Badger Lutheran Conference
The Badger Lutheran Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Consisting entirely of Lutheran high schools, it existed from 1961 to 1964.
History
[edit]
The Badger Lutheran Conference was created in 1961 by four Lutheran high schools in the eastern half of Wisconsin: Fox Valley Lutheran in Appleton, Lakeside Lutheran in Lake Mills, Manitowoc Lutheran and Winnebago Lutheran in Fond du Lac.[1] All four original members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the conference only sponsored basketball during its history. This was one of the factors leading to the short life span of the Badger Lutheran Conference, the other being long travel distances to other schools. In 1964, Lakeside Lutheran left the conference to join the Madison Suburban Conference, which cut their travel distances significantly.[2] The other three schools disbanded the conference shortly afterwards, with Winnebago Lutheran joining the Fox Valley Tri-County League,[3] Manitowoc Lutheran becoming members of the Kettle Moraine Conference and Fox Valley Lutheran competing as independents before joining the Midwest Prep Conference in 1965.[4]
Conference membership history
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Left | Conference Joined | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Valley Lutheran | Appleton, WI | Private (Lutheran, WELS) | 752 | Foxes | 1961[1] | 1964[2] | Independent | Bay (2025) | |
| Lakeside Lutheran | Lake Mills, WI | Private (Lutheran, WELS) | 506 | Warriors | 1961[1] | 1964[2] | Madison Suburban | Capitol | |
| Manitowoc Lutheran | Manitowoc, WI | Private (Lutheran, WELS) | 227 | Lancers | 1961[1] | 1964[2] | Kettle Moraine | Big East | |
| Winnebago Lutheran | Fond du Lac, WI | Private (Lutheran, WELS) | 319 | Vikings | 1961[1] | 1964[2] | Fox Valley Tri-County | Wisconsin Flyway |
Membership timeline
[edit]
List of conference champions
[edit]| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Fox Valley Lutheran | 3 | 1962, 1963, 1964 |
| Lakeside Lutheran | 0 | |
| Manitowoc Lutheran | 0 | |
| Winnebago Lutheran | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Lutheran High Cagers Might Fool Opponents". Two Rivers Reporter. 16 November 1961. p. 25. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Simon, Henry (9 February 1964). "Travel Distance Cited as Big Reason for Break-Up of the BLC". Appleton Post-Crescent. pp. B2. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Simon, Henry (9 February 1964). "Travel Distance Cited as Big Reason for Break-Up of the BLC". Appleton Post-Crescent. pp. B2. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
- ^ UPI (23 January 1965). "Fox Valley Lutheran Joins Midwest Prep Athletic Conference". Sheboygan Press. p. 18. Retrieved 6 January 2025.