Mississippi Valley Conference (Wisconsin, 1933-1965)

The Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) is a former high school athletic conference with its catchment in west central Wisconsin. Formed in 1933 and disbanded in 1965, it is the first of two athletic conferences in Wisconsin to carry this name, and all members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

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Whitehall
Osseo
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Black River Falls
Augusta
Arcadia
Location of Mississippi Valley Conference Members (1938-1959)

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] The MVC name was revived in 1989 for a new athletic conference of large high schools located in the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta combined statistical area.

Conference membership history

Full members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Alma Alma, WI Public 65 Rivermen     1933 1935 Bi-County Dairyland
Arcadia Arcadia, WI Public 417 Raiders     1933 1965 Coulee
Durand Durand, WI Public 307 Panthers     1933 1965 Independent Dunn-St. Croix
Mondovi Mondovi, WI Public 250 Buffaloes     1933 1965 Independent Dunn-St. Croix
Osseo Osseo, WI Public 255 Chieftains     1933 1959 Dairyland Cloverbelt
Augusta Augusta, WI Public 226 Beavers     1935 1959 Dairyland
Whitehall Whitehall, WI Public 216 Norse     1936 1959 Dairyland
Black River Falls Black River Falls, WI Public 481 Tigers     1938 1963 South Central Coulee
Chippewa Falls Chippewa Falls, WI Public 1,454 Cardinals     1959 1963 Big Rivers
Cochrane-Fountain City Fountain City, WI Public 175 Pirates     1959 1963 Dairyland

Football-only members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Seasons Primary Conference
Galesville Galesville, WI Public N/A Galloping Gales     1946-1948 Coulee
Gale-Ettrick Galesville, WI Public N/A Redmen     1949-1958 Coulee

Membership timeline

Full members

Football members

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

School Quantity Years
Arcadia 7 1938, 1939, 1940, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1958
Augusta 7 1936, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952
Durand 7 1934, 1937, 1941, 1946, 1959, 1962, 1965
Black River Falls 4 1953, 1954, 1955, 1961
Mondovi 3 1956, 1957, 1964
Osseo 3 1935, 1950, 1952
Chippewa Falls 2 1960, 1963
Whitehall 1 1942
Alma 0
Cochrane-Fountain City 0

Football

School Quantity Years
Arcadia 12 1939, 1941, 1942, 1944, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
Mondovi 9 1943, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964
Black River Falls 7 1940, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1961
Durand 3 1945, 1947, 1963
Chippewa Falls 1 1959
Osseo 1 1954
Whitehall 1 1946
Augusta 0
Cochrane-Fountain City 0
Gale-Ettrick 0
Galesville 0

References

  1. ^ "News of Northwest Wisconsin, Mondovi section". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 23 May 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Durand Cagers Beat Hudson, 21 to 12". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 30 November 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Whitehall Opens Cage Season on Nov. 10". The La Crosse Tribune. 5 November 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Arcadia Takes New Loop Post". The La Crosse Tribune. 14 March 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  5. ^ "Dairyland New Tag". The La Crosse Tribune. 16 November 1958. p. 15. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Chippewa, Menomonie Join Mississippi Valley League". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 30 October 1958. p. 18. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Prior Commitments Force Menomonie To Withdraw From Mississippi Valley". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 6 November 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  8. ^ Gunderson, Jim (23 March 1963). "Gunning for Sports (Three-School League)". The La Crosse Tribune. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  9. ^ Bueldi, Ron (26 February 1965). "Buckshot". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. p. 13. Retrieved 20 November 2024.