Indian Trails Conference
The Indian Trails Conference is a high school athletic conference with its membership concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin. Originally founded as a conference for small public high schools in 1963, it has seen a high level of turnover among membership over the course of its history and now has mostly private school members.
History
1963-1969
The Indian Trails Conference was formed in 1963 by four local public high schools, one state-run public high school and one private high school. The four local public schools were former members of the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference, and the two others competed as independents after their former conference, the Southern Wisconsin Association of Private Schools (SWAPS) Conference, disbanded in 1961. The Indian Trails Conference would compete in this configuration for six years, which to date has been the longest period of stability for conference membership.1969-1980
The late 1960s and early 1970s marked a transition for the Indian Trails Conference from a conference with mostly public high schools to one with mostly small private high schools. In 1969, Clinton and Palmyra left the Indian Trails Conference to join the Central Suburban and Eastern Suburban Conferences, respectively. They were replaced by three private schools: Brookfield Academy, Rockford Lutheran and The Prairie School in Wind Point. Williams Bay left to follow Palmyra into the Eastern Suburban Conference in 1970, and were replaced by Divine Word Seminary in East Troy. St. Joseph Seminary in Edgerton joined in 1971, and Rockford Lutheran left the following year to join the Northwest Seven Conference in Illinois. They were replaced by Ethan Allen School for Boys, a reform school in Wales, in 1973. Brookfield Academy left to join the Classic Conference in 1976 and were replaced by Maranatha Baptist Academy in Watertown, who has to date been the conference's longest tenured member. The Prairie School followed Brookfield Academy to Classic Conference membership in 1977, and in 1979, St. John's School for the Deaf in St. Francis joined the Indian Trails Conference.1980-2004
The 1980s brought continued instability for Indian Trails Conference membership. St. Joseph Seminary left the Indian Trails when they closed their doors in 1980, followed by Norris Foundation in 1982 after they dropped interscholastic athletics. St. John's School for the Deaf was closed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee in 1983 after running at a deficit for several years made operation of the school unsustainable. In 1986, Messmer High School in Milwaukee, which had returned from nearly closing two years prior, joined the Indian Trails Conference, and there would be a short period of membership stability that lasted until the 1990s. Changes occurred on a somewhat regular basis during this decade, the first of these was the addition of Alden-Hebron High School in Illinois and Calvary Baptist Christian School in Sun Prairie to the conference in 1990. They replaced Wisconsin School for the Deaf, who left to join the Southern Wisconsin and Illinois Small Schools (SWISS) Conference as full members. The Indian Trails Conference lost Divine Word Seminary when it was announced that they would cease operations in 1991. Calvary Baptist School in Menomonee Falls and Waukesha Christian Academy joined the Indian Trails in 1993, replacing Messmer after their exit to join the Midwest Classic Conference. In 1994, Wayland Academy in Beaver Dam joined as full members after years of splitting boys and girls athletics between the Indian Trails and Midwest Classic Conferences. The next year, Northwestern Military & Naval Academy would merge with St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, with their successor taking St. John's place in the Midwest Classic Conference. Wayland Academy left to return to the Midwest Classic Conference in 1996 and were replaced by two schools: Beloit Catholic and Valley Christian in Oshkosh. Union Grove Christian joined the next year and were followed by Rock County Christian of Beloit in 1998. The next year, Victory Christian School in Neosho would replace Valley Christian after their exit, and membership subdivided into North and South Divisions:| North Division | South Division |
| Calvary Baptist | Alden-Hebron |
| Calvary Baptist Christian | Beloit Catholic |
| Ethan Allen School for Boys | Rock County Christian |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | Union Grove Christian |
| Victory Christian Academy | Waukesha Christian Academy |
The Indian Trails reformed as a single division after one year of this alignment and welcomed Grace Christian Academy of West Allis into the conference that same year. They replaced Beloit Catholic, who was closed by the Madison diocese in 2000. In 2001, Reuther Central High School, a public alternative high school in Kenosha, joined the Indian Trails Conference. Two years later, Calvary Baptist Christian in Sun Prairie would leave the conference with Rockford Christian School in Illinois taking their place.
