Valley Football Association
{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school football conference}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}The Valley Football Association is a former high school football conference with its membership based northeastern and central Wisconsin. Active from the 2011 through 2023 football seasons, the conference and its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
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| mark-title1=Appleton East
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| mark-title2=Appleton North
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| mark-title3=Appleton West
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| mark-title4=D.C. Everest
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| mark-title5=Fond du Lac
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| mark-title6=Kaukauna
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| mark-title7=Kimberly
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| mark-title8=Marshfield
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| mark-title9=Menasha
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| mark-title10=Neenah
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| mark-title11=Oshkosh North
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| mark-title12=Oshkosh West
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| mark-title13=Stevens Point
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| mark-title14=Wausau East
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| mark-title15=Wausau West
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| mark-title16=Wisconsin Rapids
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| caption=Location of Original Valley Football Association Members
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The Valley Football Association was born from a merger of the football-playing members of two conferences for large high schools in eastern and central Wisconsin: the Fox Valley Association and the Wisconsin Valley Conference. The WVC was set to have only six football participants for the 2011 season, which created problems with scheduling nonconference opponents to fill game dates.{{Cite news |last=Arguello |first=Ricardo |date=4 August 2011 |title=Starting from scratch |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/360857791/?match=1&terms=%22valley%20football%20association%22 |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=B-1}} Competition commenced with the 2011 football season, and the sixteen member schools were broken out into two divisions:{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Tim |date=14 August 2011 |title=Season of change |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/244034353/?match=1&terms=%22valley%20football%20association%22 |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=B-1}}
| class="wikitable"
!VFA North Division !VFA South Division |
| Appleton East
|Fond du Lac |
| Appleton North
|Marshfield |
| Appleton West
|Menasha |
| D.C. Everest
|Neenah |
| Kaukauna
|Oshkosh North |
| Kimberly
|Oshkosh West |
| Wausau East
|Stevens Point |
| Wausau West
|Wisconsin Rapids |
In 2014, Hortonville replaced original member Menasha, who departed the VFA for the Bay Conference.{{cite web |url=http://usatodayhss.com/postcrescent/article/menasha-hortonville-to-switch-conferences--2013309130363/ |title=Menasha, Hortonville to switch conferences |website=usatodayhss.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714143549/http://www.usatodayhss.com/postcrescent/article/menasha-hortonville-to-switch-conferences--2013309130363 |archive-date=2014-07-14}} Three years later, Wausau East left the VFA to compete as an independent school for football, prompting the realignment of the conference into three five-team divisions:{{Cite news|url=http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2016/10/10/east-football-set-leave-vfa/91870644/|title=East football set to leave VFA|work=Daily Herald Media|access-date=2017-07-31|language=en}}
| class="wikitable"
!VFA North Division !VFA South Division !VFA West Division |
| Appleton East
|Fond du Lac |D.C. Everest |
| Appleton North
|Hortonville |Marshfield |
| Appleton West
|Neenah |Stevens Point |
| Kaukauna
|Oshkosh North |Wausau West |
| Kimberly
|Oshkosh West |Wisconsin Rapids |
Only five VFA members competed in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those teams, alongside returning member Wausau East, competed in a single division. The members that went on hiatus played in spring 2021 in the temporary Fox Valley Classic Conference with members of the original Fox River Classic Conference and the Wisconsin Valley Conference. Of those teams, only Appleton West and Stevens Point returned to the VFA, while the remaining teams returned to the Fox Valley Association for football.{{Cite web |date=6 February 2019 |title=WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal |url=https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/News%20Releases/2018-19/fbconferences_final.pdf?ver=mRVRndsxHmyl_0u8wi5J1A%3d%3d |access-date=13 June 2025 |website=Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association}} The Valley Football Association name was in use until the 2023 football season,{{Cite web |date=11 February 2021 |title=Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 11-Player |url=https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Conference%20Realignment/2020-21/Proposed%20FB%20Only%20Conf%20Align%2011-Player2_11_21.pdf |access-date=13 June 2025 |website=Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.}} when the conference reverted back to the Wisconsin Valley Conference nomenclature for the 2024-2025 competition cycle.{{Cite news |last=Berg |first=Brandon |date=12 July 2024 |title=Big Rivers football will be missing big schools |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1178294248/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20valley%20conference%22%20football |access-date=13 June 2025 |work=Superior Telegram |pages=B1}}{{Cite web |date=14 December 2023 |title=2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 11-Player Football |url=https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Conference%20Realignment/2024-25Football/11-PlayerFB2024-Final2.pdf |access-date=13 June 2025 |website=Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association}}
Conference membership history
