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BREAKING: OFFICIAL Football Playoff Qualifying Field and Division Placement

10/13/2017, 10:45pm CDT
By Travis Wilson

The following is now an OFFICIAL football playoff field based on final scores for Week 9 games.

11:42 pm Update:  The WIAA has released its Playoff Field and as it has every year for more than a decade, it matches up 100% with what we have posted. See the WIAA list here.

1:13 am Update:  The WIAA has added the Regional Groupings as seen below.

10:50 pm - The following is an UNOFFICIAL football playoff field based on scores for Week 9 games. While we have been 100% accurate in compiling this information for 10 years, it is not OFFICIAL until released by the WIAA, which is expected some time after midnight.

212 teams finish with a conference record of .500 or better.

That leaves 12 spots available for teams that finish under .500 in conference. The first tiebreaker, something adjusted two years ago, is conference winning percentage. This gives an advantage in the tiebreaker to teams from 10-school conferences that play 9 league games. A 4-5 league record (0.444 conference winning percentage) is better than a 3-4 league record (0.429 conference winning percentage).

There are five teams that finished 4-5 in conference play: Ashwaubenon, Janesville Craig, Madison La Follette, Madison Memorial, and West Bend East.

That brings our total to 217 teams, leaving seven more spots available for teams that finish 3-4 in conference. There are 16 such teams that finish 3-4 in conference. To figure out which six of those 13 get into the postseason, we follow WIAA criteria.

First is the combined winning percentage of defeated conference opponents, conference games only. Basically, it rewards teams that have beaten some of the better teams in their league. 

Most of the 13 teams had wins over a conference opponent who finished 2-5, one over a conference opponent who finished 1-6, and one who finished 0-7. So their combined tiebreaker number was 3-18. However, Cambria-Friesland and Monroe had conference wins over teams that finished with six conference wins, so they fill two spots. Chilton and Athens had conference wins over teams that had five conference wins, and fill two more spots.

That takes us to 221 teams in. Five teams were tied for the final three spots thanks to having conference wins over teams that had a combined four conference victories. 

Head-to-head result (since every team doesn't play every other) and result versus conference champion do not apply to any of those teams.

The next criteria is win/loss percentage against the playoff field as determined initially. Watertown defeated Beaver Dam back in Week 1, and Beaver Dam qualified for the playoffs with a winning conference record, so Watertown gets in as Team #222.

Four teams remain tied for the final spot: Benton/Scales Mound (IL), Highland, Owen-Withee ,and River Ridge. We go down to step 3(d), which is "Defeated opponents (conference wins only) overall win/loss percentage". Under that criteria, Owen-Withee gets in.

The three Six Rivers Conference teams are tied for the last spot, and we go to "Defeated opponents (all wins) overall W-L percentage." River Ridge gets the tiebreaker there, and becomes the last team to make the postseason.

Now that we know the 224 teams OFFICIAL to be in the playoffs, we can break them into divisions. The full OFFICIAL divisional placements are below.

2017 WIAA Football Groupings

Division One
Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at WISCONSIN RAPIDS LINCOLN 
Schools: Appleton North, Bay Port, Eau Claire Memorial, Green Bay Preble, Hudson, Neenah, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at FOND DU LAC 
Schools: Arrowhead, Fond du Lac, Kimberly, Marquette, Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Riverside/Golda Meir, Oshkosh West, Milwaukee Marshall/Carmen NW/Juneau/Languages

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at SUN PRAIRIE
Schools: Hamilton, Kettle Moraine, Madison La Follette, Madison Memorial, Madison West, Middleton, Sun Prairie, Verona

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at OAK CREEK (enter door 28 on SW corner of 10-12 building) 
Schools: Badger, Franklin, Janesville Craig, Kenosha Bradford/Reuther, Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon, Muskego, Oak Creek, Racine Horlick

Division Two

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at MARSHFIELD (enter door #2 visitor main entrance) 
Schools: Appleton West, Ashwaubenon, Green Bay Southwest, Holmen, La Crosse Central, Marshfield, Menomonie, Pulaski

