South Seven Conference
| Conference | IHSA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1939 |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Region | Southern Illinois and Metro East |
The South Seven Conference is a high school athletic conference comprising five schools in the southern Illinois.
History
The South Seven was formed in 1939 when Centralia and Mt. Vernon departed the North Egyptian Conference and joined Marion, Benton, Harrisburg, Herrin and West Frankfort (hence, the name of the conference since it only had 7 members). Carbondale joined the conference in 1965, but the name of the conference was not changed.[1]
In 1993, the four smallest schools (Benton, Harrisburg, Herrin and West Frankfort) departed for the River-to-River Conference. Edwardsville and O'Fallon were added, with the former being a short-term replacement while a permanent member was sought. In 1995, Edwardsville left for the Southwestern Conference and was replaced by Cahokia. Over the next couple of years, O'Fallon would continue to grow to the point that it was much larger than the rest of the schools, and in 2000 the Panthers also left for the Southwestern Conference, replaced by Belleville Althoff. Throughout the changes, the "South Seven" moniker has remained even though the conference never had exactly 7 member schools in almost 50 years. That was to change for the 2018–19 season, when Granite City was due to leave the Southwestern Conference and join the South Seven, but a vote in March 2018 (a 3–3 tie) denied Granite City's entry into the conference until at least 2020. This vote was based heavily on scheduling issues and the amount of traveling for most of the teams in the conference.[2][3]
In 2023, Althoff Catholic High School left the conference to join the Gateway Metro Conference.
In 2025, it was announced that Highland High School will be joining the South Seven Conference, effective the 2026–27 school year. Highland, which sports an enrollment of 897, is presently a member of the Mississippi Valley Conference.[4] This coincided with founding member, Centralia High School, choosing to leave the South Seven and join the Cahokia Conference starting the 2026-27 school year due to enrollment issues.[5]
Member schools
| School | Location (City Population) |
Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Membership | Former Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cahokia High School | Cahokia, Illinois (12,096) |
798 | Comanches | Blue White |
1995–Present | Bi-County Conference |
| Carbondale Community High School | Carbondale, Illinois (25,083) |
993 | Terriers | Black White |
1963–Present | South Egypt Conference |
| Highland High School | Highland, Illinois (9,991) |
798 | Bulldogs | Red Black |
2026–Present | Mississippi Valley Conference |
| Marion High School | Marion, Illinois (16,855) |
1,071 | Wildcats | Blue Gold |
1939–Present | South Egypt Conference |
| Mount Vernon Township High School | Mount Vernon, Illinois (14,600) |
1,107 | Rams/Lady Rams | Orange Black |
1939–Present | North Egypt Conference |
Former members of the South Seven Conference
| School | Nickname | Colors | Location | Years Member | Current Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton Consolidated High School | Rangers | Benton, IL | 1939–1993 | Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference | |
| Centralia High School | Orphans/Annies | Centralia, IL | 1939-2026 | Cahokia Conference | |
| Edwardsville High School | Tigers | Edwardsville, IL | 1993–1995 | Southwestern Conference | |
| Frankfort Community High School | Redbirds | West Frankfort, IL | 1939–1993 | Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference | |
| Harrisburg High School | Bulldogs | Harrisburg, IL | 1939–1993 | Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference | |
| Herrin High School | Tigers | Herrin, IL | 1939–1993 | Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference | |
| O'Fallon High School | Panthers | O'Fallon, IL | 1993–2000 | Southwestern Conference | |
| Althoff Catholic High School | Crusaders | Belleville, Illinois | 2000–2023 | Gateway Metro Conference | |
Membership timeline
Full members Cahokia Conference Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Southwestern Conference Gateway Metro Conference
See also
References
- ↑ The Great Conferences/Illinois High School Glory Days
- ↑ Winston, Curtis (March 27, 2018). "Granite City denied spot in South Seven Conference". The Daily Republican. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
- ↑ Belleville News-Democrat
- ↑ Writer, Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports. "Highland Set To Join South Seven Conference In 2026-27, Mississippi Valley Conference Will Fold After The Next School Year". RiverBender.com. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Staff, WJBD. "Centralia to Join Cahokia Conference in 2026-27". South Central Illinois' News, Sports and Weather Station. Retrieved August 23, 2026.