The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Conference Realignment Task Force Committee reviewed and voted Tuesday to not support the seven 11-player football-only plans that were remanded back to the committee by the Board of Control at its March 5 meeting.
The Board will take final action on the proposed 11-player football solution initiated by the WIAA Conference Realignment Task Force Committee or any of the remanded plans at the April 16 Board of Control meeting. Any approved plan will be implemented in the 2022 football season.
The seven remanded plans not recommended by the committee for Board approval originated from four member schools and impacted 23 schools. The committee considered all written materials received from member schools impacted by the plans, as well as rationale that included providing a conference for all member schools grouped by enrollment and by geography.
The WIAA Conference Realignment Task Force Committee also prioritized eight-team and paired seven-team conferences – where reasonable – with geography and enrollment to accommodate the need for seven-game conference results for WIAA playoff-qualifying criteria.
Member schools seeking future football-only realignment may begin the application process in July 2022. In addition, fast track realignment applications that are supported by all impacted schools may be received any time. The full conference realignment process and timeline can be found on the WIAA webpage by accessing the Conference Realignment option in the “Schools” header megamenu.
The intent of the new conference realignment process is to apply a more formalized method for member schools to request relief from conference affiliations. A committee of member school administrators has been established to evaluate all realignment requests and present them to the Board, which retains the authority to make final determinations of all conference alignment decisions.
The new collaborative model adds structure, enhanced communication and transparency to the realignment process. All levels of school administration at each member school are informed of the committee’s deliberations and decisions.
The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 515 senior high schools and 46 junior high/middle level schools in its membership.
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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]
