WIAA Board approves football playoff matrix

A drastic change in how the WIAA football playoff field is determined, and then seeded, will go into effect this fall.

      

The WIAA Board of Control has approved a plan created by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association to use a new computer-based system to rank and seed the field. 

Prior to the 2025 season, teams will be divided equally in seven divisions based on enrollment and application of the performance factor for 11-player football programs. Teams will qualify and be seeded for 11-player and 8-player football according to a ranking point system. Programs earn points for each win based on the division of their opponents (Tier 1) of all games. In addition, teams will be rewarded points for each Tier 1 victory of their defeated opponents for all games played (Tier 2). The sum of each tier is divided by the total number of games played. The total points calculated for each tier is added to determine a team’s total point value for ranking within its own division.

The four teams with the highest total points in each division are designated the top seed in the four groupings. Subsequent seeded teams will be added to the groupings in each division based on the nearest expected travel to higher-seeded teams.

The plan was proposed by the WFCA in December, approved by the WIAA Football Coaches Advisory Committee in January and supported by the WIAA’s Sports Advisory Committee last week prior to the Board of Control’s final approval.

“We commend the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association leadership in conjunction with the WIAA Football Coaches Advisory Committee on their communications with our staff and the football coaches across the state on this redesigned qualification and seeding process,” WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser said. “They provided tutorials and welcomed feedback from coaches and member schools.

“This process is a reflection of WIAA’s mission to be responsive to its membership and make key decisions about programs, rules, and eligibility with transparency among all stakeholders,” she continued “The WIAA Board of Control and WIAA staff support this new qualification and seeding process and will continue working collaboratively to enhance its procedures, ensuring greater efficiency and the best service possible for its member schools.”

As previously reported by the River News, the system will no longer use conference records as the primary determinant as to which teams qualify. All games — conference and non-conference — will be treated the same in terms to how many Tier 1 and Tier 2 points a team can accumulate. 

Another football coaches’ recommendation receiving board approval expands the 8-player football tournament bracket to 32 teams in 2025. The 8-player season will begin the same week as 11-player football to accommodate for the added round of the playoffs. 

In other WIAA board action last Wednesday, two recommendations by the volleyball coaches were approved impacting the tournament procedures, effective in 2025. The highest seeded team will be considered the home team during the tournament series. At pre-determined sites when equally seeded teams are playing, the first school alphabetically will be considered the home team, unless a team is playing on their own court, which will constitute the host being declared the home team. In addition, each participating team will be permitted a maximum of 18 players in uniform for each game of the tournament series, an increase from 15. The change does not impact the total of 22 team personnel permitted on the bench.

The sport of tennis had seven coaches’ recommendations approved. Four of those address seeding protocol at the subsectional level. The actions add another criterion, establishes clarity and defines a prescribed criteria order for the seeding process. The board also revised language in regard to the minimum number of matches a singles player or doubles team must play to be entered in the subsectional tournament at flights 1, 2 and 3 only. Six matches will be required in Division 1 and five matches in Division 2. Other board decisions impacting tennis included prohibiting smart watches or other communication devices on the court, unless approval is provided for medical purposes, and adjusting the tournament schedule in years Memorial Day lands on the Monday of subsectionals, which now may be scheduled that week on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

Permitted headgear language will be added in the cross country regulations consistent with the track & field regulations. Five fast-tracked conference realignment plans were ratified by the Board for implementation in 2025-26 involving girls’ tennis, boys’ volleyball and boys’ hockey.

Other action by the board included approvals of the procedural monthly general fund financial statements, fall sports financial statements, the deferred liability fund statement and general fund payments. 

The board also recognized the effort and contributions of Tom Shafranski, who retired from the executive staff on Feb. 7 following 22 years with the organization. Prior to joining the WIAA, Shafranski served as Rhinelander High School activities director from 1993-2000.