Mississippi Valley Conference (Wisconsin)

The Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) is a high school athletic conference in southwest Wisconsin. All MVC schools are members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and are located in the La Crosse-Onalaska-Sparta combined statistical area.

Mississippi Valley Conference

Conference	WIAA
Founded	1989
Sports fielded	19 men's: 10 women's: 9
Division	Division 1
No. of teams	7
Headquarters	La Crosse, Wisconsin
Region	La Crosse Metropolitan
Official website	www.mvconference.org

Mississippi Valley Conference Member School Locations in Wisconsin

History

Original Mississippi Valley Conference (1933-1965)

The first incarnation of the Mississippi Valley Conference was founded in 1933 and contained five smaller high schools in western Wisconsin: Alma, Arcadia, Durand, Mondovi and Osseo^[1]. Augusta joined from the Little Eight Conference in 1935^[2], replacing Alma after their return to the Bi-County Conference. Whitehall followed in 1936^[3] while maintaining dual membership in the Trempeleau Valley Conference (which they left in 1938). Black River Falls became the conference's seventh member school when it joined in 1938^[4]. These seven schools competed together for two decades before three left to become charter members of the new Dairyland Conference in 1959: Augusta, Osseo and Whitehall^[5]. Chippewa Falls and Cochrane-Fountain City took their place that same year^[6]. Menomonie was also accepted into the conference for 1959 but withdrew before ever playing a game^[7]. Three schools exited the conference in 1963: Black River Falls for the South Central Conference, Chippewa Falls for the Big Rivers Conference and Cochrane-Fountain City for the Dairyland Conference^[8]. For the last two years of its existence, the Mississippi Valley Conference competed as a three-school circuit until Arcadia left for the Coulee Conference in 1965, thus ending the conference's run.^[9]

New Mississippi Valley Conference (1989-present)

The current incarnation of the Mississippi Valley Conference was formed in 1989^[10] to accommodate for the growing attendance in schools in traditional rural-based conferences and shorten travel distances for its members^[11]. Holmen and Onalaska joined from the Coulee Conference, Sparta and Tomah from the South Central Conference, and La Crosse Central High School and Logan High School from the Big Rivers Conference. Shortly after, in 1997, Aquinas High School joined from the Central Wisconsin Catholic Conference of the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association, a private school athletic league, to become the conference's seventh member^[12].

In 2014, West Salem began competition in the Mississippi Valley Conference for football only. They remain in the Coulee Conference for all other sports. Due to competitive differences between Aquinas and the rest of the conference, their football team moved to the Coulee Conference with all other sports remaining in the MVC.^[13]

Sports Sponsored

The MVC sponsors 19 varsity sports. They are:

• Fall: Football, boys' soccer, girls' tennis, volleyball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country and girls' golf
• Winter: Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, gymnastics, wrestling boys' hockey.
• Spring: Boys' track, girls' track, boys' golf, boys' tennis, girls' soccer, baseball and softball.

List of Member Schools (1989-present)

Current Members

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Colors	Year Joined
Aquinas	La Crosse, WI	Private (Catholic)	307	Blugolds		1997
Holmen	Holmen, WI	Public	1,215	Vikings		1989
La Crosse Central	La Crosse, WI	Public	1,029	Riverhawks		1989
La Crosse Logan	La Crosse, WI	Public	738	Rangers		1989
Onalaska	Onalaska, WI	Public	923	Hilltoppers		1989
Sparta	Sparta, WI	Public	909	Spartans		1989
Tomah	Tomah, WI	Public	919	Timberwolves		1989

Associate Members

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Colors	Joined	Participating Sports	Primary Conference
West Salem	West Salem, WI	Public	607	Panthers		2014	Football, Soccer, Volleyball	Coulee
Reedsburg	Reedsburg, WI	Public	897	Beavers		2022	Football	Badger

All Sports

Nineteen varsity sports count towards the Mississippi Valley Conference "All Sports Award". Points are awarded based on a team's finish in a given sport (seven for the conference championship, six for second place and so on to one point for the seventh-place finisher). At the completion of each sport season (fall, winter and spring), updated standings are posted on the league's Web site, and at the end of the school year, the school with the most points is declared the winner of the "All Sports Award."^[14]

List of Member Schools (1933-1965)

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Colors	Joined	Left	Conference Joined	Current Conference
Alma	Alma, WI	Public	65	Rivermen		1933	1935	Bi-County	Dairyland
Arcadia	Arcadia, WI	Public	417	Raiders		1933	1965	Coulee
Durand	Durand, WI	Public	307	Panthers		1933	1965	Independent	Dunn-St. Croix
Mondovi	Mondovi, WI	Public	250	Buffaloes		1933	1965	Independent	Dunn-St. Croix
Osseo	Osseo, WI	Public	255	Chieftains		1933	1959	Dairyland	Cloverbelt
Augusta	Augusta, WI	Public	226	Beavers		1935	1959	Dairyland
Whitehall	Whitehall, WI	Public	216	Norse		1936	1959	Dairyland
Black River Falls	Black River Falls, WI	Public	481	Tigers		1938	1963	South Central	Coulee
Chippewa Falls	Chippewa Falls, WI	Public	1,454	Cardinals		1959	1963	Big Rivers
Cochrane-Fountain City	Fountain City, WI	Public	175	Pirates		1959	1963	Dairyland

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

Boys Cross Country

School	Year	Division
La Crosse Central	1990	Division 1
Aquinas	2007	Division 3
Aquinas	2018	Division 3
Aquinas	2019	Division 3
Aquinas	2020	Division 2
Onalaska	2021	Division 1

