The East Suburban Catholic Conference will cease to exist after the 2025-26 season. The ESCC will be folding, joining up with the Chicago Catholic League to form one giant Chicago metropolitan private school conference next season.
The Suburban Catholic Conference began in 1960, morphing into the ESCC in 1974. After five decades of playing a major role in high school basketball in this state, the final chapter will be written this winter.
There is plenty of nostalgia to fondly look back on. Fans of the respective schools will cling to as many as they can as the programs they are connected to move into a different basketball world.
This is the league that was a springboard for legendary coach Gene Pingatore, the state’s all-time winningest coach, and his memorable St. Joseph program that produced the great Isiah Thomas.
The ESCC has given the sport one of the ultimate rivalries — Notre Dame vs. St. Patrick — and has churned out pros like Thomas, a pro basketball Hall of Famer, St. Joe’s Evan Turner, Notre Dame’s Jim Les, Benet’s Frank Kaminsky, Marian Catholic’s Tyler Ulis and so many other notable prep basketball stars.
Recently, Benet won a Class 4A state title last season after finishing second in 2014, 2016 and 2023. St. Pat’s finished third in the state in Class 3A a year ago and Marian Catholic third in 2018.
Both Benet and Marist will likely be ranked among the top five teams when the season tips off later this month.
With all the tradition, history and familiarity the ESCC has produced, there is a melancholy in saying good-bye to those memories and future ones.
“I’m devastated and heartbroken the league is disbanding,” said St. Patrick coach Mike Bailey, who is in his 32nd season at St. Pat’s. “I understand things change, sometimes rapidly, when it comes to conferences. And you move forward. But this has been a powerhouse, recognized as a premier conference in the state.”
Both Notre Dame’s Kevin Clancy and Benet’s Gene Heidkamp attended schools, played their high school basketball and have coached in the ESCC. The conference is a focal point of their basketball lives.
“It’s all I’ve ever known,” said Heidkamp, who played and coached at St. Pat’s before turning Benet into a basketball giant. “I love the East Suburban Catholic. There is a lot of pride and appreciation there. I’m very disappointed to see it go. There is a sadness in knowing it will be gone.”
Heidkamp, who has spent 33 years coaching in the ESCC between St. Pat’s, Nazareth and Benet, knows his program is headed to what he calls “a great league with a great tradition.” Nonetheless, it’s been tough knowing they are embarking on the final year of play in the ESCC.
“It’s a part of coaching and what we do,” Heidkamp said. “You adjust and move forward.”
Clancy, a star on the Notre Dame team that reached a Class AA Elite Eight in 1998, has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2017.
“Emotionally it’s disappointing as a coach in the league and as a former player,” said Clancy. “There has been so much time and investment into the development of this conference. The history, the rivalries, the relationships within the league are pretty special.”
With all that is coming with the move to the Catholic League, this upcoming year will be special for many in the ESCC.
“Every trip to every gym will have a little more meaning for me,” Heidkamp admits. “When will we be back in that gym again and in what context?”