The Black Diamond Athletic Conference (BDC) is a high school athletic conference represented by 13 schools in the southern portion of Illinois. The conference currently offers championships for girls in basketball, cross country, golf, softball, track and field, and volleyball. In boys' sports, the BDC offers championships in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, track and field, and wrestling.
History 1949-1968
The Black Diamond Conference was created first as a football-only conference in 1949. The original schools were members of the Coal Belt Conference for other sports. The original conference schools were Carterville, Christopher, Elkville, Sesser, and Zeigler.
In 1956, the Black Diamond added Boys' Basketball and the conference became full-time.
Carbondale University High, a charter member of the Coal Belt Conference, joined the conference in 1963 and remained a member until its closure in 1966.
In 1962, Elkville High School consolidated with Vergennes and Dowell to become Elverado High School. Zeigler High School consolidated with Royalton High School to become Zeigler-Royalton High School.
In 1963, Sesser High School consolidated with Valier High School to become Sesser-Valier High School.
1968-2003 Trico (Campbell Hill) joined the Black Diamond in 1968 -69 season and won three consecutive BDC Basketball Titles. They left the BDC after the 1970–71 season after failing to start a football program.
Carterville and Christopher left the BDC to join the Southern Illini Conference after the 1973 season and returned in 1975. There was no football race in 1974 and no basketball races in 1974-75 and 1975-76.
Johnston City joined the conference in 1975.
McLeansboro (now Hamilton County) joined for football only in 1990 when Christopher and Zeigler-Royalton combined their football programs.
Cairo and Eldorado joined in 1992 for football only.
Eldorado would later join for girls' basketball and both boys' and girls' track and field in 1992 and girls' volleyball in 1995
McLeansboro joined the BDC for baseball and both boys' and girls' track and field in 1992 and girls' volleyball in 1995.
2003 expansion
The 2003–2004 school year saw the largest single expansion in conference history. Carmi-White County and Fairfield joined from the defunct North Egypt Conference and former member Trico rejoined the conference. Cairo, Eldorado, and Hamilton County became full-time members by joining the conference for all sports.
The conference was divided into two divisions, East and West. The West Division consisted of the original five members Carterville, Christopher, Elverado, Sesser-Valier, and Zeigler-Royalton and new member Trico. The East consisted of five new members Cairo, Carmi-White County, Eldorado, Fairfield, and Hamilton County and current member Johnston City.
The conference also began to crown a champion from each division in Basketball and Volleyball. All other sports have one champion. The Diamond Duels in Basketball puts the 6 teams in each division against each other for Bragging Rights. The Duels have no outcome on Conference Champions.
Recent Years 2004-Present
Cairo High School left the conference at the end of the 2007–2008 school year and Vienna High School joined the conference in the 2008–2009 school year.Black Diamond Conference History and Facts. Black Diamond Conference. Retrieved on 2008-07-08.
Carterville left the BDC at the conclusion of the 2009–2010 school year to the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference. Chester High School took their place in the BDC.
With Carterville leaving the conference, the Black Diamond has dropped Wrestling as a Conference sport as only 3 schools now have wrestling programs.
Goreville High School joined the BDC for the 2011–2012 school year as a member of the BDC West Division.
Elverado left the BDC at the conclusion of the 2013–14 school year due to dropping their football program. Elverado joined the South Egyptian Conference and has started a football Co-op with Du Quoin High School with Du Quoin being the host.
Edwards County High School joins the BDC in 2014-15 as a Baseball and Softball member and will compete in the New BDC East Divisions of those sports. Edwards Co. will join the BDC Full-Time in the 2016–17 school year with all schools in the BDC East and Vienna will move to the BDC West.
Chester left the BDC at the conclusion of the 2020-21 school year. Chester joined the Cahokia Conference.
Flora High School joined starting the 2021-22 school year. They joined from the Little Illini Conference.
Members Current members SchoolDirectory . Black Diamond Conference. Retrieved on 2008-07-08.Location(Population)Nickname(s)ColorsYears MemberEnrollment(2017/18)Additional InformationEastern Division Carmi-White County High School Carmi, Illinois(5,240) BulldogsLady Bulldogs Maroon White 2003–Present 370 Edwards County High School Albion, Illinois(1,933) Lions Red Black 2014–2015 (affiliate) 2016-Present 280 Eldorado High School Eldorado, Illinois(4,122) Eagles Purple Gold 1992-2003 (affiliate)2003–Present 358 Fairfield Community High School Fairfield, Illinois(5,154) MulesLady Mules Red Black 2003–Present 423 Flora High School Flora, Illinois(5,070) WolvesWolfgals Orange Blue 2021–Present 372 Hamilton County Senior High School McLeansboro, Illinois(2,883) FoxesLady Foxes Kelly Green White 1990-2003 (affiliate)2003–Present 376 Named McLeansboro High School prior to opening of current campus in 2001.Western Division Christopher High School Christopher, Illinois(2,382) BearcatsLady Cats Blue Orange 1949-19731975–Present 234 Goreville High School Goreville, Illinois(938) Blackcats Gold Black 2011–Present 192 Johnston City High School Johnston City, Illinois(3,543) IndiansLady Indians Red Black 1975–Present 334 Sesser-Valier High School Sesser, Illinois(2,128) Red Devils Maroon White 1963–Present 206 Co-ops with Waltonville in Baseball and Golf, but competes outside of conference play. Trico High School Campbell Hill, Illinois(333) PioneersLady Pioneers Blue Gold 1968-19712003–Present 292 Trico Community Unit District 176 covers an area of 250 square miles. The district lies in portions of the Illinois counties of Jackson, Perry, and Randolph and serves the communities of Ava, Campbell Hill, Cutler, Gorham, Jacob, Percy, Rockwood, and Willisville. Vienna High School Vienna, Illinois(1,434) EaglesLady Eagles Royal Blue Orange 2008–Present 356 Zeigler-Royalton High School Zeigler, Illinois(1,801) Tornadoes Navy Blue White 1962–Present 180
Affiliate Member SchoolLocationNickname(s)ColorsYears MemberAdditional Information Red Hill High School Bridgeport, Illinois Salukis Red Blue White 2025-Present Replacing Vienna-Goreville in Football only starting in the Fall of 2025. Was a member of the Little Illini Conference (Football). Red Hill will play all other sports in the Midland Trail Conference and Little Okaw Valley Conference.
