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WIAA Board of Control approves Spring Sports recommendations plus Lakeland Conference football realignment

10/10/2014, 3:15pm CDT
By WSN

From the WIAA:

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Board of Control acted on a series of spring sport coaches’ recommendations that will alter the season regulations for those respective sports and a number of other administrative items at its October meeting today. 

The Board supported three recommendations in track and field. The first assigns a fourth official to WIAA sectional meets as a field referee beginning in 2015. Also effective next spring, a school’s wheelchair team must compete in a minimum of four meets in order to be eligible for tournament competition. The third modification to the season regulations allows for flexibility in the throwing events for subvarsity competitions. 

The Board approved two of the recommendations advanced by the coaches in softball. The first implements a 15-run rule that ends pre-State WIAA Tournament games after three innings if a team is 15 or more runs behind and has completed its turn at bat. The rule will not be applied to games in the State Tournament. The other change requires batting helmets to be school colors or neutral colors with only school logos allowed, with the provision that performance, achievement and commemorative stickers remain permissible.

The single baseball recommendation approved by the Board reverts to the previous tournament schedule of subregionals on Thursday, semifinals on the following Tuesday and the regional final on Wednesday. The sectionals will be scheduled on the Tuesday following the regional final. The revised schedule will be implemented in 2016.

The Board approved the first consideration of a conference realignment plan that involves the Washburn High School co-op and the Lakeland Conference for football only. The plan moves Washburn/Bayfield/South Shore to the North Division of the Lakeland Conference and moves Frederic from the North Division to the South Division beginning in the fall of 2015. Membership rules provide a 40-day window for schools involved in realignment plans to appeal the first consideration of the Board before it takes final action. Thus, schools have until Nov. 19 to file an appeal of the Board’s initial vote. 

A five-year extension to the agreement with Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee to host the Boys and Girls State Soccer Tournaments was also approved by the Board. The decision extends the agreement through the 2019-20 seasons. Uihlein Soccer Park has served as the State Tournament venue since the 2003-04 seasons. 

The Board gave its approval to the 2014-15 zero-based, WIAA operating budget of approximately $8 million. The budget continues to be largely driven by Tournament Series revenues and expenses, and is significantly influenced by weather and match-ups. Each year, nearly 86 percent of the WIAA’s operating revenue is generated from tournament gate receipts. It also acknowledges an increase in expenses for maintaining the executive office building and grounds, a commitment to enhancing technology-related hardware and software, legal fees and the celebration of the 100th anniversary of boys basketball. 

Among the other topics discussed were potential Constitutional amendments, Area Meeting discussions, coaches education requirements, conference realignment options and co-op programs. In addition, the Board received reports from the liaisons of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

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