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at BEAVER DAM 
Schools: Beaver Dam, DeForest, Hartford, Menasha, Slinger, Watertown, Waunakee, West Bend East

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at WAUKESHA WEST 
Schools: Burlington, Germantown, Monona Grove, Oregon, Stoughton, Waterford, Waukesha West, Wilmot Union

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at BROOKFIELD CENTRAL 
Schools: Brookfield Central, Brookfield East, Greenfield, Homestead, Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee Bay View/Lifelong Learning, Milwaukee Reagan, Milwaukee Washington/Acad. of Science/Collegiate Acad.

Division Three

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at REGIS HS-Eau Claire 
Schools: Antigo, Medford, Merrill, Mosinee, New Richmond, Onalaska, Rice Lake, West Salem

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at FOX VALLEY LUTHERAN 
Schools: Berlin, Fox Valley Lutheran, Kewaskum, Luxemburg-Casco, New London, Notre Dame, Seymour, West De Pere

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at JEFFERSON 
Schools: Catholic Memorial, East Troy, Evansville/Albany, Jefferson, Monroe, Mount Horeb/Barneveld, New Berlin Eisenhower, Pewaukee

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at WHITEFISH BAY 
Schools: Greendale, Milwaukee Lutheran, New Berlin West, Plymouth, Port Washington, Saint Francis, Whitefish Bay, Whitnall

Division Four

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at BLOOMER 
Schools: Bloomer, Ellsworth, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Mauston, Nekoosa, Northwestern, Osceola, Saint Croix Central

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at XAVIER 
Schools: Freedom, Little Chute, Omro, Peshtigo, Wautoma, Winneconne, Wrightstown, Xavier

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at LAKE MILLS 
Schools: Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran, Lodi, Mayville, Platteville, Racine St. Catherine’s, River Valley, Turner

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at SHEBOYGAN FALLS 
Schools: Chilton, Kiel, Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Sheboygan Christian, Martin Luther, Sheboygan Falls, Two Rivers, University School of Milwaukee, Obama SCTE

Division Five

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at CHETEK-WEYERHAEUSER 
Schools: Chetek-Weyerhaeuser, Cumberland, Durand, Elk Mound, Grantsburg, Mondovi, Saint Croix Falls, Spooner

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at WITTENBERG-BIRNAMWOOD (at Middle School)
Schools: Amherst, Bonduel, Colby, Oconto, Spencer/Columbus Catholic, Stanley-Boyd, Stratford, Wittenberg-Birnamwood

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at NEW GLARUS 
Schools: Brookfield Academy, Clinton, Kenosha St. Joseph, Lake Country Lutheran, Lancaster, New Glarus/Monticello, Prairie du Chien, Westby

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at HOWARDS GROVE 
Schools: Cedar Grove-Belgium, Horicon/Hustisford, Howards Grove, Kewaunee, Laconia, New Holstein, Southern Door, Valders

Division Six

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at REGIS 
Schools: Fall Creek, Lake Holcombe/Cornell, Melrose-Mindoro, Regis, Spring Valley, Unity, Webster, Whitehall

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at WABENO AREA 
Schools: Auburndale, Crandon, Crivitz, Iola-Scandinavia, Marathon, Mishicot, Niagara/Goodman/Pembine, Wabeno/Laona

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at MINERAL POINT 
Schools: Brookwood, Cuba City, Darlington, Fennimore, Markesan, Mineral Point, Pardeeville, Pecatonica/Argyle

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at JOHNSON CREEK 
Schools: Belleville, Cambridge, Dodgeland, Johnson Creek, Manitowoc Lutheran, Racine Lutheran, Reedsville, Saint Mary's Springs

Division Seven

Group A Seeding Meeting Host - at TURTLE LAKE 
Schools: Abbotsford, Clear Lake, Elmwood/Plum City, Frederic, Hurley, Loyal, Owen-Withee, Turtle Lake

