Southern Five Conference

Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference

The Southern Five Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Its membership was concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin and was in existence from 1928 to 1946. All members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

## History

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13km
8.1miles

Location of Original Southern Five Conference Members

The Southern Five Conference, alternatively known as the Little Five Conference[1] and the Southern State Conference[2] during its history, was formed in 1928 by a group of five medium-sized high schools in Racine and Walworth Counties: Burlington, Delavan (now Delavan-Darien), Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater Normal.[3] The addition of Walworth to the conference, first as a football-only member in 1932 and for all sports in 1935 brought the membership roster to its high of six schools.[4] They would only last two more seasons as conference members,[5] and the ledger experienced a net decrease to five schools with Whitewater Normal and Whitewater of the Rock River Valley League swapping affiliations.[6] Competition lasted for eighteen years before the members of the Southern Five joined with three IHSA-affiliated high schools in neighboring McHenry County, Illinois (Harvard, Marengo and McHenry) to form the Southern Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Conference, more commonly known as the SWANI Conference, in 1946.[7]

## Conference membership history

[edit]

### Full members

[edit]

School  | Location  | Affiliation  | Enrollment | Nickname  | Colors  | Joined  | Left  | Conference Joined  | Current Conference

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Burlington | Burlington, WI | Public  | 1,001  | Demons  |  | 1928[3] | 1946[7] | SWANI | Southern Lakes
Delavan | Delavan, WI | Public  | 628  | Comets  |  | 1928[3] | 1946[7] | SWANI | Rock Valley
Elkhorn | Elkhorn, WI | Public  | 1,142  | Elks  |  | 1928[3] | 1946[7] | SWANI | Southern Lakes
Lake Geneva | Lake Geneva, WI | Public  | N/A  | Resorters  |  | 1928[3] | 1946[7] | SWANI | Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger)
Whitewater Normal | Whitewater, WI | Public (Lab school)  | N/A  | Quakers, Preps  |  | 1928[3] | 1937[5] | Rock River Valley | Closed in 1959
Walworth | Walworth, WI | Public  | N/A  | Warriors  |  | 1935[4] | 1937[5] | Independent  | Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Big Foot)
Whitewater | Whitewater, WI | Public  | 606  | Quakers  |  | 1937[5] | 1946[7] | SWANI | Capitol (2025)

### Football-only members

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School  | Location  | Affiliation  | Enrollment  | Mascot  | Colors  | Seasons  | Primary Conference

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|
|
|
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|
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Walworth | Walworth, WI | Public  | N/A  | Warriors  |  | 1932-1934[4][5] | Southeastern Wisconsin

## Membership timeline

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## List of conference champions

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### Boys Basketball

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School  | Quantity  | Years

|
|

Delavan | 8  | 1930, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1942
Burlington | 7  | 1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1944
Elkhorn | 3  | 1929, 1945, 1946
Lake Geneva | 2  | 1935, 1943
Whitewater | 1  | 1940
Walworth | 0  |
Whitewater Normal | 0  |

### Football

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School  | Quantity  | Years

|
|

Lake Geneva | 6  | 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945
Burlington | 4  | 1932, 1935, 1943, 1944
Delavan | 3  | 1929, 1939, 1942
Elkhorn | 3  | 1928, 1930, 1931
Walworth | 1  | 1934
Whitewater | 1  | 1940
Whitewater Normal | 0  |

## References

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1. ^ "Rivals Are Tied in Conference Race". Racine Journal Times. January 27, 1931. p. 9. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
2. ^ "Southern State Conference (standings)". Wisconsin State Journal. February 28, 1934. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Conference Is Formed by Five High Schools". Lake Geneva Regional News. April 26, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
4. ^ a b c "Southern Conference Expands Cage Loop". Burlington Free Press. April 25, 1935. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
5. ^ a b c d e "Southern State Athletic Group". Burlington Free Press. May 6, 1937. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
6. ^ "Rock Valley League Opens This Weekend". Stoughton Courier. December 8, 1937. p. 6. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
7. ^ a b c d e f "Illinois, Wisconsin High Schools Organize New "Swami" Conference". Racine Journal Times. March 29, 1946. p. 14. Retrieved December 17, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Wisconsin high school athletic conferences

Organizations|

* WIAA (1895-present)
* WISAA (1968-2000)
* WCIAA (1957-1968)

Current|

* Badger
* Bay
* Big East
* Big Eight
* Big Rivers
* Capitol
* Central Wisconsin
* Classic 8
* Cloverbelt
* Coulee
* Dairyland
* Dunn-St. Croix
* Eastern Wisconsin
* Fox River Classic
* Fox Valley Association
* Glacier Trails
* Great Northern
* Greater Metro
* Heart O'North
* Indian Trails
* Lake City
* Lakeland
* Marawood
* Marinette & Oconto
* Metro Classic
* Middle Border
* Midwest Classic
* Milwaukee City
* Mississippi Valley
* North Eastern
* North Shore
* Northern Lakes
* Northern Lights
* Packerland
* Ridge & Valley
* Rock Valley
* Scenic Bluffs
* Six Rivers
* South Central
* Southeast
* Southern Lakes
* Southwest Wisconsin
* SWAL
* Trailways
* Wisconsin Flyway
* Wisconsin Valley
* Woodland

