- From the WIAA

STEVENS POINT -The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control voted not to implement a widely deliberated football district proposal that would have revamped the landscape of football and its post-season playoffs.  The Board also approved numerous changes to various fall sports at its January meeting today.

The Board voted 8-2 to reject the football district proposal, but acknowledged the need to address the issues the plan was designed to resolve. The Executive Staff presented alternatives to the plan that addresses those issues without impacting most conferences in the state and without increasing travel and expenses for many member schools.

Included among the elements of an alternative plan is football-only conference realignment, offering relief to conferences experiencing difficulty in scheduling due to limited conference members, and to schools without a conference affiliation or with large enrollment disparities within their current conference configuration. Another aspect of an alternative plan is modifying the existing football calendar that will reduce the exposure of student-athletes playing three games in 10 days at the end of the season. Implementation of these considerations is targeted for the fall of 2011.

The Board acted on a number of other football recommendations. It passed a coaches advisory recommendation to remove the overall win-loss percentage from the criteria for placing (seeding) teams following determination of the field in 2010. It also approved the Wilson GST as the official 2010 State Tournament ball.     

Other action on football topics clarify existing interpretations regarding the playoffs, including affirming availability on the approved site list on an annual basis and counting a voluntarily relinquished opportunity to host when applying hosting criteria for succeeding levels, applicable in 2010.

In volleyball, the Board passed several recommendations. In 2010, school’s tournament assignments will place the largest 116 schools sponsoring volleyball in Division 1 and the next largest 116 schools sponsoring in Division 2. Current language places schools from within the largest 116 schools, regardless if a school sponsors the sport, in Division 1 and within the next largest 116 in Division 2. Also, the Division 1 sectionals will be seeded in their entirety with the exception of Sectional 1. Other Board action permits the highest seeded team to host through the regional finals, increases line judge fees to $35 per match at the State Tournament and creates a discounted ticket package for school teams and personnel for the boys and girls State Tournaments.

Two soccer coaches recommendations were supported by the Board. Beginning next fall, Divisions 2 and 3 will seed the entire sectional grouping unless 25 percent of the schools in the sectional oppose it. And, a rule was added that would end a game if the goal differential becomes 10 after the 60-minute mark.    

The Board approved a swimming recommendation that mandates the diving sectionals to be held Friday night prior to the Saturday swimming sectional meet.

In tennis, a coaches recommendation to require a minimum number of singles and doubles matches in both divisions in order to be entered in the subsectional meet was approved. Beginning in the fall of 2010,  singles and doubles teams in Division 1 must play in a minimum of six matches and a minimum of five matches for singles and doubles teams in Division 2. Action was also taken to remove language that prevented unseeded players or doubles teams from playing their first match against players seeded one through eight.

The only request brought forth from the Officials Advisory Committee received acceptance from the Board, allowing football officials crews to wear approved black, cold-weather pants for all levels of competition, provided the pants are adopted by the NFHS.

In other action, the Board approved a motion to move the April Board meeting from April 16 to Tuesday, April 27.

The WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 506 senior high schools and 103 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It sponsors 25 championship tournament series. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.