Southern Eight Conference

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| mark-title2=Darlington

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| mark-title3=Dodgeville

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| mark-title6=Mineral Point

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| mark-title7=Mount Horeb

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| mark-title8=Platteville

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| caption = Location of Original Southern Eight Conference Members

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The Southern Eight Conference was formed as the result of a split of member schools in the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League. In 1970, Richland Center High School was accepted as the fifteenth member of the SWAL (effective 1971) and was added to the seven-member North Section.{{Cite news |date=24 March 1970 |title=Richland Center Joins Big SWAL |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/513426619/?match=1&terms=swal%20split%20%22richland%20center%22 |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=The La Crosse Tribune |pages=12}} Soon after their acceptance, the other eight schools in the South Section voted to split the conference along geographic lines{{Cite news |title=Six Schools Bolt SWAL To Form Own Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/750418298/?match=1&terms=swal%20split%20%22richland%20center%22 |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=The Boscobel Dial |pages=1}}{{Cite news |date=18 December 1970 |title=New Conference Is Southern Eight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/406805326/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20eight%20conference%22 |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=22}} to maintain traditional rivalries and cut transportation expenses.{{Cite news |date=17 February 1970 |title=Darlington OKs New Sports Link |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/519329415/?match=1&terms=swal%20split%20%22richland%20center%22 |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=The Capital Times |pages=5}} The Southern Eight began competition in 1971, and its membership roster was remarkably stable over the course of its history. The only changes happened in 1983 with Mount Horeb's exit to the Capitol Conference{{Cite news |date=28 August 1983 |title=Mount Horeb prepares for a new group of foes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/404722023/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20eight%20conference%22%20%22mount%20horeb%22%20southwestern |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=49 (Football '83 insert)}} and the addition of Southwestern High School in Hazel Green.{{Cite news |title=Realignment plan approved |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/343480334/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20eight%20conference%22%20%22hazel%20green%22%20southwestern |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=2C}} The end of the Southern Eight Conference came in 1987, when the conference remerged with the Southwest Wisconsin Athletic League to create a new fourteen-member conference subdivided by enrollment size.{{Cite news |title=SWAL, Southern Eight combined as one league |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/750426796/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20eight%20conference%22%20swal |access-date=10 December 2024 |work=The Boscobel Dial |pages=17}}{{clear}}

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1971 till:1987

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width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m

bar:1 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Cuba City (1971-1987)

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Darlington (1971-1987)

bar:3 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Dodgeville (1971-1987)

bar:4 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Iowa-Grant (1971-1987)

bar:5 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Lancaster (1971-1987)

bar:6 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Mineral Point (1971-1987)

bar:7 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1983 text:Mount Horeb (1971-1983)

bar:8 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1987 text:Platteville (1971-1987)

bar:9 color:tan1 from:1983 till:1987 text:Southwestern (1983-1987)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1971

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{{reflist}}

{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}

Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences

Category:Sports organizations established in 1971

Category:1971 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:1987 disestablishments in Wisconsin