Cooperative Programs Team NameSchoolsSportsHostNickname(s)ColorsEnrollment(2017/18) Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton ChristopherZeigler-Royalton Football, Track and Field Christopher BearcatsLady Cats Blue Orange 414 Eldorado-Galatia EldoradoGalatia Cross Country, Golf, Track and Field Eldorado Eagles Purple Gold 477 Sesser-Valier-Waltonville Sesser-ValierWaltonville Girls' Basketball, Track and Field, Volleyball, Football 1992-2002, 2018- Sesser-Valier Red Devils Maroon White 330 Vienna-Goreville GorevilleVienna Football Vienna Eagles Royal Blue Orange 548 Zeigler-Royalton-Christopher ChristopherZeigler-Royalton Baseball, Golf, Softball (Girls' Basketball Co-op ended after 2014-15 School Year) Zeigler-Royalton Tornadoes Navy Blue White 414
Former members SchoolLocationNickname(s)ColorsYears MemberAdditional Information Cairo Junior / Senior High School Cairo, Illinois PilotsCo-Pilots Blue White 1992-2003 (affiliate)2003-2008 Independent team Carbondale University High School Carbondale, Illinois Lynx Maroon Gray 1963–1968 Closed in 1968. Carterville High School Carterville, Illinois LionsLady Lions Navy Blue Orange 1949-19731975-2010 Current member of the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference. Chester High School Chester, Illinois(8,400) Yellow JacketsLady Yellow Jackets Orange Black 2010–2020 Current member of the Cahokia Conference. Elkville High School Elkville, Illinois Bluebirds Blue White 1949-1962 Consolidated with Vergennes and Dowell to form Elverado. Elverado High School Elkville, Illinois FalconsLady Falcons Blue Gold 1962–2014 Elverado dropped football program and left the BDC. Current member of the South Egyptian Conference. Sesser High School Sesser, Illinois Red Devils Maroon White 1949-1963 Consolidated with Valier to form Sesser-Valier. Zeigler High School Zeigler, Illinois Purple Tornadoes Purple White 1949-1962 Consolidated with Royalton to form Zeigler-Royalton.
Membership Timeline
Sports Fall Cross Country Cross Country has been a BDC sport since the 2003 expansion. The conference champion is determined by the winner of the conference meet.
BDC Cross Country Champions 2003 Hamilton County Hamilton County 2004 Hamilton County Hamilton County 2005 Hamilton County Hamilton County 2006 Eldorado Hamilton County 2007 Eldorado Carmi-White County 2008 Eldorado Carmi-White County 2009 Eldorado Hamilton County 2010 Chester Chester 2011 Chester Chester 2012 Fairfield Chester 2013 Chester Chester 2014 Fairfield Chester 2015 Hamilton County Hamilton County 2016 Hamilton County Chester 2017 Hamilton County Chester 2018 Hamilton County Hamilton County 2019 Hamilton County Goreville 2020 No champion No champion 2021 Fairfield Hamilton County 2022 Fairfield Fairfield 2023 Fairfield 2024 Fairfield Fairfield
Football The BDC was founded as a football-only conference and a title has been awarded in all but two years, 1974 and 75, since.
Currently there are ten BDC football programs. Six schools compete individually and 2 pairs, Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton and Vienna-Goreville, compete as co-op programs. Sesser-Valier co-ops with non-conference members Waltonville High School while new member Edwards County who joins in 2016 currently co-ops with Grayville High School. The BDC currently has a 9-game biennial rotating schedule with all programs playing each other once. Week 5, known as rivals week, however, does not rotate and has the same match-ups each year. These match-ups are as follows. Rivals Week Carmi-White County Fairfield Flora Johnston City Christopher-Zeigler-Royalton Sesser-Valier-Waltonville Eldorado Hamilton County Edwards County Red Hill
BDC schools have also had moderate success at the state level winning two state titles, Zeigler-Royalton in 1982 and Carterville in 1996.