Girls Cross Country

School	Year	Division
La Crosse Central	1989	Division 1
La Crosse Central	1990	Division 1

Football

School	Year	Division
Aquinas	2007	Division 5

Girls Golf

School	Year	Division
Onalaska	1989	Single Division
La Crosse Central	1990	Single Division
La Crosse Central	1991	Single Division
La Crosse Central	1992	Single Division
La Crosse Central	1993	Single Division
La Crosse Central	1998	Single Division
Aquinas	2017	Division 2

Winter Sports

Boys Basketball

School	Year	Division
Onalaska	1992	Division 2
Aquinas	2003	Division 3
Aquinas	2008	Division 3
Aquinas	2011	Division 3
Onalaska	2012	Division 2
Aquinas	2013	Division 3
La Crosse Central	2017	Division 1

Girls Basketball

School	Year	Division
Holmen	1995	Division 2
Aquinas	2018	Division 4
Aquinas	2019	Division 4

Gymnastics

School	Year	Division
Onalaska	1997	Division 2
Onalaska	1998	Division 2
Holmen	2005	Division 2
Holmen	2006	Division 2

Boys Wrestling

School	Year	Division
Aquinas	1999	WISAA (Single Division)

Spring Sports

Baseball

School	Year	Division
La Crosse Logan	2001	Division 1
Aquinas	2007	Division 3
Aquinas	2017	Division 3
Aquinas	2024	Division 3

Girls Soccer

School	Year	Division
Aquinas	2015	Division 4

Softball

School	Year	Division
Holmen	1999	Division 1
La Crosse Logan	2015	Division 2

Boys Track & Field

School	Year	Division
Aquinas	2011	Division 2
Aquinas	2019	Division 3
Aquinas	2021	Division 3

Girls Track & Field

School	Year	Division
Aquinas	2012	Division 2
Aquinas	2019	Division 3

Summer Sports

Baseball

School	Year	Division
Holmen	1990	Single Division

Rivalries

The Mississippi Valley Conference has a number of intense rivalries, both based on proximity, and performance.

City

• Central Vs. Logan - The two La Crosse public schools' intense rivalry is well publicized by local media and is highlighted by football's Battle for the Ark of Victory.
• Central Vs. Aquinas - A heated battle for city supremacy and the overall city championship.
• Logan Vs. Aquinas - A heated battle for city supremacy and the overall city championship.

Other Main Rivalries

• Holmen Vs. Onalaska - Proximity spices up this rivalry, as the two school districts overlap city boundaries. Both schools also came over from the Coulee Conference together.
• Tomah Vs. Sparta - Both came over from the South Central Conference and are separated by 17 miles of Interstate 90. The closest conference foe for both teams.

• Reedsburg Vs. Baraboo - Both moved to the MVC as affiliated members and have one of the longest rivalries in the state.

In addition to these main rivalries, many other rivalries have developed based on different sports and success. In the early 2000s, Holmen and Aquinas had fierce competitions in Boys' Basketball in which tickets were sold out days after going on sale. Additionally, in the early 1990s, Onalaska Vs. Central was a heated matchup in Boys' Basketball. That rivalry was rekindled in the 2010s as both teams regularly competed for state bids. In wrestling, Holmen Vs. Sparta and Holmen Vs. Tomah have come and gone. In Boys' Ice Hockey, Onalaska and Aquinas/Holmen/G-E-T/C-FC hold a battle for the Omni Center rivalry, as both teams play in the same venue.

Many non-conference rivalries are also in the MVC. Onalaska Vs. West Salem, Logan and Central Vs. Eau Claire Memorial and North, Tomah Vs. Black River Falls, and Holmen Vs. G-E-T are all annual football games. Aquinas maintains matchups with old conference members from their WISAA days.

Rivalry Week

In many different sports, particularly but not limited to football, basketball, and wrestling, the three big rivalries will frequently be played on the same days, coining the phrase Rivalry Week in football and Rivalry Night in other sports. These rivalries are Central Vs. Logan, Holmen Vs. Onalaska, and Sparta Vs. Tomah. Occasionally, Aquinas will be inserted into a city match up or against Holmen or Onalaska on a Rivalry Night.

References

1. "News of Northwest Wisconsin, Mondovi section". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 23 May 1934. p. 5. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
2. "Durand Cagers Beat Hudson, 21 to 12". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 30 November 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
3. "Whitehall Opens Cage Season on Nov. 10". The La Crosse Tribune. 5 November 1936. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
4. "Arcadia Takes New Loop Post". The La Crosse Tribune. 14 March 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
5. "Dairyland New Tag". The La Crosse Tribune. 16 November 1958. p. 15. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
6. "Chippewa, Menomonie Join Mississippi Valley League". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 30 October 1958. p. 18. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
7. "Prior Commitments Force Menomonie To Withdraw From Mississippi Valley". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 6 November 1958. p. 12. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
8. Gunderson, Jim (23 March 1963). "Gunning for Sports (Three-School League)". The La Crosse Tribune. p. 4. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
9. Bueldi, Ron (26 February 1965). "Buckshot". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. p. 13. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
10. "New league given a name". The La Crosse Tribune. 20 November 1988. p. 15. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
11. Seering, Jeff (26 May 1988). "Some thoughts on realignment". Reedsburg Times-Press. p. 30. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
12. Brown, Jeff (14 February 1996). "MVC principals agree: Aquinas in". The La Crosse Tribune. pp. C-1. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
13. Kelly, Drew (July 24, 2018). "Aquinas football to compete in Coulee Conference in 2020". WKTY. Retrieved February 16, 2020.
14. "Home". mvconference.org.

External links

• MVC website