Eastern Suburban Football Conference
The Eastern Suburban Football Conference is a high school football conference with its members located east of the Madison metropolitan area. Founded in 2020 and administered by the Capitol Conference, its member schools are affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
In February 2019, the WIAA and the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association unveiled a full football-only realignment for Wisconsin's high school athletic conferences. This arrangement was set to begin with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle.[1] The Eastern Suburban Conference name, dormant since the all-sport conference was disbanded in 2001, was resurrected for an eight-member conference including Cambridge, Clinton, Dodgeland, Markesan, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo.[2] Six members of the new conference (Cambridge, Dodgeland, Marshall, Palmyra-Eagle, Pardeeville and Waterloo) were also members of the previous conference's football alignment from 1991 to 2000. The new conference was originally referred to as the Capitol Small in preseason realignment materials, but was renamed before starting play and is part of the Capitol Conference's organizational structure. In 2022, Pardeeville exited the Eastern Suburban to join the Trailways Conference, where they had full affiliation. They were replaced by Horicon/Hustisford, formerly of the Capitol Conference for football.[3] Four schools left the Eastern Suburban Conference for the 2024-2025 cycle: Clinton, Dodgeland, Horicon/Hustisford and Palmyra-Eagle. Two outgoing members joined the Capitol Conference (Clinton and Horicon/Hustisford) and two attained full membership in the Trailways Conference (Dodgeland and Palmyra-Eagle). They were replaced by three schools formerly in the Trailways Conference (Deerfield, Fall River/Rio, Pardeeville and Poynette).[4] For the 2026-2027 cycle, the Trailways Conference is whittling down to seven members, losing Deerfield and Fall River/Rio to the Trailways Conference and replacing them with Belleville (SWAL) and Horicon/Hustisford (Capitol).[5] The latter school makes its return from the Capitol Conference, where they were associate members for the previous cycle. 2026 will be the final season for the Horicon/Hustisford football co-operative, after it was announced that Hustisford would close its doors at the end of the 2026-27 school year.[6]
List of conference members
Current members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Joined | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | Belleville, WI | Public | 265[7] | Wildcats | 2026[5] | Capitol | |
| Cambridge | Cambridge, WI | Public | 294[8] | Bluejays | 2020[2] | Capitol | |
| Horicon/ Hustisford |
Horicon, WI | Public | 306[9][10] | Marshmen | 2022,[3] 2026[5] | Trailways | |
| Markesan | Markesan, WI | Public | 253[11] | Hornets | 2020[2] | Trailways | |
| Marshall | Marshall, WI | Public | 254[12] | Cardinals | 2020[2] | Capitol | |
| Pardeeville | Pardeeville, WI | Public | 272[13] | Bulldogs | 2020,[2] 2024[4] | Trailways | |
| Poynette | Poynette, WI | Public | 289[14] | Pumas | 2024[4] | Capitol | |
| Waterloo | Waterloo, WI | Public | 233[15] | Pirates | 2020[2] | Capitol |
Former members
| School | Location | Affiliation | Mascot | Colors | Seasons | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton | Clinton, WI | Public | Cougars | 2020–2023[2][4] | Rock Valley | |
| Deerfield | Deerfield, WI | Public | Demons | 2024–2025[4][5] | Trailways | |
| Dodgeland | Juneau, WI | Public | Trojans | 2020–2023[2][4] | Trailways | |
| Fall River/ Rio |
Fall River, WI | Public | Rebels | 2024–2025[4][5] | Trailways | |
| Palmyra-Eagle | Palmyra, WI | Public | Panthers | 2020–2023[2][4] | Trailways |
Membership timeline
List of conference champions
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 4 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 |
| Cambridge | 1 | 2024 |
| Horicon/ Hustisford |
1 | 2023 |
| Markesan | 1 | 2025 |
| Belleville | 0 | |
| Clinton | 0 | |
| Deerfield | 0 | |
| Dodgeland | 0 | |
| Fall River/ Rio |
0 | |
| Palmyra-Eagle | 0 | |
| Pardeeville | 0 | |
| Poynette | 0 | |
| Waterloo | 0 |
References
- ↑ "Revised Football-Only Conference Plan Released". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 9, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 6, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- 1 2 "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 11-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. February 11, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "2024-25 Conference Realignment Plan – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. December 14, 2023. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "2026 - 27 Conference Realignment – 11-Player Football" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. April 23, 2025. Retrieved September 2, 2025.
- ↑ Hubbard, Meryl (April 8, 2026). "Parents and staff grapple with heartbreak as Hustisford Schools face closure after failed referendum". TMJ4.com. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Belleville". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Cambridge". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Horicon". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Hustisford". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Markesan". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Marshall". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Pardeeville". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Poynette". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Waterloo". WIAA School Database. Retrieved August 25, 2026.