Group B Seeding Meeting Host - at PITTSVILLE 
Schools: Assumption, Athens, Bangor, Edgar, Hillsboro, Independence/Gilmanton, Pittsville, Royall

Group C Seeding Meeting Host - at IOWA-GRANT 
Schools: Black Hawk, De Soto, Iowa-Grant, Ithaca, North Crawford, Potosi/Cassville, River Ridge, Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca

Group D Seeding Meeting Host - at CAMBRIA-FRIESLAND 
Schools: Almond-Bancroft, Cambria-Friesland, Deerfield, Fall River, Hilbert/Stockbridge, Lourdes Academy, Tri-County, Wild Rose


Division Cutlines

Division 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
D1 Low Enrollment 1422 1449 1445 1418 1421 1389 1301 1331 1360 1405
D2 Low Enrollment 966 953 937 932 936 922 841 878 878 919
D3 Low Enrollment 540 571 561 528 531 544 504 508 513 557
D4 Low Enrollment 367 397 393 345 358 362 352 359 336 353
D5 Low Enrollment 261 290 279 245 266 253 255 252 238 252
D6 Low Enrollment 194 196 202 194 197 200 194 184 181 195

UNOFFICIAL PLAYOFF QUALIFYING FIELD AND DIVISIONAL PLACEMENTS

Team Football Enrollment Division Conference
Sun Prairie 2370 1 Big Eight
Kenosha Bradford 2311 1 Southeast
Milwaukee Hamilton 2247 1 Milwaukee City - Richardson
Milwaukee Riverside 2234 1 Milwaukee City - Richardson
Green Bay Preble 2194 1 Fox River Classic
Madison West 2191 1 Big Eight
Arrowhead 2175 1 Classic Eight
Middleton 2157 1 Big Eight
Milwaukee Morse-Marshall 2115 1 Milwaukee City - Blackbourn
Marquette University 2106 1 Greater Metro
Stevens Point 2104 1 VFA-West
Oak Creek 2077 1 Southeast
Fond du Lac 2060 1 VFA-South
Madison Memorial 2036 1 Big Eight
Neenah 2026 1 VFA-South
Appleton North 2015 1 VFA-North
Racine Horlick 1987 1 Southeast
Bay Port 1865 1 Fox River Classic
Janesville Craig 1857 1 Big Eight
Hudson 1802 1 Big Rivers
Eau Claire Memorial 1753 1 Big Rivers
Oshkosh West 1695 1 VFA-South
Verona 1594 1 Big Eight
Muskego 1590 1 Classic Eight
Wisconsin Rapids 1564 1 VFA-West
Madison La Follette 1559 1 Big Eight
Kimberly 1530 1 VFA-North
Milwaukee King 1524 1 Milwaukee City - Blackbourn
Franklin 1508 1 Southeast
Badger 1492 1 Southern Lakes
Sussex Hamilton 1484 1 Greater Metro
Kettle Moraine 1422 1 Classic Eight
Appleton West 1418 2 VFA-North
Germantown 1405 2 Greater Metro
Hartford 1368 2 North Shore
Milwaukee Washington 1349 2 Milwaukee City - Blackbourn
Watertown 1345 2 Badger - South
Homestead 1334 2 North Shore
Menomonee Falls 1309 2 Greater Metro
Milwaukee Reagan 1307 2 Milwaukee City - Richardson
Brookfield Central 1277 2 Greater Metro
Waunakee 1236 2 Badger-North
Brookfield East 1216 2 Greater Metro
Greenfield 1199 2 Woodland - East
Waukesha West 1198 2 Classic Eight
Marshfield 1184 2 VFA-West
Green Bay Southwest 1133 2 Fox River Classic
Burlington 1131 2 Southern Lakes
Oregon 1123 2 Badger - South
West Bend East 1114 2 North Shore
Holmen 1111 2 Mississippi Valley
La Crosse Central 1110 2 Mississippi Valley
Wilmot 1109 2 Southern Lakes
Waterford 1088 2 Southern Lakes
Beaver Dam 1081 2 Badger-North
Pulaski 1078 2 Fox River Classic
Milwaukee Bay View 1051 2 Milwaukee City - Richardson
Slinger 1048 2 North Shore
DeForest 1037 2 Badger-North
Ashwaubenon 1032 2 Fox River Classic
Monona Grove 1022 2 Badger - South
Stoughton 1011 2 Badger - South
Menasha 997 2 Bay
Menomonie 966 2 Big Rivers
Greendale 927 3 Woodland - West
Whitefish Bay 922 3 North Shore
New Richmond 910 3 Middle Border
Onalaska 910 3 Mississippi Valley
West De Pere 896 3 Bay
Mount Horeb/Barneveld 870 3 Badger-North
Pewaukee 853 3 Woodland - West
New Berlin Eisenhower 850 3 Woodland - West
Merrill 830 3 Great Northern
Whitnall 816 3 Woodland - East
Antigo 812 3 Great Northern
Port Washington 810 3 North Shore
Plymouth 780 3 East Central
Notre Dame 770 3 Fox River Classic
Milwaukee Lutheran 730 3 Woodland - East
Monroe 719 3 Badger - South
Seymour 717 3 Bay
Rice Lake 707 3 Big Rivers
New Berlin West 705 3 Woodland - West
New London 683 3 Bay
Medford 670 3 Great Northern
Catholic Memorial 666 3 Classic Eight
Evansville/Albany 657 3 Rock Valley
Jefferson 657 3 Rock Valley
Luxemburg-Casco 639 3 North Eastern
Mosinee 634 3 Great Northern
Kewaskum 620 3 East Central
East Troy 587 3 Rock Valley
Fox Valley Lutheran 584 3 North Eastern
Berlin 560 3 East Central
West Salem 543 3 Mississippi Valley
Saint Francis 540 3 Midwest Classic
Xavier 540 4 Bay
Osceola 536 4 Middle Border
Freedom 534 4 North Eastern
Sheboygan Falls 534 4 Eastern Wisconsin
Kohler/Sheb. Luth./Christian 518 4 Big East
Martin Luther 508 4 Metro Classic
Mauston 503 4 South Central
Little Chute 497 4 North Eastern
Lodi 495 4 Capitol - North
Wrightstown 492 4 North Eastern
Ellsworth 490 4 Middle Border
Winneconne 486 4 East Central
Two Rivers 478 4 Eastern Wisconsin
Beloit Turner 464 4 Rock Valley
Northwestern 456 4 Heart O'North
Kiel 445 4 Eastern Wisconsin
River Valley 439 4 SWC
Wautoma 427 4 South Central
Saint Croix Central 419 4 Middle Border
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 418 4 Coulee
Platteville 418 4 SWC
Lake Mills 403 4 Capitol - North
Lakeside Lutheran 401 4 Capitol - North
Milwaukee Career & Tech. Ed. 399 4 Milwaukee City - Blackbourn
Nekoosa 398 4 South Central
Omro 396 4 Flyway
University School 395 4 Midwest Classic
Chilton 387 4 Eastern Wisconsin
Mayville 386 4 Flyway
Bloomer 384 4 Heart O'North
Peshtigo 372 4 MONLPC-Large
Racine St. Catherine's 367 4 Metro Classic
Spencer/Columbus Catholic 367 5 Cloverbelt
Valders 365 5 Eastern Wisconsin
Clinton 364 5 Rock Valley
Horicon/Hustisford 364 5 Trailways - Large
Westby 363 5 Coulee
Cedar Grove-Belgium 352 5 Big East
New Holstein 351 5 Eastern Wisconsin
Spooner 351 5 Heart O'North
Prairie du Chien 341 5 SWC
New Glarus/Monticello 338 5 Capitol - South
Brookfield Academy 330 5 Midwest Classic
Kenosha St. Joseph 328 5 Metro Classic
Amherst 326 5 CWC-Large
Laconia 323 5 Flyway
Stratford 322 5 Marawood
Southern Door 321 5 MONLPC-Large
Wittenberg-Birnamwood 321 5 CWC-Large
Elk Mound 316 5 Dunn - St. Croix
Kewaunee 310 5 MONLPC-Large
Lake Country Lutheran 309 5 Midwest Classic
Bonduel 304 5 CWC-Large
Oconto 303 5 MONLPC-Large
Saint Croix Falls 297 5 Lakeland - North
Durand 296 5 Dunn - St. Croix
Stanley-Boyd 295 5 Cloverbelt
Colby 292 5 Cloverbelt
Lancaster 281 5 SWC
Cumberland 272 5 Heart O'North
Howards Grove 272 5 Big East
Mondovi 271 5 Dunn - St. Croix
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 267 5 Heart O'North
Grantsburg 261 5 Lakeland - North
Belleville 259 6 Capitol - South
Unity 256 6 Lakeland - North
Cambridge 255 6 Capitol - South
Saint Mary's Springs 252 6 Flyway
Fall Creek 248 6 Cloverbelt
Fennimore 247 6 SWAL
Pardeeville 245 6 Trailways - Large
Markesan 243 6 Trailways - Large
Northern Elite 243 6 MONLPC-Small
Marathon 242 6 Marawood
Auburndale 241 6 Marawood
Cuba City 241 6 SWAL
Dodgeland 238 6 Trailways - Large
Mishicot 238 6 Big East
Crandon 237 6 MONLPC-Small
Racine Lutheran 234 6 Metro Classic
Pecatonica/Argyle 226 6 Six Rivers
Melrose-Mindoro 223 6 Dairyland
Darlington 221 6 SWAL
Regis 221 6 Cloverbelt
Iola-Scandinavia 216 6 CWC-Large
Crivitz 211 6 MONLPC-Small
Brookwood 209 6 Scenic Bluffs
Spring Valley 208 6 Dunn - St. Croix
Reedsville 206 6 Big East
Manitowoc Lutheran 205 6 Big East
Whitehall 200 6 Dairyland
Mineral Point 199 6 SWAL
Lake Holcombe/Cornell 198 6 Lakeland - South
Webster 196 6 Lakeland - North
Wabeno/Laona 195 6 MONLPC-Small
Johnson Creek 194 6 Trailways - Small
Abbotsford 192 7 Cloverwood
Edgar 192 7 Marawood
Clear Lake 191 7 Lakeland - South
Wauzeka/Seneca 189 7 Ridge & Valley
Athens 188 7 Cloverwood
Hilbert/Stockbridge 187 7 Big East
Deerfield 186 7 Trailways - Small
Iowa-Grant 184 7 SWAL
Pittsville 184 7 CWC-Small
Lourdes Academy 181 7 Trailways - Small
Potosi/Cassville 181 7 Six Rivers
Bangor 180 7 Scenic Bluffs
Tri-County 179 7 CWC-Small
Wild Rose 178 7 CWC-Small
Elmwood/Plum City 174 7 Lakeland - South
Independence/Gilmanton 168 7 Dairyland
Hurley 162 7 Western Peninsula Athletic
River Ridge 160 7 Six Rivers
Hillsboro 152 7 Scenic Bluffs
De Soto 151 7 Ridge & Valley
North Crawford 149 7 Ridge & Valley
Assumption 146 7 Cloverwood
Royall 146 7 Scenic Bluffs
Loyal 145 7 Cloverwood
Owen-Withee 143 7 Cloverwood
Fall River 134 7 Trailways - Small
Ithaca 134 7 Ridge & Valley
Turtle Lake 128 7 Lakeland - South
Almond-Bancroft 121 7 CWC-Small
Frederic 120 7 Lakeland - South
Cambria-Friesland 116 7 Trailways - Small
Black Hawk 107 7 Six Rivers

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  Football Playoffs