Mid-Suburban League
ConferenceIHSA
Founded1963
No. of teams12
RegionNorthwest Chicagoland, Illinois

The Mid-Suburban League (MSL) is an Illinois High School Association recognized high school extra-curricular league which includes 12 schools located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The conference is split up into two divisions for all interscholastic activities. The primary criteria for the separate divisions is geography, with the schools in the West Division being located west of IL Route 53 and the schools of the East Division being east of it. However, the schools of the western division are also larger than the schools of the eastern division.

MSL Flags at the Prospect High School Natatorium


3km
2miles
none
Wheeling
Elk Grove
Rolling Meadows
Prospect
Hersey
Buffalo Grove
Schaumburg
Palatine
Hoffman Estates
Fremd
Conant
.
Map
Locations of current Mid-Suburban Schools

Members

West Division

School Town Team Name Colors IHSA Classes (2/3/4) Reference
Barrington High School Barrington Broncos/Fillies       AA/3A/4A [1]
Conant High School Hoffman Estates Cougars       AA/3A/4A [2]
Fremd High School Palatine Vikings     AA/3A/4A [3]
Hoffman Estates High School Hoffman Estates Hawks     AA/3A/4A [4]
Palatine High School Palatine Pirates     AA/3A/4A [5]
Schaumburg High School Schaumburg Saxons     AA/3A/4A [6]

East Division

School Town Team Name Colors IHSA Classes (2/3/4) Reference
Buffalo Grove High School Buffalo Grove Bison       AA/3A/4A [7]
Elk Grove High School Elk Grove Village Grenadiers     AA/3A/4A [8]
Hersey High School Arlington Heights Huskies       AA/3A/4A [9]
Prospect High School Mt. Prospect Knights     AA/3A/4A [10]
Rolling Meadows High School Rolling Meadows Mustangs       AA/3A/4A [11]
Wheeling High School Wheeling Wildcats     AA/3A/4A [12]

History

The Mid-Suburban League came into existence for the 1963–64 school year.[13] The MSL and Des Plaines Valley League both broke off from an interim suburban league that dated back several decades.[13] The original members of the MSL were Deerfield High School, Forest View High School, Glenbrook North High School, Glenbrook South High School, Maine West High School, and Prospect High School.[13] Not even a year old, the conference announced expansion for the 1965–66 season with, Palatine High School, Wheeling High School, Niles North High School, and New Trier West High School joining as the schools opened.[14] The MSL then announced a realignment for the 1965–66 season when Niles West High School and James B. Conant High School were added, with Deerfield, Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Niles West, Niles North, and New Trier West comprising one division, and Forest View, Prospect, Wheeling, Maine West, and James Conant comprising the other.[15]

Just prior to the start of the 1964–65 season, it was announced that Arlington High School would join the league for the 1966–67 season, leaving the West Suburban Conference, and joining the division which included Forest View High School and soon to open school Elk Grove High School and 5 year old high school Fremd.[16] Maine West left the league in 1967 and moved to the Central Suburban. Glenbard North joined the league in 1968, and Hersey in 1969, closing out the final changes in the conference of the 1960's.

The conference would change again in the early 1970's as Schaumburg was added in 1970, Rolling Meadows in 1971, Buffalo Grove in 1974 and Hoffman Estates in 1975. At the conclusion of the 1973 school year, Glenbard North would leave for the DuPage Valley Conference, however, in 1977, Barrington would come over from the North Suburban Conference. Unfortunately, in 1984, based on declining enrollment and high maintenance costs, Arlington High School would close with Forest View seeing the same fate 2 years later.

Membership timeline

Full members Full members (non-football) Partial member (listed sports) Full members (8-man football) Full members (Football Coop) Other Conference

References

  1. ^ "Barrington". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  2. ^ "Hoffman Estates (Conant)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Palatine (Fremd)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  4. ^ "Hoffman Estates (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Palatine (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  6. ^ "Schaumburg (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Buffalo Grove". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  8. ^ "Elk Grove Village (E.G.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  9. ^ "Arlington Heights (Hersey)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Mt. Prospect (Prospect)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Rolling Meadows". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  12. ^ "Wheeling". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 1 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  13. ^ a b c "3 new prep leagues join Chicago Area". Chicago Tribune. 30 May 1963. pp. n9. The Des Plaines Valley and Mid-Suburban will include the 12 schools that are now affiliated with the Interim association.
  14. ^ "Five New High Schools to Make Bows in '65-66". Chicago Tribune. 19 December 1963. pp. n a18. Wheeling and Niles North will compete in the Mid-Suburban ... New Trier West ... has been assigned to the Mid-Suburban League for the start of the 1965-66 school year.
  15. ^ "Prep Group Realigns 2 Leagues". Chicago Tribune. 2 April 1964. pp. w8.
  16. ^ "Mid-Suburban League Will Add Arlington". Chicago Tribune. 20 August 1964. pp. w8. Arlington High School, a pioneer member of the West Suburban conference, will transfer to the Mid-Suburban at the start of the 1966-67 school year. The Cardinals would compete in the same division of the recently organized Mid-Suburban conference in which Forest View ... Elk Grove, Wheeling, and Palatine will compete.

External links

Mid-Suburban League
Illinois High School Association
Categories