The Metro Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, formed in 1974 and dissolving in 1997. It consisted entirely of private high schools in the Milwaukee metropolitan area, and most were Catholic high schools within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
History
The Metro Conference was formed in 1974 as the successor to the Milwaukee Catholic Conference and had twelve original members. It was formed in the wake of the successful application by Milwaukee Lutheran High School to join the Milwaukee Catholic Conference in the early 1970s. All of its member schools competed under the banner of the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, an organization for private high school athletic programs in the state of Wisconsin.
The conference maintained a very consistent membership roster during its existence, only losing three members: St. John's Cathedral in 1976 (due to closing), Messmer in 1984 (due to nearly closing and exit from archdiocese) and St. Joan Antida in 1989 (joined the Midwest Classic Conference). The Metro Conference was very successful at state-level competitions within WISAA, with its most high-profile successes coming in basketball. During its twenty-three-year history, Metro Conference member schools won twenty boys and eighteen girls WISAA basketball championships.
After the 1994 football season, the Metro Conference lost both St. Catherine's and St. Joseph to the new Wisconsin Independent Football Association, leaving the conference with six football members. The Metro Conference was disbanded in 1997 in anticipation for the coming merger between WISAA and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, the state's high school athletics organization for public schools. All of its member schools went to established WIAA conferences after the 1996-97 school year.
Conference membership history
Final members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceCatholic MemorialWaukesha, WIPrivate (Catholic)Crusaders 19741997Classic EightDivine Savior Holy AngelsMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Dashers 19741997Greater MetroDominicanWhitefish Bay, WIPrivate (Catholic, Sinsinawa Dominicans)Knights 19741997ParklandMetro ClassicMarquette UniversityMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic, Jesuit)Hilltoppers 19741997Greater MetroMilwaukee LutheranMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Lutheran, LCMS)Red Knights 19741997North ShoreWoodlandPius XIMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Popes 19741997Classic EightWoodlandSt. Catherine'sRacine, WIPrivate (Catholic, Dominican)Angels 19741997LakeshoreMetro ClassicSt. JosephKenosha, WIPrivate (Catholic)Lancers 19741997LakeshoreMetro ClassicThomas MoreMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cavaliers 19741997WoodlandMetro Classic
Previous members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceMessmerMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Bishops 19741984IndependentMidwest ClassicSt. Joan AntidaMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Jaguars 19741989Midwest ClassicLake CitySt. John's CathedralMilwaukee, WIPrivate (Catholic)Eagles 19741976Closed in 1976
Membership timeline
Full members
Football members
List of state championships
Fall sports +Boys Cross CountrySchoolYearOrganizationDivisionThomas More1974WISAAClass ASt. Catherine's1975WISAAClass AThomas More1976WISAAClass AThomas More1978WISAAClass AThomas More1980WISAAClass AThomas More1981WISAAClass AMarquette University1984WISAAClass ASt. Catherine's1985WISAAClass AMarquette University1986WISAAClass AMarquette University1987WISAAClass AMarquette University1988WISAAClass AMarquette University1989WISAAClass AMarquette University1990WISAAClass AMarquette University1991WISAAClass AMarquette University1992WISAADivision 1Pius XI1993WISAADivision 1Marquette University1994WISAADivision 1Marquette University1995WISAADivision 1St. Catherine's1996WISAADivision 1 +Girls Cross CountrySchoolYearOrganizationDivisionCatholic Memorial1980WISAACatholic Memorial1981WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1982WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1983WISAAClass ADominican1984WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1985WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1988WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1989WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1991WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1992WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1993WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1994WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1995WISAADivision 1 +FootballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionMarquette University1975WISAAThomas More1976WISAAClass AThomas More1977WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1979WISAAClass AThomas More1981WISAAClass AMarquette University1982WISAAClass AMarquette University1985WISAAClass AMarquette University1987WISAAClass AMarquette University1988WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1989WISAADivision 1Dominican1990WISAADivision 2Catholic Memorial1993WISAADivision 1Marquette University1994WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1996WISAADivision 1 +GolfSchoolYearOrganizationSt. Catherine's1974WISAAPius XI1976WISAAMarquette University1982WISAAMarquette University1983WISAAMarquette University1992WISAACatholic Memorial1993WISAACatholic Memorial1994WISAA +Boys SoccerSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionMarquette University1979WISAAPius XI1980WISAAMarquette University1981WISAAMarquette University1982WISAACatholic Memorial1983WISAAMarquette University1984WISAAMarquette University1985WISAAMarquette University1986WISAAPius XI1988WISAAMarquette University1989WISAAMarquette University1990WISAACatholic Memorial1991WISAAMarquette University1992WISAADivision 1Pius XI1993WISAADivision 1Marquette University1994WISAADivision 1Marquette University1995WISAADivision 1Marquette University1996WISAADivision 1 +Girls TennisSchoolYearOrganizationDominican1978WISAADominican1979WISAADSHA1992WISAADSHA1993WISAADSHA1994WISAADSHA1996WISAA +VolleyballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionDominican1974WISAAMilwaukee Lutheran1975WISAADominican1976WISAAMilwaukee Lutheran1977WISAASt. Catherine's1978WISAADominican1979WISAAPius XI1981WISAAClass APius XI1982WISAAClass APius XI1983WISAAClass APius XI1984WISAAClass ADSHA1985WISAAClass APius XI1986WISAAClass APius XI1987WISAAClass APius XI1988WISAAClass APius XI1989WISAAClass APius XI1990WISAAClass APius XI1991WISAAClass APius XI1992WISAADivision 1Pius XI1993WISAADivision 1Pius XI1994WISAADivision 1
