The Middle Border Conference is a high school athletic conference with its membership base concentrated in western Wisconsin. Formed in 1931, the conference is composed entirely of public schools and is affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
1931-1967
The Middle Border Conference was founded in 1931 by seven small- to medium-sized high schools on the outskirts of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in western Wisconsin: Colfax, Ellsworth, Hudson, Menomonie, New Richmond, River Falls and Spring Valley. Baldwin and Glenwood City joined the Middle Border in 1949 to bring membership to nine schools. Chippewa Falls was also rumored to be joining the conference as the tenth member but not accepted due to their enrollment size being larger than their potential new rivals. The Middle Border's membership roster decreased to eight when Menomonie left the conference to compete as an independent after the 1951 football season. Several years later, they would become members of the Big Rivers Conference.
1967-1989 Membership in the Middle Border Conference would remain stable until 1967, when Colfax left to compete with smaller schools in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference. They were replaced by Durand, who were competing as independents after the collapse of the original Mississippi Valley Conference two years prior. The addition of Mondovi and Prescott in 1970 briefly brought the Middle Border Conference to ten members, until the exit of Glenwood City and Spring Valley for the Dunn-St. Croix Conference in 1972. They were followed by Prescott in 1977, and Amery (formerly of the Upper St. Croix Valley Conference) took their place to keep the roster at eight schools. Membership stayed at eight schools for just over another decade.
1989-1998 By the end of the 1980s, two members of the Middle Border Conference (Hudson and River Falls) had grown to the point where they were the largest schools in the conference. They were both invited to join the Big Rivers Conference in 1989 to compete with other schools more comparable in enrollment size. Bloomer moved over from the Heart O'North Conference to take their place and bring the Middle Border to seven schools. This figure would return to eight in 1994, after the loss of two schools (Bloomer returning to the Heart O'North and Mondovi joining the Dunn-St. Croix) and the addition of three schools from the defunct Upper St. Croix Valley Conference (Osceola, St. Croix Falls and Unity). That same year, the Middle Border Conference joined forces with the Heart O'North Conference to create the eighteen-member Northwest Football League, the first of its kind in the state of Wisconsin: Red ConferenceWhite ConferenceBlue ConferenceAmeryBarronBaldwin-WoodvilleDurand-ArkansawBloomerChetekEllsworthLadysmithCumberlandHaywardNorthwesternMondoviNew RichmondOsceolaPrescottSpoonerUnitySt. Croix Falls This arrangement lasted for two seasons until the Northwest Football League was dissolved due to dissatisfaction about long travel distances among conference members. The Heart O'North Conference and Middle Border Conference resumed sponsoring their own football conferences for the 1996 season.
1998-present As part of the 1994 realignment plan, New Richmond was kept in the Middle Border Conference but was due to move into the Big Rivers Conference by 1998 due to projected growth in the district. While the district did experience growth, it wasn't to the level expected and their stay in the Big Rivers would only last for four years before returning to the Middle Border in 2002. They were joined by two schools who exited the Dunn-St. Croix Conference: Prescott (who were previously members from 1970-1977) and Somerset. Their addition offset the loss of St. Croix Falls and Unity to the Lakeland Conference that year. Durand-Arkansaw left to become members of the Dunn-St. Croix Conference in 2016, exchanging affiliations with St. Croix Central in Hammond. New Richmond returned to the Big Rivers Conference in 2021, and longtime Cloverbelt Conference members Altoona joined the Middle Border as their replacement.
Football (since 2020) In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. The Middle Border Conference's membership roster was kept intact for football with the exception of New Richmond joining the Big Rivers Conference in 2020, with full membership coming in the next year. The conference also entered into a scheduling alliance with the Coulee Conference that would provide one mandatory crossover game for each member. For the 2022-2023 realignment cycle, the Coulee Conference partnership was ended, and Rice Lake was added as an associate member from the Big Rivers Conference to bring the roster to eight schools. In 2024, Rice Lake made their return to the Big Rivers Conference with full members Altoona shifting over from the Coulee Conference as their replacement. This alignment is set to remain in place through at least the 2027 football season.
