Bay Conference
| Bay Conference (Bay) |
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|---|---|
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| Established | 1970 |
| Association | WIAA |
| Members | 8 |
| Headquarters | Suamico, Wisconsin |
| Commissioner | Garry Sievert |
| Website | http://www.bayconference.org/ |
The Bay Conference, is a high school athletic conference made up of eight teams in northeastern Wisconsin, centering primarily around the Green Bay / Fox Valley Metropolitan Areas. Conference schools are members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
The Bay Conference was established in 1970 by charter members: Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, Clintonville, De Pere, Marinette, Oconto, Oconto Falls, Pulaski, Seymour, and West De Pere. 1979 brought the addition of former East Central Conference member New London and former Wisconsin Valley Conference member Shawano, In exchange for departing Oconto and Oconto Falls. In 1999, Clintonville left the Bay Conference to join the newly formed Valley 8 Conference. Of the ten original members, only Marinette, Seymour, and West De Pere have remained in the conference since its inception. Marinette will leave the Bay in 2015 and join the Eastern Valley Conference
The 2007 WIAA realignment brought major changes to the Bay Conference. Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, De Pere, and Pulaski transferred to the Fox River Classic Conference, where they joined the larger Green Bay, Manitowoc, and Sheboygan area high schools. Hortonville and Oconto Falls transferred from the now defunct Valley 8 Conference, and Denmark and Luxemburg-Casco transferred from the Packerland Conference. Each of these schools had increasing enrollments and had outgrown their previous conferences.
In late 2008, Hortonville High School petitioned the WIAA to move the growing school into the Fox Valley Association in exchange for Menasha High School whose declining enrollment prompted them to look at other alternatives. Hortonville cited travel times and costs as well as the imbalance that existed in the Bay Conference as reasons to leave. Hortonville's enrollment was nearly twice as large as the Bay Conference's smallest school and 200 students more than the second largest school. The issue came to a vote at a Menasha School Board meeting, which resulted in Menasha's decision to remain in the FVA. In September 2011 at an WIAA area meeting held in Appleton, Green Bay West requested to leave the FRCC to join the Bay Conference, and Green Bay East asked to go if needed. West & East both cited they have not been able to compete in the FRCC. In a September 2012 WIAA area meeting, New London asked to leave the Bay Conference to move to the Eastern Valley Conference, and Denmark has requested to leave. Green Bay East and West are still seeking to move. At a WIAA Board of Control Meeting in September the board gave first approval to swap Hortonville with FVA member Menasha effective the 2014-15 School year, a final vote was taken after the 40-day appeal window and passed. In December 2013 the WIAA Board of Control gave first approval for the departure of Denmark, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette & Oconto Falls to the Eastern Valley in Return for FRCC's Green Bay East & West and EVC Xavier. Waupaca would be in the Bay for Football Only. A Final vote was taken after the 40-day appeal window & successfully passed for implementation for the 2015-2016 school year along with several other are conference realignments.
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