Winter sports +Boys BasketballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionPius XI1975WISAAClass APius XI1976WISAAClass ASt. Catherine's1977WISAAClass ADominican1978WISAAClass ADominican1979WISAAClass AMarquette University1980WISAAClass AMarquette University1981WISAAClass AMarquette University1983WISAAClass AMarquette University1984WISAAClass ASt. Catherine's1985WISAAClass AMarquette University1986WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1987WISAAClass AThomas More1988WISAAClass AMarquette University1989WISAAClass ADominican1991WISAAClass ASt. Catherine's1992WISAADivision 1St. Catherine's1993WISAADivision 1Marquette University1994WISAADivision 1Pius XI1996WISAADivision 1Dominican1997WISAADivision 1 +Girls BasketballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. Catherine's1976WISAAMilwaukee Lutheran1977WISAASt. Catherine's1979WISAAClass APius XI1980WISAAClass APius XI1982WISAAClass APius XI1983WISAAClass APius XI1984WISAAClass APius XI1985WISAAClass APius XI1986WISAAClass APius XI1987WISAAClass APius XI1988WISAAClass APius XI1989WISAAClass APius XI1990WISAAClass APius XI1991WISAAClass APius XI1992WISAADivision 1Pius XI1993WISAADivision 1Pius XI1995WISAADivision 1DSHA1996WISAADivision 1Pius XI1997WISAADivision 1 +WrestlingSchoolYearOrganizationThomas More1975WISAASt. Joseph1978WISAAPius XI1979WISAAMarquette University1980WISAAMarquette University1981WISAAMarquette University1982WISAACatholic Memorial1991WISAACatholic Memorial1992WISAACatholic Memorial1995WISAACatholic Memorial1996WISAA
Spring sports +BaseballSchoolYearOrganizationSt. Catherine's1975WISAASt. Catherine's1976WISAASt. Joseph1977WISAAThomas More1981WISAAMarquette University1982WISAACatholic Memorial1983WISAASt. Joseph1988WISAASt. Catherine's1989WISAACatholic Memorial1990WISAAMarquette University1992WISAAMarquette University1993WISAAPius XI1994WISAAMarquette University1995WISAAThomas More1996WISAAMarquette University1997WISAA +Girls SoccerSchoolYearOrganizationPius XI1987WISAADSHA1988WISAAPius XI1989WISAAPius XI1990WISAAPius XI1991WISAAPius XI1992WISAADSHA1993WISAAPius XI1994WISAAPius XI1995WISAACatholic Memorial1996WISAAPius XI1997WISAA +SoftballSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionSt. Catherine's1977WISAAMilwaukee Lutheran1978WISAASt. Joseph1979WISAAPius XI1980WISAADSHA1981WISAADominican1982WISAACatholic Memorial1983WISAAPius XI1986WISAAClass APius XI1989WISAAClass APius XI1990WISAAClass APius XI1991WISAAClass APius XI1992WISAADivision 1St. Catherine's1993WISAADivision 1St. Catherine's1994WISAADivision 1Pius XI1995WISAADivision 1 +Boys TennisSchoolYearOrganizationMarquette University1981WISAAMarquette University1982WISAAMarquette University1983WISAAMarquette University1984WISAAMarquette University1985WISAAMarquette University1986WISAAMarquette University1988WISAAMarquette University1989WISAAMarquette University1990WISAAMarquette University1991WISAAMarquette University1992WISAAMarquette University1993WISAAMarquette University1994WISAAMarquette University1995WISAAMarquette University1996WISAAMarquette University1997WISAA +Boys Track & FieldSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionPius XI1975WISAAClass AMarquette University1976WISAAClass AMarquette University1977WISAAClass APius XI1978WISAAClass APius XI1979WISAAClass AMarquette University1982WISAAClass AMarquette University1983WISAAClass AMarquette University1984WISAAClass AMarquette University1985WISAAClass AMarquette University1986WISAAClass AMarquette University1988WISAAClass AMarquette University1989WISAAClass AMarquette University1990WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1991WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1992WISAADivision 1Marquette University1995WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1996WISAADivision 1 +Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearOrganizationDivisionPius XI1979WISAAClass APius XI1980WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1981WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1982WISAAClass APius XI1983WISAAClass APius XI1984WISAAClass APius XI1985WISAAClass APius XI1986WISAAClass APius XI1987WISAAClass APius XI1988WISAAClass APius XI1989WISAAClass APius XI1990WISAAClass ACatholic Memorial1991WISAAClass APius XI1992WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1993WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1994WISAADivision 1Catholic Memorial1995WISAADivision 1St. Joseph1995WISAADivision 2Catholic Memorial1996WISAADivision 1
List of conference champions
Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsMarquette University101975, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994Dominican51978, 1979, 1980, 1991, 1997Thomas More41977, 1982, 1987, 1988Pius XI31995, 1996, 1997Catholic Memorial21987, 1993St. Catherine's21977, 1992Messmer11982Milwaukee Lutheran11985St. Joseph11984St. John's Cathedral0
Girls Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsPius XI181980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997St. Catherine's31976, 1977, 1979Milwaukee Lutheran11978Catholic Memorial0Dominican0DSHA0Messmer0St. Joan Antida0St. John's Cathedral0St. Joseph0Thomas More0
Football SchoolQuantityYearsMarquette University91985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996Catholic Memorial61982, 1983, 1984, 1991, 1993, 1996Thomas More51974, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981St. Catherine's31975, 1977, 1978Pius XI11992Dominican0Messmer0Milwaukee Lutheran0St. John's Cathedral0St. Joseph0
References