Central1990Single Division
La Crosse Central1991Single Division
La Crosse Central1992Single Division
La Crosse Central1993Single Division
La Crosse Central1998Single Division
Aquinas2017Division 2

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball!School!Year!Division
Onalaska1992Division 2
Aquinas2003Division 3
Aquinas2008Division 3
Aquinas2011Division 3
Onalaska2012Division 2
Aquinas2013Division 3
La Crosse Central2017Division 1
Girls Basketball!School!Year!Division
Holmen1995Division 2
Aquinas2018Division 4
Aquinas2019Division 4
Gymnastics!School!Year!Division
Onalaska1997Division 2
Onalaska1998Division 2
Holmen2005Division 2
Holmen2006Division 2
Boys Wrestling!School!Year!Division
Aquinas1999WISAA (Single Division)

Spring Sports

Baseball!School!Year!Division
La Crosse Logan2001Division 1
Aquinas2007Division 3
Aquinas2017Division 3
Aquinas2024Division 3
Girls Soccer!School!Year!Division
Aquinas2015Division 4
Softball!School!Year!Division
Holmen1999Division 1
La Crosse Logan2015Division 2
Boys Track & Field!School!Year!Division
Aquinas2011Division 2
Aquinas2019Division 3
Aquinas2021Division 3
Girls Track & Field!School!Year!Division
Aquinas2012Division 2
Aquinas2019Division 3

Summer Sports

Baseball!School!Year!Division
Holmen1990Single Division

Rivalries

The Mississippi Valley Conference has a number of intense rivalries, both based on proximity, and performance.

City

Other Main Rivalries

In addition to these main rivalries, many other rivalries have developed based on different sports and success. In the early 2000s, Holmen and Aquinas had fierce competitions in Boys' Basketball in which tickets were sold out days after going on sale. Additionally, in the early 1990s, Onalaska Vs. Central was a heated matchup in Boys' Basketball. That rivalry was rekindled in the 2010s as both teams regularly competed for state bids. In wrestling, Holmen Vs. Sparta and Holmen Vs. Tomah have come and gone. In Boys' Ice Hockey, Onalaska and Aquinas/Holmen/G-E-T/C-FC hold a battle for the Omni Center rivalry, as both teams play in the same venue.

Many non-conference rivalries are also in the MVC. Onalaska Vs. West Salem, Logan and Central Vs. Eau Claire Memorial and North, Tomah Vs. Black River Falls, and Holmen Vs. G-E-T are all annual football games. Aquinas maintains matchups with old conference members from their WISAA days.

Rivalry Week

In many different sports, particularly but not limited to football, basketball, and wrestling, the three big rivalries will frequently be played on the same days, coining the phrase Rivalry Week in football and Rivalry Night in other sports. These rivalries are Central Vs. Logan, Holmen Vs. Onalaska, and Sparta Vs. Tomah. Occasionally, Aquinas will be inserted into a city match up or against Holmen or Onalaska on a Rivalry Night.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 23 May 1934 . News of Northwest Wisconsin, Mondovi section . 20 November 2024 . Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . 5.
  2. News: 30 November 1935 . Durand Cagers Beat Hudson, 21 to 12 . 20 November 2024 . Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . 8.
  3. News: 5 November 1936 . Whitehall Opens Cage Season on Nov. 10 . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . 12.
  4. News: 14 March 1938 . Arcadia Takes New Loop Post . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . 4.
  5. News: 16 November 1958 . Dairyland New Tag . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . 15.
  6. News: 30 October 1958 . Chippewa, Menomonie Join Mississippi Valley League . 20 November 2024 . Chippewa Herald-Telegram . 18.
  7. News: 6 November 1958 . Prior Commitments Force Menomonie To Withdraw From Mississippi Valley . 20 November 2024 . Chippewa Herald-Telegram . 12.
  8. News: Gunderson . Jim . 23 March 1963 . Gunning for Sports (Three-School League) . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . 4.
  9. News: Bueldi . Ron . Buckshot . 26 February 1965 . 20 November 2024 . Eau Claire Leader-Telegram . 13.
  10. News: 20 November 1988 . New league given a name . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . 15.
  11. News: Seering . Jeff . 26 May 1988 . Some thoughts on realignment . 20 November 2024 . Reedsburg Times-Press . 30.
  12. News: Brown . Jeff . 14 February 1996 . MVC principals agree: Aquinas in . 20 November 2024 . The La Crosse Tribune . C-1.
  13. Web site: Kelly . Drew . Aquinas football to compete in Coulee Conference in 2020 . WKTY . February 16, 2020 . July 24, 2018.
  14. Web site: Home . mvconference.org.

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