Boys Basketball - State Records & Results | Boys Basketball | Sports | Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association

Boys Basketball History

The WIAA goes back to 1916 to determine the beginning of its boys basketball program.

Athletic directors of the Wisconsin Normal Schools (later known as Teachers Colleges and now part of the State University system) started a tournament program in 1916, and the winners of these tournaments were recognized as state champions.

The WIAA did not take over operation of the tournament program until the 1919-20 school year.

Lawrence College of Appleton conducted invitational high school basketball tournaments from 1905 to 1918. The 1905 meet was the first State Tournament in basketball conducted in the United States. The Lawrence Invitational and the Normal Schools tournament ran in competition with each other from 1916 to 1918.

If counting 1916 as the first tournament, the first champion was Fond du Lac, which defeated Grand Rapids (now Wisconsin Rapids), 22-7, in the championship game.

Except for 1936 when the State Tournament was held at Wisconsin Rapids and in 2021 when conducted at two different sites amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the site of the tournament has been the University of Wisconsin in Madison since 1920. The UW Field House was used until the tournament moved into the Kohl Center in 1998. The only interruption in conducting the State Tournament Series to its completion came in 2020. Following the sectional semifinals, the remainder of the tournament was canceled to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Division 1 and 3 was held at the Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh and Divisions 2, 4 and 5 were conducted at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse.

WIAA basketball was a one-class program until 1934 when for two years (1934 and 1935) there were two classes. It increased to three classes for four years (1936-39), then reverted to one class again in 1940. The tournament remained one class until 1972 when it returned to a two-class format. It became three classes in 1974. The tournament series changed to a four division format in the 1990-91 season, and after a two-year experimental period became permanent in 1992-93. Classes were also re-named divisions in 1990-91. In 2011, a fifth division was added and restructuring of the divisions qualified four teams in each division. In 2016, the format of the game changed from four 8-minute quarters to two 18-minute halves.

Neenah holds the record for most appearances at the State Tournament with 30. Superior Central or Superior, as it was referred to after the consolidation with Superior East, is next on the list with 27 appearances. Beloit Memorial has appeared in 26 tournaments, and Eau Claire is next with 25. Wisconsin Rapids is fifth on the list with 22.

There have been 136 different schools that have won championships. Randolph has the most titles with 11. Beloit Memorial and Dominican are next with seven, followed by Racine St. Catherine's and Stevens Point with six titles. Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Vincent and Milwaukee Lincoln have each won five titles. Aquinas, Fond du Lac, Kohler, Marathon, Milwaukee Washington, Neenah, Shawano, Superior and Wauwatosa East have won four each; then comes Cassville, Cuba City, Eau Claire Memorial, Fall Creek, Germantown, Madison La Follette, Madison Memorial, Onalaska, Oostburg, Pewaukee, Seymour, Wausau East, Whitefish Bay and Wisconsin Lutheran with three.

Dominican (2012-16) is the only school to have won five consecutive championships. Randolph (2002-05) won four straight championships, while Beloit Memorial (1932-34), Germantown (2012-14), Marathon (1975-77), Milwaukee Vincent (1996-98), Pewaukee (2021-23), Racine St. Catherine's (2005-07) and Stevens Point (2015-17) have won three straight championships.

Not including those that have won three and four straight titles, the feat of winning two consecutive titles has been achieved 35 times. Also, State champions have posted an undefeated record 47 times. De Pere (2023) and Wisconsin Lutheran (2024) have recorded the most wins in a season by any champion with 30.

State Results Archive

Boys Basketball History

Tournament Series Results