2004-2021
In 2004, the Indian Trails Conference split its eleven members into Blue and Gold Divisions:| Blue Division | Gold Division |
| Alden-Hebron | Calvary Baptist |
| Ethan Allen School for Boys | Grace Christian Academy |
| Kenosha Reuther Central | Rock County Christian |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | Union Grove Christian |
| Rockford Christian | Victory Christian Academy |
| Waukesha Christian Academy |
The near-annual turnover of conference membership continued in 2005 with Victory Christian Academy leaving the conference and Parkway Christian Academy in Milwaukee joining from the SWISS Conference as a replacement. Waukesha Christian Academy would leave the conference the next year and were replaced by the return of Wisconsin School for the Deaf, who were displaced by the ending of the SWISS Conference. In 2007, four former SWISS Conference members would enter the Indian Trails Conference: Berean Christian School and Keith Country Day School of Rockford, Faith Christian School out of Williams Bay and University Lake School in Delafield. Trinity Academy in Pewaukee also joined the conference, and this was the divisional alignment for its sixteen members after the merger:
| Blue Division | Gold Division |
| Alden-Hebron | Calvary Baptist |
| Berean Christian | Grace Christian Academy |
| Ethan Allen School for Boys | Parkway Christian Academy |
| Faith Christian | Rock County Christian |
| Keith Country Day | Trinity Academy |
| Kenosha Reuther Central | Union Grove Christian |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | University Lake School |
| Rockford Christian | Wisconsin School for the Deaf |
Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights and Mooseheart Academy joined the Blue Division in 2008 as full members, but their stay in the conference was short lived. In 2009, the six Illinois-based schools in the conference would all leave, and five of those schools would join the newly created Northeastern Athletic Conference, a conference sponsored by the Illinois High School Association. Additionally, Parkway Christian Academy in Oak Creek closed its doors, bringing membership in the Indian Trails to eleven schools. Because most of the exiting schools were all members of the Blue Division, further conference realignment was made necessary with Calvary Baptist and University Lake School moving over to the Blue Division:
| Blue Division | Gold Division |
| Calvary Baptist | Grace Christian Academy |
| Ethan Allen School for Boys | Rock County Christian |
| Faith Christian | Trinity Academy |
| Kenosha Reuther Central | Union Grove Christian |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | Wisconsin School for the Deaf |
| University Lake School |
2010 saw the addition of Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee and Mountain Top Christian Academy in Horicon join the Blue Division of the Indian Trails Conference. The next year, Ethan Allen School for Boys was closed by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and juvenile facilities were moved to Lincoln Hills School, just outside of Merrill in the northern part of the state. Mountain Top Christian Academy would move to the Gold Division in 2012 to accommodate the entry of Salam, an Islamic school in Milwaukee, into the conference. St. Anthony High School in Milwaukee joined the Blue Division in 2013, and Early View Academy joined the Gold Division in 2014. They replaced Trinity Academy, who ended their stand-alone athletic program and entered into a cooperative agreement with nearby University Lake School. In 2016, Calvary Baptist and Salam would exit the Indian Trails Conference, and were replaced by Tenor/Veritas, a cooperative athletic program between two charter schools in Milwaukee. Eastbrook Academy also moved to the Gold Division that year, and in 2017, Mountain Top Christian moved to the Blue Division. Two schools joined the conference in 2018: Academy of Excellence and Chesterton Academy, both out of Milwaukee. They replaced Union Grove Christian, who left the Indian Trails Conference in 2018. From 2018 to 2021, the alignment of schools in the Indian Trails Conference featured an imbalanced format with the Blue Division having more schools than the Gold Division:
| Blue Division | Gold Division |
| Academy of Excellence | Chesterton Academy |
| Faith Christian | Early View Academy |
| Kenosha Reuther Central | Eastbrook Academy |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | Grace Christian Academy |
| Mountain Top Christian | Rock County Christian |
| St. Anthony | Wisconsin School for the Deaf |
| Tenor/Veritas | |
| University Lake School/Trinity Academy |
2021-present
In 2021, six athletic programs would leave the Indian Trails Conference to form the new nine-member Lake City Conference. The remaining seven programs were joined by the return of Waukesha Christian Academy to the Indian Trails under a single division alignment. In 2024, Early View Academy rejoined the Indian Trails after a three-year stint in the Lake City Conference.Membership timeline
Full members
DateFormat = yyyy
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bar:1 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1969 text:Clinton
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1982 text:Norris Foundation
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1995 text:Northwestern Military & Naval Academy
