Western Indiana Conference
The Western Indiana Conference is the name of two IHSAA-sanctioned conferences based in West Central Indiana. The first formed as an eight-team league that formed as a basketball league in 1944 as the West Central Conference.[1] The league started expanding in 1945 and changed its name to the Western Indiana Conference. With consolidation forcing many membership changes in the 1970s (including all the Terre Haute public schools), the conference folded at four members in 1983.
The second incarnation started in 1999, including four previous members (or their current incarnations) from the old conference, and three other schools from South Central Indiana. Its only change in membership in its first 16 years was in football, where South Vermilion played independently for the 2007 and 2008 seasons before rejoining the conference. March 2014 marked a sea change for the conference, as what originally was an invite for Greencastle turned into inviting the remaining five teams of the West Central Conference to join.[2] All seven WIC schools and all five WIC schools voted to expand the conference into 2015, making a 12 team, two division league.[3]
In the 2016-2017 school year South Vermilion will leave the WIC and rejoin the Wabash River Conference. Indian Creek will leave the Mid-Hoosier Conference and join the WIC in the fall of 2016 to keep the WIC at an even 12-teams after South Vermilion's departure.
Members
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Enrollment | IHSAA Class FB |
County | Year Joined | Previous Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brown County |
Nashville | Eagles | 755 | AAA AAA |
7 Brown |
1999 | Mid-Hoosier | |
Cascade | Clayton | Cadets | 495 | AA AA |
33 Hendricks |
2015 | West Central | |
Cloverdale | Cloverdale | Clovers | 408 | AA AA |
67 Putnam |
2015 | West Central | |
Edgewood | Ellettsville | Mustangs | 833 | AAA AAAA |
53 Monroe |
1999 | West Central | |
Greencastle | Greencastle | Tiger Cubs | 611 | AAA AAA |
67 Putnam |
2015 | West Central | |
Indian Creek | Trafalgar | Braves | 599 | AAA AAA |
41 Johnson |
2016 | Mid-Hoosier | |
North Putnam |
Roachdale | Cougars | 532 | AA AA |
67 Putnam |
2015 | West Central | |
Northview | Brazil | Knights | 1,142 | AAA AAAA |
11 Clay |
1999 | independent | |
Owen Valley |
Spencer | Patriots | 908 | AAA AAAA |
60 Owen |
1999 | West Central | |
South Putnam |
Greencastle | Eagles | 394 | AA A |
67 Putnam |
2015 | West Central | |
Sullivan | Sullivan | Golden Arrows | 543 | AA AAA |
77 Sullivan |
1999 | Tri-River | |
West Vigo |
West Terre Haute | Vikings | 640 | AAA AAA |
84 Vigo |
1999 | independent |
Past Members (1999-2015)
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | County | Year Joined | Previous Conference | Year Departed | Conference Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
South Vermillion | Clinton | Wildcats | 83 Vermillion |
1999 | Wabash River | 2016 | Wabash River |
Divisions
Old Conference Membership
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | County | Year Joined | Previous Conference | Year Left | Conference Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brazil | Brazil | Red Devils | 11 Clay |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1982 | Independents (consolidated into Northview 1984) | |
Garfield | Terre Haute | Purple Eagles | 84 Vigo |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1971 | none (consolidated into Terre Haute North) | |
Gerstmeyer Tech | Terre Haute | Black Cats | 84 Vigo |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1971 | none (consolidated into Terre Haute North) | |
Linton-Stockton1 | Linton | Miners | 28 Greene |
1944 | Southern Indiana/ Wabash Valley |
1974 | SW Indiana | |
State Lab2 | Terre Haute | Little Sycamores | 84 Vigo |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1978 | none (school closed) | |
South Vermillion3 | Clinton | Wildcats | 83 Vermillion |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1982 | Wabash River | |
Sullivan4 | Sullivan | Golden Arrows | 77 Sullivan |
1944 | Southern Indiana/ Wabash Valley |
1982 | Independents (TRC 1986) | |
Wiley | Terre Haute | Red Streaks | 84 Vigo |
1944 | Wabash Valley | 1971 | none (consolidated into Terre Haute South) | |
Honey Creek | Allendale | Honey Bees | 84 Vigo |
1945 | Wabash Valley | 1971 | none (consolidated into Terre Haute South) | |
Greencastle | Greencastle | Tiger Cubs | 67 Putnam |
1949 | South Central | 1977 | West Central | |
Jasonville | Jasonville | Yellow Jackets | 28 Greene |
1949 | 1963 | none (consolidated into Shakamak) | ||
Union High | Dugger | Bulldogs | 77 Sullivan |
1950 | 1958 | Independents (TRC 1965) | ||
Lebanon | Lebanon | Tigers | 06 Boone |
<1951 | 1967 | Sagamore | ||
Schulte5 | Terre Haute | Golden Bears | 84 Vigo |
1953 | none (new school) | 1977 | none (school closed) | |
West Vigo |
West Terre Haute | Vikings | 84 Vigo |
1960 | none (new school) | 1982 | Independent (WIC 1999) | |
Shakamak | Jasonville | Lakers | 28 Greene |
1963 | none (new school) | 1964 | Tri-River | |
North Knox |
Bicknell | Warriors | 42 Knox |
1977 | Blue Chip | 1981 | Independents (BCC 1986) |
- Linton-Stockton played concurrentily in the WIC and the SIAC from 1944 to 1951.
- State played concurrently in the WIC and the Tri-River Conference from 1964 to 1978.
- South Vermillion was known as Clinton until 1977. The smaller schools in southern Vermillion County had consolidated into Clinton by 1963, but the school did not change its name right away (and kept Clinton's school colors and nickname), so this is considered a name change rather than an actual consolidation of schools.
- Sullivan played concurrently in the WIC and the SIAC from 1944 to 1962.
- Schulte played concurrently in the WIC and the Tri-River from 1964 to 1977.
References
- ^ "8 Schools Join Wabash League". Hammond Times, Hammond, IN. 1944-11-19. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
- ^ "Future May Include Expansion Of Western Indiana Conference Field". Hoosier Topics. 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-04-11.
- ^ "Western Indiana Conference to Expand to 12 Schools". Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, IN. 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2014-07-01.
http://www.bannergraphic.com/story/2071979.html