The Big Nine Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, operating from 1985 to 1993 and consisting of nine large high schools in southeastern Wisconsin.
History
The Big Nine Conference was formed in the aftermath of extensive athletic conference realignment in southeastern Wisconsin following the 1984-85 school year. It was one of three new conferences created that year, along with the North Shore and Suburban Park conferences. This alignment placed the Racine and Kenosha high schools back together in a similar alignment to the old South Shore Conference, but with the addition of four high schools on the south side of Milwaukee. The Milwaukee schools were not in favor of this alignment, going to the length of filing a lawsuit against the WIAA to rejoin the Milwaukee City Conference. This finally happened in 1993, and the five high schools in Racine and Kenosha went on to form part of the new fifteen-member Southeast Conference.
Conference Membership History
| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenosha Bradford | Kenosha, WI | Public | 1,765 | Red Devils | 1985 | 1993 | Southeast | ||
| Kenosha Tremper | Kenosha, WI | Public | 1,835 | Trojans | 1985 | 1993 | Southeast | ||
| Milwaukee Bay View | Milwaukee, WI | Public | 966 | Redcats | 1985 | 1993 | Milwaukee City | ||
| Milwaukee Hamilton | Milwaukee, WI | Public | 1,475 | Wildcats | 1985 | 1993 | Milwaukee City | ||
| Milwaukee Pulaski | Milwaukee, WI | Public | 924 | Rams | 1985 | 1993 | Milwaukee City | ||
| Milwaukee South Division | Milwaukee, WI | Public | 1,109 | Cardinals | 1985 | 1993 | Milwaukee City | ||
| Racine Case | Racine, WI | Public | 1,892 | Eagles | 1985 | 1993 | Southeast | ||
| Racine Horlick | Racine, WI | Public | 1,360 | Rebels | 1985 | 1993 | Southeast | ||
| Racine Park | Racine, WI | Public | 1,059 | Panthers | 1985 | 1993 | Southeast | ||
List of State Champions
Fall Sports
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Case | 1989 | Class A |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Park | 1988 | Division 1 |
| Kenosha Tremper | 1991 | Division 1 |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Case | 1988 | Single Division |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Horlick | 1990 | Division 1 |
Winter Sports
None
Spring Sports
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Park | 1993 | Division 1 |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee South Division | 1986 | Class A |
| Milwaukee South Division | 1987 | Class A |
| Milwaukee South Division | 1988 | Class A |
| Milwaukee South Division | 1989 | Class A |
| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Racine Horlick | 1987 | Class A |
| Racine Horlick | 1988 | Class A |
References
- "City teams play Racine". Kenosha Sunday News. 4 August 1985. pp. D10. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- Fensin, Lee (27 August 1985). "Waukesha teams begin play in new conference". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 19. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- Jackel, Peter (4 August 1985). "Big Nine Conference is practical, but will it last?". Racine Journal Times. pp. 1B. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- "Milwaukee schools want their own conference". Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. 16 June 1990. pp. 1B. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
- "Realignment met with mixed reviews". Racine Journal Times. 29 February 1992. pp. 1C.
- Jackel, Peter (12 June 1992). "Super conference signed and sealed". Racine Journal Times. pp. 3B. Retrieved 6 November 2024.