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1969 text:Palmyra
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1970 text:Williams Bay
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1963 till:1990 text:Wisconsin School for the Deaf
bar:6 color:yelloworange from:2006 till:2021 text:
bar:6 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1969 till:1976 text:Brookfield Academy
bar:8 color:tan1 from:1969 till:1972 text:Rockford Lutheran
bar:9 color:tan1 from:1969 till:1977 text:The Prairie School
bar:10 color:tan1 from:1970 till:1991 text:Divine Word Seminary
bar:11 color:tan1 from:1971 till:1980 text:St. Joseph Seminary
bar:12 color:tan1 from:1973 till:1999 text:Ethan Allen School for Boys
bar:12 color:green from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:12 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:12 color:blue from:2004 till:2011 text:
bar:13 color:tan1 from:1976 till:1999 text:Maranatha Baptist Academy
bar:13 color:green from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:13 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:13 color:blue from:2004 till:2021 text:
bar:13 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:14 color:tan1 from:1979 till:1983 text:St. John's School for the Deaf
bar:15 color:tan1 from:1986 till:1993 text:Messmer
bar:16 color:tan1 from:1990 till:2003 text:Calvary Baptist Christian
bar:16 color:green from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:16 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2003 text:
bar:17 color:tan1 from:1992 till:2009 text:Alden-Hebron
bar:17 color:yellowgreen from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:17 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:17 color:blue from:2004 till:2009 text:
bar:18 color:tan1 from:1993 till:1999 text:Calvary Baptist
bar:18 color:green from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:18 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:18 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2006 text:
bar:18 color:blue from:2006 till:2007 text:
bar:18 color:yelloworange from:2007 till:2009 text:
bar:18 color:blue from:2009 till:2016 text:
bar:19 color:tan1 from:1993 till:1999 text:Waukesha Christian
bar:19 color:yellowgreen from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:19 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:19 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2006 text:
bar:19 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:20 color:tan1 from:1994 till:1996 text:Wayland Academy
bar:21 color:tan1 from:1996 till:1999 text:Beloit Catholic
bar:21 color:yellowgreen from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:22 color:tan1 from:1996 till:1999 text:Valley Christian
bar:23 color:tan1 from:1997 till:1999 text:Union Grove Christian
bar:23 color:yellowgreen from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:23 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:23 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2018 text:
bar:24 color:tan1 from:1998 till:2000 text:Rock County Christian
bar:24 color:yellowgreen from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:24 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:24 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2021 text:
bar:24 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:25 color:green from:1999 till:2000 text:Victory Christian
bar:25 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:
bar:25 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2005 text:
bar:26 color:tan1 from:2000 till:2004 text:Grace Christian Academy
bar:26 color:yelloworange from:2004 till:2021 text:
bar:26 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:27 color:tan1 from:2001 till:2004 text:Kenosha Reuther Central
bar:27 color:blue from:2004 till:2021 text:
bar:27 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:28 color:tan1 from:2003 till:2004 text:Rockford Christian
bar:28 color:blue from:2004 till:2009 text:
bar:29 color:yelloworange from:2005 till:2009 text:Parkway Christian Academy
bar:30 color:blue from:2007 till:2009 text:Berean Christian
bar:31 color:blue from:2007 till:2021 text:Faith Christian
bar:32 color:blue from:2007 till:2009 text:Keith Country Day
bar:33 color:yelloworange from:2007 till:2014 text:Trinity Academy
bar:34 color:yelloworange from:2007 till:2009 text:University Lake School, ULS/Trinity
bar:34 color:blue from:2009 till:2021 text:
bar:35 color:blue from:2008 till:2009 text:Christian Liberty
bar:36 color:blue from:2008 till:2009 text:Mooseheart Academy
bar:37 color:blue from:2010 till:2016 text:Eastbrook Academy
bar:37 color:yelloworange from:2016 till:2021 text:
bar:38 color:blue from:2010 till:2012 text:Mountain Top Christian
bar:38 color:yelloworange from:2012 till:2017 text:
bar:38 color:blue from:2017 till:2021 text:
bar:38 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:39 color:blue from:2012 till:2016 text:Salam
bar:40 color:blue from:2013 till:2021 text:St. Anthony
bar:41 color:yelloworange from:2014 till:2021 text:Early View Academy
bar:41 color:tan1 from:2024 till:2030 text:
bar:42 color:blue from:2016 till:2021 text:Tenor/Veritas
bar:43 color:blue from:2018 till:2021 text:Academy of Excellence
bar:43 color:tan1 from:2021 till:2030 text:
bar:44 color:yelloworange from:2018 till:2021 text:Chesterton Academy
