SWAPS Conference
{{Short description|Former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin}}
The Southern Wisconsin Association of Private Schools Conference, more commonly known by its abbreviated form (SWAPS Conference), is a former high school athletic conference consisting mostly of private high schools in southern Wisconsin. It was formed in 1957 and disbanded in 1961.
History
{{OSM Location map
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| mark-title1=Beloit Catholic
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| mark-title2=Northwestern Military & Naval
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| mark-title3=St. John's Military
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| mark-title4=St. Mary's
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| mark-title5=Wisconsin School for the Deaf
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| caption = Location of Original SWAPS Conference Members
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The SWAPS Conference was founded in 1957 by five small high schools in southern Wisconsin. Despite the name of the conference, only four of the five original members were private schools.{{Cite news |last=Dunn |first=Pat |date=1 September 1957 |title=Two Burlington Prep Elevens, Salem Hope for Better Years |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342038390/?match=1&terms=%22swaps%20conference%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=28}} Beloit Catholic and St. Mary's both belonged to the newly created Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association,{{Cite news |date=16 January 1957 |title=St. Mary's High Entered in WCIAA Regional Tourney at Little Chute |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/444870870/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20interscholastic%20athletic%20association%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Twin City News-Record |pages=5}} and the two military academies (Northwestern Military & Naval Academy and St. John's Military Academy) did not belong to any sort of larger organization at that time. The fifth member, Wisconsin School for the Deaf, was funded by the state of Wisconsin, and was therefore the only school in the conference's original roster to be eligible for membership in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. A second public high school (Williams Bay) was added in 1958 after the dissolution of the Southern Regional Conference.{{Cite news |date=17 November 1958 |title=2 Championship Cage Teams to Play in SWAPS This Year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342133099/?match=1&terms=%22williams%20bay%22%20%22swaps%20conference%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=15}} They were members of the conference for one school year before joining the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference in 1959.{{Cite news |date=15 March 1959 |title=Conferences Make Changes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342251305/?match=1&terms=%22southeastern%20conference%22%20%22williams%20bay%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=5 (Section 3)}} The SWAPS Conference was disbanded after the 1960-1961 school year.{{Cite news |date=11 January 1962 |title=Bay and Cadets to Meet in Benefit Game |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588529557/?match=1&terms=%22swaps%20conference%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=9}} Only one former member joined another conference for 1961 (St. Mary's to the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference),{{Cite news |date=23 March 1960 |title=St. Mary's Joins SEC Next Year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342262039/?match=1&terms=%22southeastern%20conference%22%20%22st.%20mary%27s%22 |access-date=26 February 2025 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=27}} and the rest became independents before eventually joining other conferences.{{clear}}
Conference membership history
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Beloit Catholic
|Private (Catholic) |N/A |Crusaders |{{color box|00843d}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |Independent |Closed in 2000 |
| Northwestern Military & Naval Academy
|Private (Nonsectarian, Military) |N/A |Falcons |{{color box|002d6c}} {{color box|white}} |Independent |Closed in 1995 (merged with St. John's Military Academy) |
| St. John's Military Academy
|Private (Nonsectarian, Military) |236 |Lancers |{{color box|582c83}} {{color box|d50032}} |Independent |
| St. Mary's
|Private (Catholic) |128 |Hilltoppers |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}} |1957 |
| Wisconsin School for the Deaf
|Public (Special Needs) |26 |Firebirds |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |Independent |
| Williams Bay
|Public |212 |Bulldogs |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ff8200}} |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
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Period = from:1957 till:1961
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width:13 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1957 till:1961 text:Beloit Catholic (1957-1961)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1957 till:1961 text:Northwestern Military & Naval Academy (1957-1961)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1957 till:1961 text:St. John's Military Academy (1957-1961)
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1957 till:1961 text:St. Mary's (1957-1961)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1957 till:1961 text:Wisconsin School for the Deaf (1957-1961)
bar:6 color:tan2 from:1958 till:1959 text:Williams Bay (1958-1959)
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{{Font color||{{RGB|179|154|154}}|Non-football member}}
List of conference champions
= Boys Basketball =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #00843d; color: #ffc72c" | Beloit Catholic
|2 |1958, 1960 |
| style="background: #ff8200; color: black" | Williams Bay
|1 |1959 |
| style="background: #002d6c; color: white" | Northwestern Military
|0 | |
| style="background: #582c83; color: #d50032" | St. John’s Military
|0 | |
| style="background: #005eb8; color: white" | St. Mary’s
|0 | |
| style="background: #ffc72c; color: #ba0c2f" | Wisconsin School for the Deaf
|0 | |
| colspan="3" |Champions from 1961 unknown |
= Football =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #00843d; color: #ffc72c" | Beloit Catholic
|1 |1958 |
| style="background: #582c83; color: #d50032" | St. John’s Military
|1 |1960 |
| style="background: #005eb8; color: white" | St. Mary’s
|1 |1959 |
| style="background: #002d6c; color: white" | Northwestern Military
|0 | |
| style="background: #ffc72c; color: #ba0c2f" | Wisconsin School for the Deaf
|0 | |
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences
Category:Sports organizations established in 1957