(WIAA) STEVENS POINT – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control reviewed and acted on several committees’ recommendations impacting season regulations and membership policies at its June meeting today.
Four basketball coaches’ recommendations were approved by the Board. Three of those impact the electronic seeding criteria used for the basketball Tournament Series, effective next season. The first is an amended recommendation that eliminates any forfeited games from being factored into a team’s win percentage. In addition, results versus bordering states of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota will factor in a team’s win percentage and its opponent’s win percentage. Results versus non-bordering states will impact the formula only for a team’s own win percentage. Furthermore, head-to-head results will be introduced into the criteria under two circumstances. The first is when two or more consecutive seeds have a final seeding calculation within a predetermined threshold, they will be considered a virtual tie with a tie-breaker protocol to be applied. The second continues the use of head-to-head results of consecutive seeds to determine the home team in the first-round games for both teams.
The other basketball recommendation passed addresses language in season regulations regarding the 3-Point Challenge. The new threshold increases the required minimum number of attempts from 75 to 100 during the regular season to be eligible for the Challenge.
There were nine wrestling coaches’ recommendations voted into the season regulations by the Board. Four of those address the Tournament Series for girls only. Beginning in 2026-27, the WIAA will implement a State Girls Wrestling Team Tournament. The Board also approved recognition of a girls’ team champion beginning in 2024-25, determined by point values awarded for results at the State Individual Wrestling Tournament until the team tournament is sponsored in 2026-27. In addition, during the 2024-25 season, the girls’ tournament will expand to 16 regionals for participants in girls’ wrestling programs, which will advance four girls to eight sectionals and then two girls from sectionals to the State Tournament. The Board also supported a mandate that requires a sponsored girls’ school program to only wrestle against other schools that sponsor a girls’ wrestling program, starting in 2025-26. Furthermore, eligibility for the State Girls’ Wrestling Tournament will only be afforded to wrestlers participating in sponsored girls’ wrestling programs.
Two of the wrestling rules passed impact the State Individual Tournament schedule. The Thursday afternoon session will begin one hour earlier, which allows for a two-match minimum for each participant in lieu of a true third- and fifth-place match. Also, all matches through the quarterfinals in all divisions will be completed on Thursday.
Two more wrestling recommendations approved by the Board involves tournament seeding. Beginning next season, coaches will be required to enter all results of team and individual competition in a WIAA-preferred database within seven days following completion of the competition. The other seeding component passed into the season regulations establishes a 10-match minimum for consideration of a seed point when comparing winning percentages for the State Team Wrestling Tournament seeding.
The final wrestling recommendation approved strikes a WIAA adaptation to the NFHS rules that, as a result, will permit any authorized person to supervise weigh-ins, not just licensed officials.
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