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1963
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1963
Football members
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bar:1 color:lavender from:1963 till:1969 text:Clinton
bar:2 color:lavender from:1963 till:1982 text:Norris Foundation
bar:3 color:lavender from:1963 till:1986 text:Northwestern Military & Naval Academy
bar:3 color:lavender from:1990 till:1995 text:
bar:4 color:lavender from:1963 till:1969 text:Palmyra
bar:5 color:lavender from:1963 till:1970 text:Williams Bay
bar:5 color:lavender from:1993 till:2006 text:
bar:6 color:lavender from:1963 till:1993 text:Wisconsin School for the Deaf
bar:6 color:lavender from:1997 till:2002 text:
bar:7 color:lavender from:1969 till:1990 text:Brookfield Academy
bar:7 color:lavender from:2007 till:2008 text:
bar:8 color:lavender from:1969 till:1972 text:Rockford Lutheran
bar:9 color:lavender from:1970 till:1977 text:Divine Word Seminary
bar:10 color:lavender from:1972 till:2005 text:Ethan Allen School for Boys
bar:11 color:lavender from:1977 till:2009 text:Maranatha Baptist Academy
bar:12 color:lavender from:1990 till:1999 text:Alden-Hebron
bar:12 color:lavender from:2001 till:2009 text:
bar:13 color:lavender from:1993 till:2005 text:Lake Forest Academy
bar:13 color:lavender from:2008 till:2009 text:
bar:14 color:lavender from:1993 till:2009 text:Mooseheart Academy
bar:15 color:lavender from:1993 till:2009 text:North Shore Country Day
bar:16 color:lavender from:1994 till:1995 text:Beloit Catholic
bar:16 color:lavender from:1999 till:2000 text:
bar:17 color:lavender from:1994 till:1995 text:Wayland Academy
bar:17 color:lavender from:2005 till:2009 text:
bar:18 color:lavender from:2002 till:2009 text:Rockford Christian
bar:19 color:lavender from:2008 till:2009 text:Kirkland-Hiawatha
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1963
List of state champions
Fall sports
NoneList of conference champions
Boys Basketball
Source:| School | Quantity | Years |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | 11 | 1978, 1979, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Ethan Allen School for Boys | 9 | 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2002, 2008 |
| Calvary Baptist | 7 | 1998, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| Reuther Central | 7 | 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016 |
| Messmer | 6 | 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 |
| The Prairie School | 6 | 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 |
| Faith Christian | 5 | 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019 |
| Rock County Christian | 5 | 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2025 |
| Clinton | 4 | 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 |
| Mountain Top Christian | 4 | 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 |
| Early View Academy | 3 | 2014, 2019, 2020 |
| Williams Bay | 3 | 1968, 1969, 1970 |
| Brookfield Academy | 2 | 1971, 1972 |
| Rockford Christian | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| Rockford Lutheran | 2 | 1970, 1972 |
| Union Grove Christian | 2 | 2001, 2006 |
| Alden-Hebron | 1 | 2007 |
| Beloit Catholic | 1 | 1997 |
| Eastbrook Academy | 1 | 2017 |
| Northwestern Military & Naval Academy | 1 | 1971 |
| Parkway Christian Academy | 1 | 2007 |
| Trinity Academy | 1 | 2013 |
| Wayland Academy | 1 | 1996 |
| Wisconsin School for the Deaf | 1 | 2011 |
| Academy of Excellence | 0 | |
| Berean Christian | 0 | |
| Calvary Baptist Christian | 0 | |
| Chesterton Academy | 0 | |
| Christian Liberty Academy | 0 | |
| Divine Word Seminary | 0 | |
| Grace Christian Academy | 0 | |
| Keith Country Day | 0 | |
| Mooseheart Academy | 0 | |
| Norris Foundation | 0 | |
| Palmyra | 0 | |
| Salam | 0 | |
| St. Anthony | 0 | |
| St. John's School for the Deaf | 0 | |
| St. Joseph Seminary | 0 | |
| Tenor/Veritas | 0 | |
| University Lake School | 0 | |
| Valley Christian | 0 | |
| Victory Christian | 0 | |
| Waukesha Christian Academy | 0 |
Girls Basketball
Source:| School | Quantity | Years |
| Mountain Top Christian | 7 | 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2023, 2025 |
| University Lake School | 6 | 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 |
| Alden-Hebron | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2007 | |
| Faith Christian | 5 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016 |
| Maranatha Baptist Academy | 5 | 2003, 2004, 2017, 2022, 2024 |
| Trinity Academy | 4 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 |
| Beloit Catholic | 3 | 1998, 1999, 2000 |
| Eastbrook Academy | 3 | 2017, 2018, 2020 |
| Rock County Christian | 3 | 2007, 2008, 2023 |
| Grace Christian Academy | 2 | 2005, 2006 |
| Victory Christian | 2 | 2001, 2002 |
| Rockford Christian | 1 | 2009 |
| Wayland Academy | 1 | 1993 |
| Wisconsin School for the Deaf | 1 | 2019 |
| Academy of Excellence | 0 | |
| Berean Christian | 0 | |
| Calvary Baptist | 0 | |
| Calvary Baptist Christian | 0 | |
| Chesterton Academy | 0 | |
| Christian Liberty Academy | 0 | |
| Early View Academy | 0 | |
| Keith Country Day | 0 | |
| Reuther Central | 0 | |
| Messmer | 0 | |
| Mooseheart Academy | 0 | |
| Parkway Christian Academy | 0 | |
| Salam | 0 | |
| St. Anthony | 0 | |
| Tenor/Veritas | 0 | |
| Union Grove Christian | 0 | |
| Valley Christian | 0 | |
| Waukesha Christian Academy | 0 |