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Mascot !Colors !Seasons !Primary Conference |
| Appleton East
|Public |1,493 |Patriots |{{color box|041e42}} {{color box|d50032}} |2011-2019 |
| Appleton North
|Public |1,664 |Lightning |{{color box|b3a369}} {{color box|002d6c}} |2011-2019 |
| Appleton West
|Public |1,434 |Terrors |{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|005eb8}} |2011-2019, 2021-2023 |
| D.C. Everest
|Public |1,824 |Evergreens |{{Color box|115740}} {{Color box|ffc72c}} |2011-2023 |
| Fond du Lac
|Public |2,038 |Cardinals |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ba0c2f}} |2011-2019 |
| Kaukauna
|Public |1,253 |Galloping Ghosts |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |2011-2019 |
| Kimberly
|Public |1,599 |Papermakers |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |2011-2019 |
| Marshfield
|Public |1,250 |Tigers |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |2011-2023 |
| Menasha
|Public |966 |Blue Jays |{{color box|002d6c}} {{color box|a2aaad}} |2011-2013 |
| Neenah
|Public |1,979 |Rockets |{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}} |2011-2019 |
| Oshkosh North
|Public |1,231 |Spartans |{{color box|173f35}} {{color box|b3a369}} |2011-2019 |
| Oshkosh West
|Public |1,627 |Wildcats |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|white}} |2011-2019 |
| Stevens Point
|Public |2,105 |Panthers |{{Color box|black}} {{Color box|d50032}} |2011-2019, 2021-2023 |
| Wausau East
|Public |948 |Lumberjacks |{{Color box|d50032}} {{Color box|white}} |2011-2016, 2020-2023 |
| Wausau West
|Public |1,535 |Warriors |{{Color box|041e42}} {{Color box|ffc72c}} |2011-2023 |
| Wisconsin Rapids
|Public |1,467 |Red Raiders |{{Color box|ba0c2f}} {{Color box|a2aaad}} |2011-2023 |
| Hortonville
|Public |1,232 |Polar Bears |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|002d6c}} |2014-2023 |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:2011 till:2024
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5
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bar:1 color:green from:2011 till:2020 text:Appleton East (2011-2019)
bar:2 color:green from:2011 till:2020 text:Appleton North (2011-2019)
bar:3 color:green from:2011 till:2020 text:Appleton West (2011-2019)
bar:3 color:lavender from:2021 till:2024 text:(2021-2023)
bar:4 color:green from:2011 till:2017 text:D.C. Everest (2011-2023)
bar:4 color:brightgreen from:2017 till:2020 text:
bar:4 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:
bar:5 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2020 text:Fond du Lac (2011-2019)
bar:6 color:green from:2011 till:2020 text:Kaukauna (2011-2019)
bar:7 color:green from:2011 till:2020 text:Kimberly (2011-2019)
bar:8 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2017 text:Marshfield (2011-2023)
bar:8 color:brightgreen from:2017 till:2020 text:
bar:8 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:
bar:9 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2014 text:Menasha (2011-2013)
bar:10 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2020 text:Neenah (2011-2019)
bar:11 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2020 text:Oshkosh North (2011-2019)
bar:12 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2020 text:Oshkosh West (2011-2019)
bar:13 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2017 text:Stevens Point (2011-2019)
bar:13 color:brightgreen from:2017 till:2020 text:
bar:13 color:lavender from:2021 till:2024 text:(2021-2023)
bar:14 color:green from:2011 till:2017 text:Wausau East (2011-2016)
bar:14 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:(2020-2023)
bar:15 color:green from:2011 till:2017 text:Wausau West (2011-2023)
bar:15 color:brightgreen from:2017 till:2020 text:
bar:15 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:
bar:16 color:yellowgreen from:2011 till:2017 text:Wisconsin Rapids (2011-2023)
bar:16 color:brightgreen from:2017 till:2020 text:
bar:16 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:
bar:17 color:green from:2014 till:2020 text:Hortonville (2014-2023)
bar:17 color:lavender from:2020 till:2024 text:
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2011
{{Font color||{{RGB|0|178|0}}| North Division}} {{Font color||{{RGB|153|229|153}}| South Division}} {{Font color||{{RGB|0|255|0}}| West Division}}
List of state champions
| class="wikitable"
|+[https://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Football/State_Records/teamchamps.pdf Source] !School !Year !Division |
| Kimberly
|2013 |Division 2 |
| Kimberly
|2014 |Division 1 |
| Kimberly
|2015 |Division 1 |
| Kimberly
|2016 |Division 1 |
| Kimberly
|2017 |Division 1 |
List of conference and division champions
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" | Kimberly
|8 |2011 (N), 2013 (N), 2014 (N), 2015 (N), 2016 (N), 2017 (N), 2018 (N), 2019 (N) |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" | Marshfield
|5 |2012 (S), 2017 (W), 2018 (W), 2019 (W), 2022 |
| style="background: black; color: #ba0c2f" | Fond du Lac
|4 |2015 (S), 2017 (S), 2018 (S), 2019 (S) |
| style="background: black; color: #d50032" | Stevens Point
|4 |2012 (S), 2016 (S), 2021, 2023 |
| style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" | Wisconsin Rapids
|4 |2011 (S), 2017 (W), 2021, 2022 |
| style="background: #b3a369; color: #002d6c" | Appleton North
|2 |2011 (N), 2012 (N) |
| style="background: #173f35; color: #b3a369" | Oshkosh North
|2 |2013 (S), 2014 (S) |
| style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" | D.C. Everest
|1 |2020 |
| style="background: #041e42; color: #ffc72c" | Wausau West
|1 |2021, 2022 |
| style="background: #041e42; color: #d50032" | Appleton East
|0 | |
| style="background: #ff8200; color: #005eb8" | Appleton West
|0 | |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: #002d6c" | Hortonville
|0 | |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" | Kaukauna
|0 | |
| style="background: #002d6c; color: #a2aaad" | Menasha
|0 | |
| style="background: #d50032; color: white" | Neenah
|0 | |
| style="background: #0032a0; color: white" | Oshkosh West
|0 | |
| style="background: #d50032; color: black" | Wausau East
|0 | |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://valleyfootballstats.org/ Valley Football Association]
{{Valley Football Association navbox|state=collapsed}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences|state=collapsed}}
Category:Sports organizations established in 2011
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences