The Central State Conference is a former high school athletic conference in central Wisconsin, in operation from 1962 to 1984. Its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History 1962–1970
The Central State Conference, originally known as the Central-C Conference, was formed in 1962 by eight small- to medium-sized public high schools and one private Catholic high school in central Wisconsin. Five schools were former members of the Central Lakes Conference (Almond, Necedah, Oxford, Port Edwards and Wild Rose), three belonged to the 7-C Conference (Adams-Friendship, Tri-County and Westfield) and one formerly competed as an independent (Madonna). Almost immediately, the conference began to lose members to rural school district consolidation and closings. The first such change occurred in 1963, when Oxford was closed and its students were redistricted to Westfield. In 1966, conference membership was cut in half due to the closing of Madonna High School and the defection of three schools (Adams-Friendship, Tri-County and Westfield) to the newly formed Vacationland Conference. Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia joined as football-only members from the Central Wisconsin Conference the next year to bring the football roster to five schools. In 1968, Bowler joined the conference from the Wolf River Valley Conference as a football-only member, and the loop changed its name to the Central State Conference. Rosholt and Tigerton joined the football alignment the next year, and the conference had eight football-playing members.
1970–1984
In 1970, the Central State Conference underwent a significant expansion with six schools becoming full members. All five football-only members became full members of the conference: three from the shuttered Wolf River Valley Conference (Bowler, Rosholt and Tigerton) and two from the Central Wisconsin Conference (Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia). Tri-County, making their return after the dissolution of the Vacationland Conference, rounded out the expanded group. Granton and Gresham would join the Central State Conference in 1972; Granton was previously in the Marawood Conference and Gresham competed as an independent for two years after the collapse of the Wolf River Valley Conference. Granton's stay would be brief, as they would return to the Marawood Conference in 1976. Shiocton moved over from the Central Wisconsin Conference in 1977 to take their place, and Necedah left to become a charter member of the Scenic Bluffs Conference in 1979. They were replaced by Menominee Indian High School, who acquired their first ever conference affiliation after opening a few years earlier. The Central State Conference merged with the Central Wisconsin Conference in 1984, taking the more established conference's name in the process.
Conference membership history Final members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceAlmond-BancroftAlmond, WIPublicEagles 19621984Central WisconsinAmherstAmherst, WIPublicFalcons 19701984Central WisconsinBowlerBowler, WIPublicPanthers 19701984Central WisconsinGreshamGresham, WIPublicWildcats 19721984Central WisconsinIola-ScandinaviaIola, WIPublicThunderbirds 19701984Central WisconsinMenominee NationKesīqnaeh, WIFederal (Tribal)Eagles 19791984Central WisconsinPort EdwardsPort Edwards, WIPublicBlackhawks 19621984Central WisconsinRosholtRosholt, WIPublicHornets 19701984Central WisconsinShioctonShiocton, WIPublicChiefs 19771984Central WisconsinTigertonTigerton, WIPublicTigers 19701984Central WisconsinTri-CountyPlainfield, WIPublicPenguins 1962, 1970 1966, 1984Vacationland, Central WisconsinCentral WisconsinWild RoseWild Rose, WIPublicWildcats 19621984Central Wisconsin
Previous members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent ConferenceAdams-FriendshipAdams, WIPublicGreen Devils 19621966VacationlandSouth CentralGrantonGranton, WIPublicBulldogs 19721976MarawoodCloverbeltMadonnaMauston, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cowboys 19621966ClosedNecedahNecedah, WIPublicCardinals 19621979Scenic BluffsOxfordOxford, WIPublicBluejays 19621963Closed (consolidated with Westfield)WestfieldWestfield, WIPublicPioneers 19621966VacationlandSouth Central
Football-only members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceAmherstAmherst, WIPublicFalcons 1967-1969Central WisconsinIola-ScandinaviaIola, WIPublicThunderbirds 1967-1969Central WisconsinBowlerBowler, WIPublicPanthers 1968-1969Wolf River ValleyRosholtRosholt, WIPublicHornets 1969Wolf River ValleyTigertonTigerton, WIPublicTigers 1969Wolf River Valley
Membership timeline Full members
Football members
List of state champions
Fall sports None
Winter sports +Girls BasketballSchoolYearDivisionIola-Scandinavia1978Class C
Spring sports +Girls Track & FieldSchoolYearDivision Wild Rose1978Class C Wild Rose1979Class C
List of conference champions Boys Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsPort Edwards81967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1978, 1979Iola-Scandinavia51972, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984Almond-Bancroft21967, 1980 Necedah21974, 1977Westfield21964, 1966Adams-Friendship11965 Amherst11981 Granton11975 Gresham11977 Madonna11963 Wild Rose11976 Bowler0 Menominee Nation0 Oxford0 Rosholt0 Shiocton0 Tigerton0 Tri-County0
Girls Basketball SchoolQuantityYearsIola-Scandinavia61974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983Almond-Bancroft51979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984Port Edwards11978 Tri-County11980 Amherst0 Bowler0 Granton0 Gresham0 Menominee Nation0 Necedah0 Rosholt0 Shiocton0 Tigerton0 Wild Rose0
Football SchoolQuantityYearsPort Edwards101962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1982, 1983Iola-Scandinavia41967, 1974, 1975, 1978 Shiocton41979, 1980, 1981, 1983 Wild Rose41967, 1974, 1976, 1977Westfield31963, 1964, 1965 Rosholt21977, 1981 Tri-County21973, 1981 Amherst11977 Madonna11963Adams-Friendship0Almond-Bancroft0 Bowler0 Necedah0 Tigerton0
References