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The WIAA football playoffs get underway tomorrow, and as there have been since 2002, there will be seven divisions of 11-player football, featuring 32 teams in each division. That means next month at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison there will be seven state champions crowned.
However, the situation in 2021 is not the same as back in 2002 when the WIAA expanded to a seventh division. Back then, the former WISAA private schools had joined the WIAA a few years prior, adding a considerable number of teams, resulting in the push for another division.
Now, that trend is going in the other direction, as due to declining enrollments, especially in rural districts, as well as reduced rates of participation, there are fewer athletes playing football. This resulted in the formation of more co-ops in the last two decades, and in 2012, the formation of an 8-player football option. From the initial 16 teams that moved to 8-player in 2012, the number has swelled to 56 in 2021, though not all are eligible for the 8-player playoffs, either due to enrollment size or moving to 8-player out of the normal cycle.
That left fewer than 360 teams eligible for the 11-player postseason in 2021, a decrease of 72 teams from when I started at WSN in 2008, when 432 teams were playing 11-player football and eligible for the postseason.
In recent years, as the number of teams moving to 8-player has increased and the number of teams participating in 11-player has decreased, there has been increased discussion of the possibility of removing one division of 11-player football, going to just six divisions of 11-player with one division of 8-player. Under such a concept, there would still be seven divisions of football and seven state champions, just as there were for many years.
But, the question has become: what would that do to the rest of the 11-player football playoffs, specifically which teams would get in, which would get left out, and how division cutlines would be impacted.
We have done the research to produce a projected 11-player football playoff qualifying field in a 192-team, six-division format in the 2021 season, with the full results below.
Every team that finished 5-2 or better in conference would get in, taking up 128 spots. This year, because of an adjusted Milwaukee City Conference schedule that resulted in some teams not playing a full seven conference games yet retaining WIAA playoff eligibility, both Milwaukee Pulaski and Milwaukee Madison would get in with league records of 4-2 and 3-2 respectively.
That leaves 62 spots remaining, with 64 teams that would finish 4-3 in conference play to fill those positions. The WIAA playoff qualifying criteria would then be applied, but rather than spend hours working through lengthy tiebreaker scenarios for 64 teams, I included all those that finished at or above .500 overall in first. Then, of the remaining teams that went 4-3 in conference and 4-5 overall, I removed Loyal and Fall Creek from the field, as both received two conference forfeit victories. It is not the official way the tiebreakers would have been determined, but it was simpler and easier than doing tiebreakers for 64 teams.
All teams that finished 3-4 in conference or below .500 in conference would not make the playoff field in a six-division format in 2021.
So, with that, 192 playoff spots are filled in six divisions of 32 teams.
In reviewing the results of the new projected six divisions versus the actual seven division playoff field, there are certainly some things that stand out.
One of the arguments against reducing the field to six divisions came from small schools, who felt the D6/7 cutline would go up considerably, and result in schools of 150 and below enrollment playing against those nearly twice as big, perhaps in the 250 enrollment range.
Instead, the cutline for the lowest division in a six-division format would be almost identical to the seven-division format. All of the teams in a "new" Division 6 would have been in Division 7 in the current structure.
The changes in which teams would be grouped with which other teams in divisions is actually most impacted in the middle divisions, specifically a "new" Division 3 and Division 4.
In reviewing the teams that would change divisions, especially at the bottom of enrollment ranges, there are a lot of things that would make sense and not be significantly out of line. For instance, the "new" smallest teams in an adjusted Division 1 would include Waunakee, Germantown, and Brookfield East. All play multiple current D1 teams now and would be very competitive in a "new" D1.
Port Washington, Notre Dame, and Rhinelander would be the smallest schools in a revised Division 2 and would fit in just fine with those new schools.
Of note, Catholic Memorial would be in Division 3 in a revised, six-division format, though rural schools like Denmark, Lake Mills, Mauston, and others would also be in Division 3. Though it would also include more apt competition for Catholic Memorial at the top of the enrollment range such as New Berlin Eisenhower, Rice Lake, Grafton, and others.
