skip navigation

18 teams request changes as part of football-only conference realignment

12/01/2020, 12:45pm CST
By Travis Wilson

De Soto could be making the move to 8-Player Football in 2022

A total of 18 teams have requested football-only conference realignment from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). Schools are given the ability to request realignment every two years, and any requests submitted now would be reviewed in early 2021 but even if approved, would not be implemented until the 2022 season.

All requests will be reviewed by a 17-member WIAA Conference Realignment Task Force. That group can choose to reject or advance proposals, with ultimate authority for all conference realignment matters resting with the WIAA Board of Control. If the Task Force chooses to reject a proposal, the school can appeal back to the Task Force or eventually to the Board of Control directly.

The timeline and process for conference realignment can be found in the WIAA's flow chart here.

As part of the realignment process, schools are required to provide the WIAA with significant documentation including district demographics, participation data, enrollment trends, letters of impact from effected teams and conferences, and a proposal for what solution they would like to see.

All requests as well as the supporting information is available on the WIAA site here. Select the 2020-21 School Year and "Football Only" from the dropdown menus.

Among the teams requesting football-only realignment are four looking to make the move to 8-Player football:

  • De Soto, who has the most playoff appearances in WIAA history with 36
  • Lake Holcombe, who is losing Cornell as a co-op member
  • Niagara, who would be leaving the Niagara/Goodman/Pembine 11-player tri-op
  • Goodman/Pembine, who would be separating from Niagara in the tri-op known commonly as Northern Elite

Sun Prairie is requesting realignment as well, as the district will be opening a second high school in 2022, with the high schools now known as Sun Prairie East and Sun Prairie West. The district is proposing that both Sun Prairie East and West move into the Badger-Large Conference in 2022, with several corresponding moves impacting other teams and conferences.

The full list of football-only conference realignment requests, as well as the requested landing spot from the teams is below. As a reminder, the WIAA Task Force will review all submissions and can advance or reject any or all proposals, and final authority on all conference realignment matters rests with the WIAA Board of Control.

Football-Only Conference Realignment Requests

    • Ashland - Conference leaving:  Great Northern;   Conference entering: Heart O' North - Effective Fall 2022
    • De Soto - Conference leaving:  Ridge & Valley;   Conference entering: 8-Player South - Effective Fall 2022
    • Fall Creek - Conference leaving:  Cloverbelt;   Conference entering: Marawood - Effective Fall 2022
    • Goodman/Pembine - Conference leaving:  Northwoods (11-player);   Conference entering: MONLP West (8-player) - Effective Fall 2022
    • Hayward - Conference leaving:  Great Northern;   Conference entering: Heart O' North - Effective Fall 2022
    • Horicon/Hustisford - Conference leaving:  Capitol;   Conference entering: Eastern Suburban - Effective Fall 2022
    • Lake Holcombe - Conference leaving:  Lakeland (11-player);   Conference entering: Central Wisconsin - West (8-player) - Effective Fall 2022
    • Marinette - Conference leaving:  North Eastern;   Conference entering: Bay - Effective Fall 2022
    • Niagara - Conference leaving:  Northwoods (11-player);   Conference entering: MONLP West (8-player) - Effective Fall 2022
    • Oshkosh North - Conference leaving:  Fox Valley Association;   Conference entering: Fox River Classic - Effective Fall 2022
    • Oshkosh West - Conference leaving:  Fox Valley Association;   Conference entering: Fox River Classic - Effective Fall 2022
    • Pardeeville - Conference leaving:  Eastern Suburban;   Conference entering: Trailways - Effective Fall 2022
    • River Falls - Conference leaving:  Mississippi Valley;   Conference entering: Big Rivers - Effective Fall 2022
    • Sun Prairie East - Conference leaving:  Big Eight;   Conference entering: Badger Large - Effective Fall 2022
    • Sun Prairie West - Conference leaving:  None (New School);   Conference entering: Badger Large - Effective Fall 2022
    • West Allis Central - Conference leaving:  Greater Metro;   Conference entering: Parkland - Effective Fall 2022
    • West Allis Hale - Conference leaving:  Greater Metro;   Conference entering: Parkland - Effective Fall 2022
    • West Salem - Conference leaving:  Mississippi Valley;   Conference entering: Coulee - Effective Fall 2022

About the Author

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

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  WIAA