The 2023-2024 academic year marks the 30th year of existence for the Southern Connecticut Conference.
Click here for a Historical Timeline (updated August 2023)
Click here for list of SCC championships won by each member school (updated November 2023)
The league was formed in 1994, when 20 schools came together from four different leagues:
District League
Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse, Hamden, West Haven
Housatonic League
Amity, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Lyman Hall, North Haven, Sheehan, Shelton
Shoreline Conference
Guilford, Hand
All-Connecticut Conference
Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame-WH, Xavier, Mercy, Sacred Heart Academy
As stated in the league’s constitution, the purpose of the SCC is to provide a central organization though which member schools may cooperate in order to promote the following ends:
A) To insure a desirable interaction among the schools in the Conference
B) To develop intelligent recognition of the place of athletics in education of our youth
C) To establish and unify policies of administration in interscholastic athletics
D) To offer a system that will provide for equitable competition
E) To foster and promote the spirit of good sportsmanship and cultural diversity.
F) To offer a variety of interscholastic, non-athletic programs which foster the academic and leadership abilities of students
The league’s Board of Governors decided on a three-divisional format naming the three divisions after Native American rivers – Hammonasset, Housatonic, and Quinnipiac – in the Southern Connecticut region.
Housatonic: Amity, Cheshire, Derby, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, Shelton
Hammonasset: Branford, East Haven, Hand, Guilford, North Haven, Hillhouse
Quinnipiac: Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame-WH, Sacred Heart, Xavier, Mercy, West Haven, Hamden, Wilbur Cross
In 1998, Career High School of New Haven joined the conference and was placed in the Housatonic Division. It was until 2004 when the league expanded again when the Board of Governors voted to accept two Milford-based schools – Jonathan Law and Foran. Also in 2004, Bill O’Brien stepped down after serving 10 years as Commissioner. Al Carbone was named to replace O’Brien. Entering the 2004-05 year with 23 member schools, the SCC decided to realign its divisional format. The SCC added a fourth division – named after another Native American river, Oronoque – and also decided to realign its football-playing schools, primarily based on enrollment. In 2009, founding member Derby left the SCC to join the Naugatuck Valley League leaving the SCC with 22 member schools.
On July 1, 2014 – Lauralton Hall (of Milford) joined the SCC as a full member (Lauralton Hall had been an associate member of the SCC in girls ice hockey since 2011).
The SCC’s original four-divisional format applied to 13 sports (b/g soccer, b/g cross country, girls volleyball, b/g basketball, baseball, softball, golf and b/g outdoor track)
Housatonic: Amity, Cheshire, Lyman Hall, Shelton, Sheehan
Quinnipiac: Fairfield Prep, Hamden, Notre Dame-WH, West Haven, Sacred Heart, Xavier, Mercy, Lauralton Hall
Hammonasset: Hand, Foran, Guilford, Hillhouse, Jonathan Law
Oronoque: Branford, East Haven, Career, North Haven, Wilbur Cross
However in 2015, the league voted to realign the divisions based on performance (previous two-year record) in seven sports (baseball, softball, boys/girls basketball, boys/girls soccer and girls volleyball).
The league utilizes a two-divisional format (based on previous records) for wrestling, b/g swimming and b/g tennis. In addition, field hockey and b/g lacrosse teams compete in one division, but are scheduled according to a tier approach.
The SCC football conference has 21 teams (which includes associate members Bassick and Harding) in three tiers. Here is the 2023 alignment.
Tier 1: Cheshire, Fairfield Prep, Hamden, Notre Dame-WH, North Haven, Shelton, West Haven
Tier 2: Amity Regional, Branford, Daniel Hand, Jonathan Law, Sheehan, Wilbur Cross, Xavier
Tier 3: Bassick, East Haven, Foran, Guilford, Harding, Hillhouse, Lyman Hall
In the sport of boys ice hockey, associate member North Branford was added for the 2012-13 season. In 2013-14, the SCC merged with the South-West Conference to create a 25-team, three-division conference.
28 Sports: The SCC currently sponsors 29 sports – eight in the fall (football, boys & girls soccer, field hockey, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball, and girls swimming); 10 in the winter (cheerleading, boys & girls basketball, boys and girls ice hockey, boys swimming, wrestling, boys and girls indoor track, gymnastics), and 11 in the spring (baseball, softball, boys & girls lacrosse, boys & girls outdoor track, boys volleyball, boys & girls tennis and boys & girls golf).