MSL History: A Timeline Evolution of the Mid-Suburban League
A look at the evolution of the Mid-Suburban League since it started in the 1963-64 school year.
1963-64
The Mid-Suburban League begins competition in the fall of 1963 with 6 schools. The original six were Prospect, Forest View, Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Deerfield and Maine West.
1964-65
Wheeling and Niles North are added to bring the MSL to 8 teams.
1965-66
The MSL drops back to 6 teams. Palatine joins after a year in the Des Plaines Valley League and stints in the North Suburban, Tri-County and Northwest conferences. Conant opens and also joins the MSL. Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Deerfield and Niles North depart for the Central Suburban League.
1966-67
Arlington joins the MSL after 15 years in the West Suburban Conference and brings the league to 7 teams.
1967-68
The MSL is back to 8 teams with the additions of Elk Grove and Fremd and the departure of Maine West for the Central Suburban League.
1968-69
The MSL expands to 10 teams with the additions of Glenbard North and Hersey.
1970-71
The 10-team MSL splits into two five-team divisions:
North - Arlington, Hersey, Wheeling, Fremd, Palatine
South - Prospect, Conant, Elk Grove, Forest View, Glenbard North
1971-72
Schaumburg brings the MSL to 11 teams and is placed in the South division.
1972-73
Rolling Meadows brings the MSL to 12 teams and is placed in the North division.
1973-74
The MSL stays at 12 teams with the addition of Buffalo Grove and the departure of Glenbard North for the Tri-County Conference. Buffalo Grove is placed in the South division to maintain a balance of six teams each. Glenbard North eventually joined the DuPage Valley Conference and is now in the DuKane Conference.
1974-75
Buffalo Grove moves to the North and Rolling Meadows to the South in minor division re-shuffling:
North - Arlington, Buffalo Grove, Fremd, Hersey, Palatine, Wheeling
South - Conant, Elk Grove, Forest View, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg
1975-76
Hoffman Estates brings the MSL to 13 teams and is placed in the South division.
1977-78
The MSL hits its high point of membership at 14 schools with the addition of Barrington from the North Suburban Conference. Barrington moves into the North to put both divisions at seven teams.
North - Arlington, Barrington, Buffalo Grove, Fremd, Hersey, Palatine, Wheeling
South - Conant, Elk Grove, Forest View, Hoffman Estates, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg
1983-84
Arlington closes at the end of the 1983-84 school year to reduce the MSL to 13 teams.
1985-86
Forest View closes at the end of the 1985-86 school year to reduce the MSL to 12 teams. This is the last change in league membership as of 2025.
1998-99
The MSL realigns its divisions from North-South to East-West starting with the 1998-99 school year. This puts the six District 214 schools in the East and the five District 211 schools and Barrington in the West. The divisions would remain the same through the 2024-25 school year:
East - Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Hersey, Prospect, Rolling Meadows, Wheeling
West - Barrington, Conant, Fremd, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Schaumburg
2025-26
The MSL announces a realignment plan where division placement of schools will be determined by success factors and vary from sport to sport starting with the 2025-26 school year. Football will be the only sport unaffected by realignment and will retain the East-West makeup in place since 1998. Administrators tell the Daily Herald’s Dick Quagliano it will be a two-year pilot program.
This is pure gold!