For the past several seasons, there has been much discussion in Wisconsin about competitive balance. Committees have been formed, discussion taken place, but with all the energy invested, progress at addressing what many see as an imbalance have has arguably been at a snail’s pace.
The Braintrust takes a different look and offers solutions.
14% of boys basketball teams are private, but 31% of the teams making it to state were private, a remarkable difference.
A closer look at recent teams making it to the state semifinals in football and boys basketball compares private/public schools participating in each sport with the number of private/public schools making to the state semis.
Note: these results aren’t official, and even though the counting of private/public schools isn’t perfect, it’s at least very close.
Results
In football, 18% of the state semifinalists were private schools, whereas 14% of the state’s schools are private. Margin of error, of course, makes these calculations not perfect, but they do paint a picture.
In basketball, it’s a far more pronounced difference.
14% of boys basketball teams are private, but 31% of the teams making it to state were private, a remarkable difference.
What it all means
The discrepancy in the numbers show that private schools are certainly advancing to the state tournament at a far greater clip than their public counterparts. There has been so much discussion about instituting a competitive balance, and quite frankly, the solution is far simpler.
Braintrust solution
Each school’s enrollment for purposes of placements in divisions in football and basketball should be adjusted as follows:
- Determine ‘home’ schools for every student-athlete
- Use the 3rd Friday enrollment numbers from Wisconsin DPI
- Each school will have its numbers adjusted upward by including the enrollment numbers of EACH school represented, adjusted to 25%(a % to be adjusted and determined)
- Example:
- Podunk School enrollment: 200
- athletes from neighboring schools of enrollment(150) and (200) = 350 … 25% would be an additional 88 students used for enrollment numbers
- Impact: In basketball, this would easily move the school up a division
- If a school had student athletes from 5-6 schools, their enrollment boost could easily move them up multiple divisions
- Large schools would see no change, since they are already in Division 1
- Example:
Too simple to make sense? As always, often the solution is right in front of our eyes.
Impacts?
Biggest Winners: All schools who don’t ‘Recruit’
Biggest Losers: Any school that ‘Recruits’
Take a look at enrollment numbers, posted by WSN, HERE
FOOTBALL
State Semifinalists, last five seasons
2022 Football Semifinalists(4 of 28 private schools) HERE
2021 Football Semifinalists(4 of 28 private schools) HERE
2020: COVID – omitted from this comparison
2019 Football Semifinalists(5 of 28 private schools) HERE
2018 Football Semifinalists(7 of 28 private schools) HERE
2017 Football Semifinalists (5 of 28 private schools) HERE
In these five season, 25/140 schools were private = 18%
Approximate number of Division 1-7 football schools that are private = 51/371 = 14%
Boys Basketball
- Four seasons were examined
- State semifinalists:80
- Private school semifinalists:25
- 31% private schools
- Approximate schools playing boys basketball in Wisconsin: 487
- Approximate private schools playing boys basketball in Wisconsin: 71
- 14% of Wisconsin schools in Wisconsin that are private
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