Former|

* 3-C (1928-1962)
* 4-C (1934-1953)
* 7-C (1926-1962)
* 10-12 (1946-1948)
* Badger Lutheran (1961-1964)
* Bay-Lakes (1970-1979)
* Bi-County (1928-1959)
* Big Nine (1985-1993)
* Black Hawk League (1930-1997)
* Braveland (1953-1993)
* Central Lakes (1952-1962)
* Central Lakeshore (1969-2015)
* Central State (1962-1984)
* Central Wisconsin Catholic (1956-2000)
* Classic (1973-1983)
* Dual County (1926-2001)
* East Central (1970-2001)
* East Central (2015-2025)
* East Central Flyway (2001-2007)
* Eastern Suburban (1969-2001)
* Eastern Valley (2007-2015)
* Eastern Wisconsin (1923-1970)
* Flambeau (1940-1970)
* Flambeauland (1946-1955)
* Flyway (1970-2001)
* Fox River Valley (1923-2007)
* Fox Valley Catholic (1929-1971)
* Fox Valley Christian (1971-1999)
* Fox Valley Tri-County (1924-1970)
* Gateway (1941-1952)
* Granite Valley (1945-1951)
* Granite Valley (1954-1960)
* Head of the Lakes (1918-1954)
* I-W League (1960-1964)
* Iowa County (1927-1960)
* Juneau County (1926-1958)
* Kettle Moraine (1928-1969)
* Kickapoo Valley (1907-1971)
* Lakeshore (1997-2008)
* Little Eight (1926-1937)
* Little Five (1930-1935)
* Little Nine (1928-1970)
* Little Seven (1926-1934)
* Little Ten (1925-1970)
* Lumberjack (1953-2008)
* Madison Suburban (1926-1969)
* Marathon County (1928-1949)
* Menominee Valley (1945-1947)
* Metro (1974-1997)
* Michigan-Wisconsin (1937-1973)
* Mid-Eastern (1952-1970)
* Mid-Valley (1946-1950)
* Midwest Prep (1940-1983)
* Milwaukee Catholic (1930-1974)
* Mississippi Valley (1933-1965)
* Mississippi Valley Triangular (1936-1940)
* Monroe-Vernon (1928-1958)
* Nicolet (1938-1942)
* Northeastern Wisconsin (1927-1970)
* Northern Wisconsin (1955-1956)
* Northwest Border (1940-1955)
* Olympian (1970-2015)
* Parkland (1963-2006)
* Peninsula (1933-1970)
* Rock River Valley (1922-1952)
* Scenic Central (1958-1979)
* South Central (1926-1941)
* South Shore (1970-1980)
* Southeastern Badger (1963-1970)
* Southeastern Wisconsin (1928-1963)
* Southern Eight (1971-1987)
* Southern Five (1928-1946)
* Southern Regional (1937-1958)
* Southern Six (1928-1941)
* Southern Ten (1941-1952)
* State Line (1927-1997)
* Suburban (1925-1985)
* Suburban Park (1985-1993)
* SWANI (1946-1952)
* SWAPS (1957-1961)
* SWISS (1982-2006)
* Trempealeau Valley (1927-1959)
* Tri-County (1923-1963)
* Upper St. Croix Valley (1934-1994)
* Upper Wisconsin (1926-1937)
* Vacationland (1966-1970)
* Valley 8 (1999-2007)
* West Central (1941-1952)
* West Central (1959-1977)
* West Grant (1930-1960)
* Western Wisconsin (1931-1937)
* Wisconsin Little Ten (1970-2017)
* Wisconsin River (1928-1960)
* Wisconsin Seminary (1963-1969)
* Wolf River Valley (1932-1970)
* Wood County (1925-1942)

Football-only|

* 856 (1953-1956)
* Across the Bay (2022-present)
* Chippewa-Black River Valley (1929-1944)
* Cloverwood (2008-2019)
* CWC-8 (2020-2023)
* Eastern Suburban (2020-present)
* Fox Valley Classic (Spring 2021)
* Lower Fox (1933-1936)
* MONLPC (2017-2021)
* North Central (2024-present)
* Northeast-8 (2024-present)
* Northern Border (2022-2023)
* Northwest Football League (1994-1995)
* Northwoods (2020-present)
* Olympian-Packerland (2007-2014)
* Parkland (2020-present)
* Southeast-8 (2024-present)
* Southern Dairyland (1959-1962)
* Suburban Six-Man (1939-1957)
* Tri-County Football (1934-1944)
* Tri-Valley (1953-1958)
* Valley Football Association (2011-2023)
* WCFC (1997)
* WIFA (1995-1997)

Future|

* Conference Yet To Be Named (2025-future)

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