The Classic 8 Conference consists of 9 full-member institutions from 6 locations, listed in alphabetical order, these 6 locations span within the Classic 8's geographic footprint, mostly suburban and rural schools. The geographic domain of the Conference is predominantly in Southeast Wisconsin in Waukesha County spanning from Oconomowoc and Hartland in the Northwest to Mukwonago and Wales in the Southwest, with Waukesha and Muskego in the Southeast. Mukwonago being in Walworth County.
Catholic Memorial is in the Classic 8 for all other boys/girls sponsored sports except football, as they are a member in the football-only Parkland Conference which formed in 2020, all other C8C schools are full-time in all sponsored sports.
Since 2020, the 9 members of the Classic 8 are as listed below:
Pius XI left the Classic 8 in 2012, the school was one of the original 8 schools that formed the conference, as the conference became more competitive and Pius enrollment began to decline. Pius decided to leave to compete with other schools in the same size. In the WIAA realignment, Muskego would join the conference as the replacement. In return, Pius switched to the Woodland Conference but the school remains as majority Division 2 after they left the Classic 8.
In 1994, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association implemented a realignment of conferences in the southeastern portion of the state with review of the alignment beginning in 1995. In this proposal, 2 new conferences would be formed [Classic 8] [Greater Metro]. Hearings and meetings were held between May 1995 to April 1996. Most schools objected to the WIAA's realignment plan with appeals being in July 1996. On September 12, 1996, the WIAA gave final approval to the realignment, set to be effective in the 1997-1998 academic year.
When the C8C first formed, Pius XI and Catholic Memorial at the time were both in the WISAA (Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletics Association) but continued to play WIAA conference games. In 2000, the WISAA and the tournament dissolved which forced both CMH and Pius to participate in all WIAA-sponsored events.
In April 2016, the WIAA approved a conference realignment in Southeast Wisconsin, as a result, the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference was disbanded. The Oconomowoc Racoons from the WLT joined the Classic 8 Conference in the 2017-2018 Academic Year.
Membership timeline
Full members Full members (non-football) Other Conference Other Conference
Classic 8 football
Current members of the Classic 8 Conference have accounted for a total of 26 state appearances, including 15 WIAA State Champions.
Of the fifteen state championships, Muskego has two (2018, 2019), Arrowhead has won six (1993, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2012, 2013), Kettle Moraine has won two (1988, 2022), Mukwonago has won one (2004), Catholic Memorial has won four (2012, 2016, 2018, 2019) and Waukesha West has won two (2004, 2010).
The conference put its football talents on display especially in 2004, when it had two WIAA state champions in Mukwonago (Division 1) and Waukesha West (Division 2), next in 2012 when it had Arrowhead (Division 1) and Catholic Memorial (Division 3), and most recently in 2018, Muskego (Division 1) and Catholic Memorial (Division 3). Since 2000, the conference has sent 18 teams to the state championships in Madison at Camp Randall (9 state runners-up, 9 championships).
Classic 8 Teams in WIAA State Football Championship Games