You can review the adjusted six-division format below and determine whether you feel it is worth exploring. To this point, there has not been a push by the WIAA or WFCA to reduce the divisions of 11-player football to six, but it likely will be something that continues to garner discussion in football circles in the years to come.
Team | Conference | Enroll | Orig. Div | New Div |
---|---|---|---|---|
Milwaukee Marshall/Carmen NW/Milw Juneau/Milw Languages | Milwaukee-Richardson | 2578 | 1 | 1 |
Sun Prairie | Big Eight | 2520 | 1 | 1 |
Milwaukee Pulaski/Carmen South/Carmen SE | Milwaukee-Blackbourn | 2306 | 1 | 1 |
Middleton | Big Eight | 2283 | 1 | 1 |
Madison Memorial | Big Eight | 2183 | 1 | 1 |
Oak Creek | Southeast | 2113 | 1 | 1 |
Arrowhead | Classic Eight | 2088 | 1 | 1 |
Stevens Point | VFA | 2028 | 1 | 1 |
Fond du Lac | FVA | 2018 | 1 | 1 |
Kenosha Bradford/Kenosha Reuther | Southeast | 2014 | 1 | 1 |
Bay Port | FRCC-North | 1899 | 1 | 1 |
Marquette University | Greater Metro | 1844 | 1 | 1 |
Hudson | Big Rivers | 1832 | 1 | 1 |
Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon Tech | Milwaukee-Richardson | 1802 | 1 | 1 |
D.C. Everest | VFA | 1771 | 1 | 1 |
Appleton North | FVA | 1735 | 1 | 1 |
Muskego | Classic Eight | 1688 | 1 | 1 |
Verona | Big Eight | 1676 | 1 | 1 |
Mukwonago | Classic Eight | 1653 | 1 | 1 |
Kimberly | FVA | 1586 | 1 | 1 |
Franklin | Southeast | 1547 | 1 | 1 |
Manitowoc Lincoln | FRCC-South | 1507 | 1 | 1 |
Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln | VFA | 1482 | 1 | 1 |
Sussex Hamilton | Greater Metro | 1462 | 1 | 1 |
Chippewa Falls | Big Rivers | 1455 | 1 | 1 |
Wausau West | VFA | 1445 | 1 | 1 |
Milwaukee King | Milwaukee-Richardson | 1441 | 2 | 1 |
De Pere | FRCC-North | 1395 | 2 | 1 |
Milwaukee Reagan | Milwaukee-Blackbourn | 1385 | 2 | 1 |
Waunakee | Badger-Large | 1356 | 2 | 1 |
Germantown | Greater Metro | 1352 | 2 | 1 |
Brookfield East | Greater Metro | 1345 | 2 | 1 |
Badger | Southern Lakes | 1339 | 2 | 2 |
Hartford Union | North Shore | 1331 | 2 | 2 |
Kettle Moraine | Classic Eight | 1298 | 2 | 2 |
Homestead | North Shore | 1270 | 2 | 2 |
Kaukauna | FVA | 1208 | 2 | 2 |
Pulaski | FRCC-North | 1196 | 2 | 2 |
Monona Grove | Badger-Small | 1146 | 2 | 2 |
River Falls | Mississippi Valley | 1097 | 2 | 2 |
Nicolet | North Shore | 1090 | 2 | 2 |
Cedarburg | North Shore | 1072 | 2 | 2 |
La Crosse Central | Mississippi Valley | 1059 | 2 | 2 |
West De Pere | FRCC-North | 1046 | 2 | 2 |
Burlington | Southern Lakes | 1044 | 2 | 2 |