List of conference members
Current full members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedAltoonaAltoona, WIPublic560Railroaders 2021AmeryAmery, WIPublic387Warriors 1977Baldwin-WoodvilleBaldwin, WIPublic546Blackhawks 1949EllsworthEllsworth, WIPublic503Panthers 1931OsceolaOsceola, WIPublic476Chieftains 1994PrescottPrescott, WIPublic375Cardinals 1970, 2002SomersetSomerset, WIPublic455Spartans 2002St. Croix CentralHammond, WIPublic497Panthers 2016
Current associate members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsPrimary ConferenceSport(s)AshlandAshland, WIPublicOredockers Heart O'NorthBoys HockeyBloomerBloomer, WIPublicBlackhawks CloverbeltGirls TennisHaywardHayward, WIPublicHurricanes Heart O'NorthBoys HockeyMondoviMondovi, WIPublicBuffaloes Dunn-St. CroixGirls TennisRegisEau Claire, WIPrivate (Catholic)Ramblers CloverbeltBoys Tennis, Girls TennisSpoonerSpooner, WIPublicRails Heart O'NorthBoys HockeyUnityUnity, WIPublicEagles Heart O'NorthGirls Tennis
Notes
Current co-operative members TeamColorsHost SchoolCo-operative MembersSport(s)Northwest Icemen BarronBloomer, Cameron, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser, Cumberland, Turtle LakeBoys HockeyRAM Hockey AltoonaFall Creek, McDonell Central Catholic, RegisBoys Hockey
Former full members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceBloomerBloomer, WIPublicBlackhawks 19891994Heart O'NorthCloverbeltColfaxColfax, WIPublicVikings 19311967Dunn-St. CroixDurand-ArkansawDurand, WIPublicPanthers 19672016Dunn-St. CroixGlenwood CityGlenwood City, WIPublicHilltoppers 19491972Dunn-St. CroixHudsonHudson, WIPublicRaiders 19311989Big RiversMenomonieMenomonie, WIPublicMustangs 19311951IndependentBig RiversMondoviMondovi, WIPublicBuffaloes 19701994Dunn-St. CroixNew RichmondNew Richmond, WIPublicTigers 1931, 20021998, 2021Big RiversBig RiversRiver FallsRiver Falls, WIPublicWildcats 19311989Big RiversSpring ValleySpring Valley, WIPublicCardinals 19311972Dunn-St. CroixSt. Croix FallsSt. Croix Falls, WIPublicSaints 19942002LakelandHeart O'NorthUnityBalsam Lake, WIPublicEagles 19942002LakelandHeart O'North
Former football-only members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceRice LakeRice Lake, WIPublicWarriors 2022-2023Big Rivers
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
Membership map
Sanctioned sports Source: +Altoona●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Amery●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Baldwin-Woodville●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Ellsworth●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Osceola●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Prescott●●●●●●●●●●●●●●Somerset●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●St. Croix Central●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
Notes
List of state champions
Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearDivisionAmery1997Division 2Amery1998Division 2 +FootballSchoolYearDivisionBaldwin-Woodville1987Division 4Ellsworth1990Division 3Baldwin-Woodville1992Division 4Somerset2002Division 5Somerset2012Division 4Somerset2014Division 4Osceola2015Division 4St. Croix Central2016Division 4 +Girls GolfSchoolYearDivisionPrescott2020Division 2Prescott2021Division 2Prescott2022Division 2Prescott2023Division 3
Winter sports +Boys BasketballSchoolYearDivisionPrescott2018Division 3 +Girls BasketballSchoolYearDivisionDurand1986Class BDurand1987Class B +Boys WrestlingSchoolYearDivisionEllsworth1985Class BBaldwin-Woodville1993Division 2Ellsworth2000Division 2Ellsworth2007Division 2Ellsworth2009Division 2Ellsworth2011Division 2Ellsworth2014Division 2Ellsworth2016Division 2Ellsworth2017Division 2Amery2021Division 2Amery2022Division 2
Spring sports +BaseballSchoolYearDivisionPrescott2012Division 2 +Boys GolfSchoolYearDivisionNew Richmond1992Division 2New Richmond1993Division 2Ellsworth2000Division 2 +SoftballSchoolYearDivisionBaldwin-Woodville2012Division 2Prescott2024Division 3 +Boys TennisSchoolYearDivision Altoona2026Division 2 +Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearDivision Hudson1973Class BNew Richmond1982Class BBaldwin-Woodville1983Class CAmery2001Division 2Osceola2004Division 2Osceola2005Division 2 +Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearDivisionOsceola2023Division 2
List of conference champions
Boys Basketball Source: SchoolQuantityYearsNew Richmond211958, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2020 Hudson141937, 1956, 1960, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989Prescott102014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026Durand-Arkansaw91970, 1971, 1977, 1978, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2013Baldwin-Woodville81959, 1988, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2012Amery61987, 1990, 1991, 1996, 2004, 2005 Menomonie81935, 1938, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1947, 1950 River Falls81934, 1944, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1955, 1966, 1967Spring Valley71932, 1935, 1936, 1939, 1942, 1961, 1962Ellsworth61951, 1968, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1995Osceola62000, 2009, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026Colfax41933, 1952, 1953, 1954Glenwood City21957, 1969St. Croix Central22021, 2026Bloomer11991Mondovi11980Somerset12014Altoona0St. Croix Falls0Unity0
Girls Basketball Source: SchoolQuantityYearsDurand-Arkansaw231973, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015Baldwin-Woodville61976, 2013, 2014, 2024, 2025, 2026New Richmond61976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 2012, 2014Ellsworth51973, 1974, 1975, 1991, 1995Somerset52008, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2023Amery41999, 2000, 2011, 2019Bloomer41990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Hudson41973, 1981, 1988, 1989Osceola42002, 2003, 2004, 2005Prescott32020, 2021, 2022St. Croix Central22018, 2025Altoona0Mondovi0 River Falls0St. Croix Falls0Unity0
Football Source: SchoolQuantityYears River Falls211938, 1941, 1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1960, 1961, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988Baldwin-Woodville161963, 1970, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2008, 2010, 2019, 2024, 2025 Hudson111935, 1936, 1942, 1944, 1954, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1973, 1974, 1982Durand-Arkansaw101967, 1968, 1969, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1989, 2000, 2002, 2012Somerset92003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014New Richmond81940, 1941, 1964, 1991, 1993, 1997, 2010, 2019Ellsworth71977, 1990, 1999, 2013, 2020, 2021, 2022Colfax61931, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1952Mondovi61976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1990 Menomonie51933, 1934, 1949, 1950, 1951Osceola52001, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2017Amery31996, 2000, 2001Spring Valley31948, 1959, 1960Glenwood City11958Rice Lake12023St. Croix Central12018Unity11998Altoona0Bloomer0Prescott0St. Croix Falls0
Boys Hockey Source: