The Eastern Suburban Football Conference is a high school football conference with its members located east of the Madison metropolitan area. Founded in 2020 and administered by the Capitol Conference, its member schools are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
In February 2019, the WIAA and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association unveiled a full football-only realignment for Wisconsin's high school athletic conferences. This arrangement was set to begin with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle. The Eastern Suburban Conference name, dormant since the all-sport conference was disbanded in 2001, was resurrected for an eight-member conference including Cambridge, Clinton, Dodgeland, Markesan, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo. Six members of the new conference (Cambridge, Dodgeland, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo) were also members of the previous conference's football alignment from 1991 to 2000. The new conference was originally referred to as the Capitol Small in preseason realignment materials, but was renamed before starting play and is part of the Capitol Conference's organizational structure. In 2022, Pardeeville exited the Eastern Suburban to join the Trailways Conference, where they had full affiliation. They were replaced by Horicon/Hustisford, formerly of the Capitol Conference for football. Four schools left the Eastern Suburban Conference for the 2024-2025 cycle: Clinton, Dodgeland, Horicon/Hustisford and Palmyra-Eagle. Two outgoing members joined the Capitol Conference (Clinton and Horicon/Hustisford) and two attained full membership in the Trailways Conference (Dodgeland and Palmyra-Eagle). They were replaced by three schools formerly in the Trailways Conference (Deerfield, Fall River/Rio, Pardeeville and Poynette). For the 2026-2027 cycle, the Trailways Conference is whittling down to seven members, losing Deerfield and Fall River/Rio to the Trailways Conference and replacing them with Belleville (SWAL) and Horicon/Hustisford (Capitol). The latter school makes its return from the Capitol Conference, where they were associate members for the previous cycle. 2026 will be the final season for the Horicon/Hustisford football co-operative, after it was announced that Hustisford would close its doors at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
List of conference members
Current members SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedPrimary ConferenceBellevilleBelleville, WIPublic265Wildcats 2026CapitolCambridgeCambridge, WIPublic294Bluejays 2020CapitolHoricon/HustisfordHoricon, WIPublic306Marshmen 2022, 2026TrailwaysMarkesanMarkesan, WIPublic253Hornets 2020TrailwaysMarshallMarshall, WIPublic254Cardinals 2020CapitolPardeevillePardeeville, WIPublic272Bulldogs 2020, 2024TrailwaysPoynettePoynette, WIPublic289Pumas 2024CapitolWaterlooWaterloo, WIPublic233Pirates 2020Capitol
Former members SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceClintonClinton, WIPublicCougars 2020–2023Rock ValleyDeerfieldDeerfield, WIPublicDemons 2024–2025TrailwaysDodgelandJuneau, WIPublicTrojans 2020–2023TrailwaysFall River/RioFall River, WIPublicRebels 2024–2025TrailwaysPalmyra-EaglePalmyra, WIPublicPanthers 2020–2023Trailways
Membership timeline
List of conference champions SchoolQuantityYears Marshall42020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Cambridge12024 Horicon/Hustisford12023 Markesan12025 Belleville0 Clinton0 Deerfield0 Dodgeland0 Fall River/Rio0Palmyra-Eagle0Pardeeville0Poynette0Waterloo0 References