Wauwatosa West | Parkland | 1039 | 2 | 2 |
Waterford | Southern Lakes | 1034 | 2 | 2 |
Menomonie | Big Rivers | 1027 | 2 | 2 |
DeForest | Badger-Large | 1014 | 2 | 2 |
Union Grove | Southern Lakes | 993 | 2 | 2 |
New Richmond | Big Rivers | 991 | 2 | 2 |
Fort Atkinson | Badger-Small | 980 | 3 | 2 |
Whitefish Bay | North Shore | 975 | 3 | 2 |
Onalaska | Mississippi Valley | 951 | 3 | 2 |
Greendale | Woodland | 942 | 3 | 2 |
Mount Horeb/Barneveld | Badger-Small | 913 | 3 | 2 |
Baraboo | Badger-Small | 911 | 3 | 2 |
Menasha | FRCC-South | 910 | 3 | 2 |
Wisconsin Lutheran | Woodland | 883 | 3 | 2 |
Pewaukee | Parkland | 866 | 3 | 2 |
Whitnall | Woodland | 831 | 3 | 2 |
Port Washington | East Central | 796 | 3 | 2 |
Rhinelander | Great Northern | 792 | 3 | 2 |
Notre Dame | FRCC-South | 780 | 3 | 2 |
McFarland | Rock Valley | 763 | 3 | 3 |
Milwaukee Madison | Milwaukee-Blackbourn | 743 | 3 | 3 |
New Berlin Eisenhower | Parkland | 732 | 3 | 3 |
Plymouth | East Central | 728 | 3 | 3 |
Rice Lake | Big Rivers | 726 | 3 | 3 |
Monroe | Rock Valley | 717 | 3 | 3 |
Grafton | Woodland | 692 | 3 | 3 |
Medford | Great Northern | 667 | 3 | 3 |
Fox Valley Lutheran | Bay | 658 | 3 | 3 |
Mosinee | Great Northern | 618 | 3 | 3 |
Luxemburg-Casco | North Eastern | 603 | 3 | 3 |
Jefferson | Rock Valley | 597 | 3 | 3 |
Martin Luther | Metro Classic | 593 | 3 | 3 |
Waupaca | Bay | 591 | 3 | 3 |
Kewaskum | East Central | 568 | 4 | 3 |
Wisconsin Dells | South Central | 549 | 4 | 3 |
Catholic Memorial | Parkland | 547 | 4 | 3 |
West Salem | Mississippi Valley | 539 | 4 | 3 |
Winneconne | Bay | 537 | 4 | 3 |
Freedom | North Eastern | 535 | 4 | 3 |
Osceola | Middle Border | 518 | 4 | 3 |
Two Rivers | Eastern Wisconsin | 516 | 4 | 3 |
Mauston | South Central | 507 | 4 | 3 |
Xavier | Bay | 500 | 4 | 3 |
Edgewood | Rock Valley | 499 | 4 | 3 |
Lake Mills | Capitol | 496 | 4 | 3 |
Berlin | East Central | 495 | 4 | 3 |
Ellsworth | Middle Border | 488 | 4 | 3 |
Altoona | Coulee | 486 | 4 | 3 |
Denmark | North Eastern | 483 | 4 | 3 |
Kohler/Sheboygan Christian/Sheboygan Lutheran | Eastern Wisconsin | 479 | 4 | 3 |
Sheboygan Falls | East Central | 478 | 4 | 3 |
Racine Saint Catherine???s | Metro Classic | 467 | 4 | 4 |
Oconto Falls | Northwoods | 465 | 4 | 4 |
Lodi | Capitol | 450 | 4 | 4 |
Wrightstown | North Eastern | 445 | 4 | 4 |
Adams-Friendship | South Central | 435 | 4 | 4 |
Columbus | Capitol | 433 | 4 | 4 |
Prescott | Middle Border | 429 | 4 | 4 |
Lakeside Lutheran | Capitol | 428 | 4 | 4 |
