It has been an eventual week for the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. The W.I.A.A. put the final stamp of approval on the state-wide football only conference realignment plan, affecting nearly every high school football program. Wednesday at the Association’s annual meeting in Stevens Point, they approved a competitive balance initiative that will impact championship competition beginning in 2024. Under the plan, teams that experience success in tournament play will be graded on a points system, scoring highest for winning state championships, making appearances at the state tournament or deep runs through the sectionals. Those points will be accumulated over a three year period and programs with the most points will automatically be placed in the next highest division regardless of enrollment. Take the Notre Dame Tritons Girls Basketball Team as an example. They have won the last three state championships in Division 2 and under the plan approved by the W.I.A.A., they would be pushed into the Division 1 field because of that success. Some private schools who draw on enrollments throughout a school district feel this initiative targets only them while supporters believe this will level the playing field for more programs. The competitive balance initiative will impact all sports except track and field and swimming and diving competition.
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