WIAA Board of Control Holds February Meeting

From the WIAA —

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control approved the recommendations of the fall coaches’ advisory committees and discussed a wide range of topics at its February meeting.

Volleyball will move to electronic seeding for the Tournament Series beginning in 2026. The seeds will be determined by all match scores entered throughout the season into the WIAA Score Center. An initial electronic seeding report will be released the Monday of Week 15 on the WIAA calendar followed by a coaches’ appeal meeting. The official brackets will be released on Friday of Week 15. The seeding criteria will include a team’s own winning percentage, opponent’s winning percentage, opponents’ opponent winning percentage; and head-to-head results across all consecutive seeds.

Two other volleyball recommendations were approved impacting the Tournament Procedures. All sectional finals must be scheduled at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. or 7 p.m.  and Division 1 semifinals must be played at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. at the discretion of the host school. The WIAA will have final authority to determine locations, dates and start times. Another approved change declares the Molten Flistatec (red, white & blue) as the official ball of the boys State Tournament. 

The Board approved several football recommended changes, effective in 2026. Two of these address forfeits and point values assessed in the Playoff Qualifying System (PQS). Schools are required to submit their football schedule to the WIAA office by May 1 prior to the season. Any nonconference game canceled after June 15th will be considered a forfeit for PQS points, and games canceled by non-mutual agreement would result in a forfeit. Any non-conference game dropped or canceled prior to June 15 would be considered a “no contest” when calculating the team's PQS score. In addition, if a team wins the replacement game of a forfeited game, the more favorable points outcome–whether that be the replacement game victory or the original forfeited game­­–will be applied if mathematically possible.

The Football Tournament Procedures were modified to use PQS seeding to determine jersey color and sideline assignments, with the higher seed wearing the home jersey color and using the home sideline throughout the Tournament Series. In addition, the #1 and #4 ranked top seed in the PQS rankings will be assigned into one State semifinal half of the bracket, and the #2 and #3 ranked teams seeded #1 in the PQS will be assigned to the opposite State semifinal half of the bracket.

Another approved football recommendation adds a note to the acclimatization policy stating any school program intending to participate in a summer team camp must follow acclimatization rules prior to participating in fully padded activities, either prior to the camp or at the camp.

Three cross country recommendations were approved by the Board. Billed hats, caps and visors will be added as permitted headgear, as well as allowing a 2 1/4-inch manufacturer’s logo on headwear beginning in 2026-27.  A second is a clarification that permits face and body paint, symbols and temporary tattoos to be displayed; however, full-face solid block color, or markings that are offensive or that distract from the integrity of the competition are prohibited. A third rule change will allow competitors to receive biometric data from watches or smart watches, including heart rate, GPS or pace. Athletes and coaches are not allowed to use GPS data to receive coaching while competing, contest the length of a course or review any decision made by a race official.

The Board approved the lone soccer coaches’ recommendation, adding language stating that the accumulation of yellow cards (three within the Tournament Series or two in the State semifinal game) does not affect a participant’s eligibility to attend or participate in the State championship awards ceremony.

A boys and girls tennis rule change will impact Tournament Procedures beginning in the 2026–27 season, with all players seeded at the subsectional level of the Tournament Series. In addition, the Board approved moving the first day girls may begin practice one day earlier in the fall­–from Tuesday to Monday of Week 6 on the WIAA calendar.

In 2026–27, the boys’ and girls’ golf regulations will include two changes to the adaptations of USGA rules. The first allows a player, within USGA limitations, to take a one-time free relief by placing the ball within one club-length of its original spot, not closer to the hole, in the “general area” that is cut to fairway height or less. The player may clean the ball when lifted and following normal procedures for placing it. The second adaptation change requires season scores to be entered into the tournament management software, which will use each team’s best six scores to determine divisional rankings for regional groupings. Lineup changes during the Tournament Series may be made until tee times are posted. A third golf coaches’ recommendation approved by the Board strikes language from the Season Regulations that required host managers to mark the starting time on a physical scorecard for each group.

Two of the three boys and girls swimming & diving changes impact the Tournament Procedures in the 2026-27 sports seasons. The first splits schools sponsoring the sport evenly between two divisions. The winner of each event at each sectional qualifies for the State Meet. In addition, the next 19 fastest individuals and relay teams across all sectionals combined, excluding sectional winners, also qualify. The other alteration to the Tournament Procedures changes language to mandate swimming sectionals to start no later than 1 p.m. The third modification affects the Season Regulations by allowing the use of backstroke ledges, and if used in competition, the host team must provide identical ledges for all lanes. It is also noted that swimmers are not required to use the ledges.

Four Officials Advisory Committee recommendations were approved by the Board, effective in 2026-27. Three of them add language to the Sports Officials Guide. One addresses conflict of interest guidelines, and another establishes social media best practices. The third requires all officials to watch the rules video and complete all exams  in each respective sport by the start of Tournament Series to be eligible to officiate in the tournament. Additionally for L1 officials, a score of 70 percent or better on the exams is also required in sports they are eligible to work the tournament. The final change eliminates the need to report the loss of the coaching box in basketball.

Other action by the Board included approvals of the procedural monthly general fund financial statements and payments, fall sports financial statements and the deferred liability fund statement. In addition, the Board requested to initiate a study that reassesses divisional placement regulations in basketball.

Topics of Board discussions included the membership’s ongoing transition to new athletic management systems, as well as staff reports on two prospective Constitutional amendments, the upcoming Advisory Council and Board of Control elections, and reviews of the work done by the Classification Committee and the Calendar & Contact Committee. 

Other agenda items for discussion included plans for the 2026 Annual Meeting in April, preparations for the 2026 Scholar Athlete program in May, promotion of the 50th Anniversary of the State Girls Basketball Tournament, the addition of a WIAA LinkedIn account, an update on the activities of the WIAA Foundation, and the continued efforts to recruit and retain licensed officials.