GREEN BAY – In a statement from the Fox Valley Association, a group of 20 high schools from four different central and eastern Wisconsin conferences have joined to form the Fox Valley Classic Football Conference next spring.

This is for schools not playing their football this fall.

Practice begins March 8, with the first games being played March 26.

The Fox Valley Association, Wisconsin Valley Conference and both divisions of the Fox River Classic Conference will be split into four groups and play a five-game regular season followed by a two-game playoff format.

The four groups were created based on a combination of enrollment and past success to provide competitive matchups, while still maintaining some traditional rivalries.

Each school will play the other four teams in its group and one crossover game with a team from another group during the five-game regular season.

Playoffs will be held during the final two weeks on April 30 and May 7, with every school guaranteed two games.

The top two teams each from groups A and B will compete in a four-team playoff, while the top two teams each from groups C and D will do the same, with semifinals followed by consolation and championship games.

The third and fourth place teams from groups A and B will comprise another four-team bracket, and the third and fourth place teams from groups C and D will also play against one another.

The fifth-place teams from all four divisions will play two games against each other in the final two weeks.

Junior varsity and freshman (or JV-2) games will be held the following Monday between the same opponents as the Friday night varsity contests.

Junior varsity games will be held at the opposite sites from the varsity games and freshman games will be played at the same locations.

Divisions

Group A: Bay Port, Fond du Lac, Green Bay Preble, Neenah and Stevens Point.

Group B: Appleton East, Appleton North, Ashwaubenon, Kimberly and Pulaski.

Group C: Appleton West, De Pere, Green Bay Southwest, Manitowoc and Oshkosh West.

Group D: Green Bay East, Green Bay West, Oshkosh North, Sheboygan North and Sheboygan South.

Local schedule

Friday, March 26

Green Bay Preble at Bay Port
Ashwaubenon at Pulaski
Green Bay Southwest at De Pere
Sheboygan North at Green Bay East
Oshkosh North at Green Bay West

Thursday, April 1
Green Bay Southwest at Green Bay Preble
Bay Port at Stevens Point
Pulaski at Kimberly
Appleton North at Ashwaubenon
De Pere at Oshkosh West
Green Bay West at Sheboygan South
Green Bay East at Oshkosh North

Friday, April 9
Bay Port at De Pere
Appleton North at Green Bay East
Neenah at Green Bay Preble
Kimberly at Ashwaubenon
Pulaski at Appleton East
Appleton West at Green Bay Southwest
Green Bay West at Sheboygan North

Friday, April 16
Oshkosh North at Ashwaubenon
Green Bay Preble at Fond du Lac
Bay Port at Neenah
Appleton North at Pulaski
Green Bay Southwest at Manitowoc
De Pere at Appleton West
Green Bay East at Green Bay West

Friday, April 23
Green Bay West at Pulaski
Fond du Lac at Bay Port
Stevens Point at Green Bay Preble
Ashwaubenon at Appleton East
Manitowoc at De Pere
Oshkosh West at Green Bay Southwest
Sheboygan South at Green Bay East

Friday, April 30
Playoffs – semifinal round

Friday, May 7
Playoffs – championship and consolation rounds