Wisconsin high school sports hum along as major changes are on the horizon

MADISON, Wis. (Civic Media) – High school sports are thriving this winter in Wisconsin, while the state’s professional and college teams navigate highs and lows around it.

The major news stories for high school sports as of late have been largely positive, from a winter sports officials appreciation week to some well-attended regular-season showdowns and showcases that show sports at the high school level in the state are in a good place.

That is happening as the Packers and Badgers finished disappointing football seasons, the Brewers are re-tooling again (and dealing with the tragic loss of longtime broadcaster Bob Uecker), and the basketball season continues for teams in the realm of contention like Marquette, Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Notably, January is the final non-tournament month for winter sports in Wisconsin. That means that the seasons in sports like basketball, hockey, wrestling, swimming and diving, and gymnastics are beginning to turn towards the playoffs. And, despite the high stakes of these late-regular season games, there have been impressively few, if any, negative stories or reports this season.

That is in part perhaps to new initiatives aimed at correcting fan behavior, as well as more publicly-visible campaigns aimed at both supporting officials and coaches as well as raising mental health awareness for student-athletes. But, it’s also in part due to high school sports being in a great place right now.

It’s the calm before the storm, however, as a few big changes could be coming to high school sports in Wisconsin.

The first is coming up at the beginning of February, when the WIAA Board of Control could be voting on an overhaul of the football playoff qualification and seeding system. The proposal, which has an overwhelming amount of support from coaches, would be the first significant change to the system in years.

Another potential change, one that has been up and down for votes multiple times in the past several years, is the addition of a shot clock in basketball. Already a reality in the majority of states, Wisconsin’s Board of Control narrowly rejected the measure last summer. While it’s not on any agendas right now, it’s likely to come back up, and probably soon.

Perhaps the most significant change that is coming, through the WIAA or through state legislation, is name, image, and likeness opportunities for high school student-athletes. At last year’s WIAA Annual Meeting, the NIL proposal was soundly rejected as some administrators said that they didn’t have enough time to review the material.

NIL is in most states, with 36 states having some form of NIL policy as of last summer. The rule, which was intended for college student-athletes, has now proliferated in three-quarters of states, and each state handles it a little differently for high school students.

Some states have taken it a bit further, with state legislatures getting involved. In Colorado, a bill is being considered that not only takes NIL deals out of public record, but also prevents individual student-athletes from entering into deals that conflict with team NIL contracts.

Last year, the WIAA said that NIL was coming to Wisconsin with or without an Annual Meeting vote. Three months away from the next Annual Meeting, it seems the time has arrived for school administrators to decide the best path forward.

There are some major positive things happening as well. Notably, the growth and popularity of girl’s wrestling has resulted in it becoming sanctioned for a team state tournament beginning in 2026-27, coinciding with the NCAA’s start of championship women’s wrestling. Flag football is exploding in growth, particularly at the youth levels, but especially amongst girls. And, of course, fan behavior has been remarkable this season, with no news-worthy incidents so far this winter.

In a way, it’s the calm before the storm: Winter sports humming along until the big changes are voted on later this year. The moment allows us to enjoy the current state of sports in Wisconsin, particularly ahead of some of the most popular tournament events the state offers in wrestling and basketball.

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Jimmie is Civic Media’s Sports Director and has been a play-by-play announcer for high school sports in Wisconsin since 2002. He has also been coaching since 2022.