Wisconsin Seminary League
{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}The Wisconsin Seminary League was a statewide interscholastic athletic organization consisting of Catholic seminaries in Wisconsin. It was operational from 1963 to 1969.
History
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| mark-title1=Blessed Sacrament
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| mark-title2=Divine Word
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| mark-title3=Mount St. Paul
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| mark-title4=Queen of Apostles
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| mark-title5=Sacred Heart
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| mark-title6=Salvatorian
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| mark-title7=St. Francis de Sales
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| mark-title8=St. Joseph
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| mark-title9=St. Lawrence
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The Wisconsin Seminary League, also known by its official title of the Wisconsin Catholic Seminary Conference, was founded in 1963 by nine Catholic seminaries in the state of Wisconsin: Blessed Sacrament in Waupaca, Divine Word in East Troy, Mount St. Paul in Waukesha, Queen of Apostles in Madison, Sacred Heart in Oneida, Salvatorian in St. Nazianz, St. Francis de Sales in St. Francis, St. Joseph in Edgerton and St. Lawrence in Mount Calvary.{{Cite news |date=1 March 1963 |title=Nine Catholic Seminaries Form State Cage League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397096125/?match=1&terms=%22blessed%20sacrament%22%20basketball%20waupaca |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=3, Section 3}} The age range for players was slightly different than those in traditional high schools; instead of grades 9-12, teams consisted of boys in grades 10-13.{{Cite news |date=1 March 1963 |title=Sacred Heart Joins Seminary Cage Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/188950237/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=12}} Because of this, it was not associated with the Wisconsin Catholic Interscholastic Athletic Association, but WCIAA members were common non-conference athletic opponents. The conference was subdivided into divisions based on geography for their first season of basketball competition:{{Cite news |date=12 December 1963 |title=Salvatorian Seminary Quintet Begins Loop Action Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/293341756/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter |pages=10}}
| class="wikitable"
!Northern Division !Southern Division |
| Blessed Sacrament
|Divine Word |
| Sacred Heart
|Mount St. Paul |
| Salvatorian
|Queen of Apostles |
| St. Lawrence
|St. Francis de Sales |
| |St. Joseph |
In 1965, the Pallotine Fathers ended Queen of Apostles' seminary program for a more traditional co-educational high school enrollment model,{{Cite news |date=20 January 1965 |title=New Catholic High Readied Here |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397341805/?match=1&terms=%22queen%20of%20apostles%20high%20school%22%20madison |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=15, Section 1}} and two seminaries joined the conference as replacements: Holy Name in Madison and St. Columban in Oconomowoc.{{Cite news |date=21 November 1965 |title=Holy Name Seminary Opens Loop Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/403864242/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=3, Section 3}} Both schools joined the conference's Southern Division:{{Cite news |date=9 December 1965 |title=Royals Stage Rally, Bump Crusader '5' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1029192568/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Two Rivers Reporter |pages=2-T}}
| class="wikitable"
!Northern Division !Southern Division |
| Blessed Sacrament
|Divine Word |
| Sacred Heart
|Holy Name |
| Salvatorian
|Mount St. Paul |
| St. Lawrence
|St. Columban |
| |St. Francis de Sales |
| |St. Joseph |
In 1966, three schools (Mount St. Paul, St. Columban and St. Francis de Sales) left the Wisconsin Seminary League and the organization consolidated down to one division with seven schools.{{Cite news |date=24 February 1967 |title=Royals Finish Third In Loop; Hurt By Injury |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/292289009/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Two Rivers Reporter |pages=T-1}} The conference's membership roster decreased to six in 1968, as Salvatorian Seminary closed and a new Catholic high school (John F. Kennedy Prep) opened on its former campus in St. Nazianz.{{Cite news |last=Woessner |first=Bob |date=5 April 1968 |title=Seminary at St. Nazianz to Become High School |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/189388140/?match=1&terms=%22salvatorian%20seminary%22%20st.