Apr 26, 2023, 10:35 AM CST
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STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Civic Media) – A plan designed at making high school sports tournament competition more equitable passed overwhelmingly at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday.
The final vote was 265 in support and 115 against.
The competitive balance plan will move school teams up a division if they had achieved a certain number of points based on tournament advancement in a three-year window. The plan also includes a multi-tiered appeals process for schools to move up or down a division, with appeals heard by a board consisting of member school athletic directors, superintendents and conference commissioners.
The ad-hoc committee consisted of administrators from large and small as well as public and private schools.
Amendment Number 1, containing the competitive balance plan, was advanced to the annual meeting unanimously by the Sports Advisory Committee, Advisory Council and WIAA Board of Control in support of adopting the measure.
You can view the full breakdown of the plan on the WIAA’s Competitive Balance Plan website. The amendment takes effect with the 2024-25 school year.
It is the first competitive equity plan passed by the WIAA’s membership since bringing private schools into its membership in 2000.
Other amendments passing include allowing the most recently defeated team to take the place of a team that can no longer continue in a WIAA Tournament, allowing a senior that transfers schools without the complete move of their family to participate in non-varsity sports, and allowing coaching contact with incoming high school freshman during the summer between 8th and 9th grades. An amendment granting unrestricted eligibility to a student-athlete in a sport that transfers but had never played in that specific sport before narrowly failed. A description of all amendments is available on the WIAA website.
