WIAA Task Force Conducts Football Conference Realignment Review

Thursday, December 12th, 2024 -- 6:02 AM

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Conference Realignment Task Force assembled and reviewed submitted applications at the first meeting of the football and lacrosse conference realignment process Tuesday at the executive office.

The football plans created and advanced by the Task Force and approved by the Board of Control would be implemented for the 2026 and 2027 seasons. 

Forty-six schools requested a change from their current conference affiliation, including 28 in 11-player football, and 16 in 8-player football. 

Most of the football conference realignment requests were modified by the Task Force. The requests by Bay Port, Sheboygan Falls, Two Rivers and Webster were denied. The details of the denied plans, as well as the complete configuration of the modified conference affiliation recommendations for football are available for review by accessing the “Requests and Proposals” option on the WIAA’s Conference Realignment web page.

Comprehensive Modified Conference Affiliations Plan - 11-Player Football
Comprehensive Modified Conference Affiliations Plan - 8-Player Football

Member schools that had their applications denied or any schools impacted by a proposed realignment solution may appeal the decision and appear in-person or virtually at the Task Force meeting on Thursday,  Jan. 16, 2025, at 9 a.m.  Requests to appeal must be submitted in writing to Melissa Gehring at Melissa Gehring at [email protected] by 4 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. A school may appeal by having a representative appear at the WIAA office or appear virtually. Each school will be provided a maximum of five minutes to present new information to the Task Force.  

Any modification to plans made by the Task Force at its Jan. 16 meeting may require an additional meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.  At that time, all schools affected by any additional modifications of the football alignment solutions may provide written feedback or appear virtually before the Task Force finalizes the modified solutions.

Plans that are advanced from the Task Force will be reviewed by the Board of Control to make a final determination on each of the proposals at its March 11, 2025 meeting.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.