%20nazianz |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=A-11}} The Wisconsin Seminary League was disbanded in 1969,{{Cite news |last=Lindstrom |first=Don |date=13 September 1969 |title=Holy Name Cagers Hoe Tougher Row |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396647011/?match=1&terms=%22wisconsin%20catholic%20seminary%20conference%22%20basketball |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=5, Section 3}} by which time three of the remaining members (Holy Name, Sacred Heart, and St. Lawrence) had joined the WCIAA and remained members during that organization's transition into the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association.{{Cite news |last=United Press International |date=29 April 1966 |title=Membership Up to 45 Schools in State WCIAA |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/248771873/?match=1&terms=wciaa%20%22holy%20name%22 |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Oshkosh Northwestern |pages=16}} Former Seminary League members Divine Word and St. Joseph joined WISAA in 1970, {{Cite news |date=27 August 1970 |title=Join WISAA |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/520765034/?match=1&terms=wisaa%20%22st.%20joseph%22%20edgerton |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=The Capital Times |pages=34}} and Blessed Sacrament closed its doors in 1971.{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Fern |date=6 June 1971 |title=Last Graduation Happy for Some, Sad for Many |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/287904390/?match=1&terms=%22blessed%20sacrament%20prep%22%20waupaca |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=B4}}
Conference membership history
| class="wikitable"
!Seminary !Location !Affiliation/Order !Enrollment !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Blessed Sacrament
|N/A (Boys only) |Knights |Unknown |1963 |1969 |Independent |Closed in 1971 |
| Divine Word
|N/A (Boys only) |Crusaders |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1963 |1969 |Independent |Closed in 1991 |
| Mount St. Paul
|N/A (Boys only) |Moors |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1963 |1966 |Independent |Closed |
| Queen of Apostles
|N/A (Boys only) |Queensmen |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1963 |1965 | colspan="2" |Closed (replaced by co-ed high school) |
| Sacred Heart
|N/A (Boys only) |Scouts |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |1963 |1969 |Independent |Closed in 1976 |
| Salvatorian
|N/A (Boys only) |Royals |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}} |1963 |1968 | colspan="2" |Closed (replaced by JFK Prep) |
| St. Francis de Sales
|N/A (Boys only) |Saints |{{color box|black}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1963 |1966 |Independent |Closed in 1979 |
| St. Joseph
|N/A (Boys only) |Johawks |{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}} |1963 |1969 |Independent |Closed in 1980 |
| St. Lawrence
|256 (Boys only) |Hilltoppers |{{color box|4e3629}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |1963 |1969 |Wisconsin Flyway (2025) |
| Holy Name
|N/A (Boys only) |Hilanders |{{color box|115740}} {{color box|white}} |1965 |1969 |Independent |Closed in 1995 |
| St. Columban
|Missionary Society of St. Columban |N/A (Boys only) |Ramblers |Unknown |1965 |1966 |Independent |Closed in 1993 |
Membership timeline
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bar:1 color:blue from:1963 till:1966 text:Blessed Sacrament (1963-1969)
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:2 color:skyblue from:1963 till:1966 text:Divine Word (1963-1969)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:3 color:skyblue from:1963 till:1966 text:Mount St. Paul (1963-1966)
bar:4 color:skyblue from:1963 till:1965 text:Queen of Apostles (1963-1965)
bar:5 color:blue from:1963 till:1966 text:Sacred Heart (1963-1969)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:6 color:blue from:1963 till:1966 text:Salvatorian (1963-1968)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1968 text:
bar:7 color:skyblue from:1963 till:1966 text:St. Francis de Sales (1963-1966)
bar:8 color:skyblue from:1963 till:1969 text:St. Joseph (1963-1969)
bar:8 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:9 color:blue from:1963 till:1966 text:St. Lawrence (1963-1969)
bar:9 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:10 color:skyblue from:1965 till:1966 text:Holy Name (1965-1969)
bar:10 color:tan1 from:1966 till:1969 text:
bar:11 color:skyblue from:1965 till:1966 text:St. Columban (1965-1966)
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{{Font color||{{RGB|0|102|204}}| Northern Division }} {{Font color||{{RGB|178|204|255}}| Southern Division }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences
Category:Sports organizations established in 1963