Northwestern | Heart O' North | 419 | 4 | 4 |
Campbellsport | Flyway | 417 | 5 | 4 |
University School of Milwaukee | Metro Classic | 410 | 5 | 4 |
River Valley | SWC | 408 | 5 | 4 |
Clintonville | Packerland | 401 | 5 | 4 |
Richland Center | SWC | 400 | 5 | 4 |
Brodhead/Juda | SWC | 393 | 5 | 4 |
Arcadia | Coulee | 387 | 5 | 4 |
Tomahawk | Northwoods | 372 | 5 | 4 |
Prairie du Chien | SWC | 371 | 5 | 4 |
Mayville | Flyway | 369 | 5 | 4 |
Spooner | Heart O' North | 359 | 5 | 4 |
Amherst | CWC-Large | 347 | 5 | 4 |
Lake Country Lutheran | Metro Classic | 347 | 5 | 4 |
Brillion | Eastern Wisconsin | 339 | 5 | 4 |
Southern Door | Packerland | 335 | 5 | 4 |
Saint Croix Falls | Heart O' North | 333 | 5 | 4 |
Spencer/Columbus Catholic | CWC-Large | 333 | 5 | 4 |
Stanley-Boyd | Cloverbelt | 330 | 5 | 4 |
Kewaunee | Packerland | 324 | 5 | 4 |
Westby | Coulee | 324 | 5 | 4 |
Brookfield Academy | Midwest Classic | 323 | 5 | 4 |
Racine Lutheran | Midwest Classic | 318 | 5 | 4 |
Wittenberg-Birnamwood | CWC-Large | 317 | 5 | 4 |
Poynette | South Central | 312 | 5 | 5 |
Winnebago Lutheran Academy | Flyway | 309 | 5 | 5 |
Belleville | SWAL | 303 | 5 | 5 |
Aquinas | Coulee | 302 | 5 | 5 |
Stratford | CWC-Large | 301 | 5 | 5 |
Marshall | Eastern Suburban | 298 | 5 | 5 |
Cedar Grove-Belgium | Big East | 297 | 6 | 5 |
Durand | Cloverbelt | 295 | 6 | 5 |
Cumberland | Heart O' North | 290 | 6 | 5 |
Lancaster | SWAL | 290 | 6 | 5 |
Saint Mary's Springs | Flyway | 288 | 6 | 5 |
Unity | Lakeland | 285 | 6 | 5 |
Colby | Marawood | 281 | 6 | 5 |
Fall River/Rio | Trailways | 275 | 6 | 5 |
Mondovi | Cloverbelt | 272 | 6 | 5 |
Markesan | Eastern Suburban | 271 | 6 | 5 |
Darlington | SWAL | 264 | 6 | 5 |
Waterloo | Eastern Suburban | 259 | 6 | 5 |
Bonduel | Packerland | 254 | 6 | 5 |
Cadott | Dunn-St. Croix | 245 | 6 | 5 |
Cuba City | SWAL | 242 | 6 | 5 |
Pardeeville | Eastern Suburban | 237 | 6 | 5 |
Luther | Scenic Bluffs | 237 | 6 | 5 |
Melrose-Mindoro | Dairyland | 234 | 6 | 5 |
Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic | Midwest Classic | 233 | 6 | 5 |
Necedah | Scenic Bluffs | 231 | 6 | 5 |
Whitehall | Dairyland | 230 | 6 | 5 |
Auburndale | Marawood | 227 | 6 | 5 |
Abbotsford | Marawood | 222 | 6 | 5 |
Grantsburg | Lakeland | 219 | 6 | 5 |
Ozaukee | Big East | 217 | 6 | 5 |
Augusta | Dairyland | 215 | 6 | 5 |
Crivitz | Northwoods | 214 | 6 | 6 |
Boyceville | Dunn-St. Croix | 207 | 6 | 6 |
Spring Valley | Dunn-St. Croix | 204 | 7 | 6 |
Cashton | Scenic Bluffs | 204 | 7 | 6 |
Coleman | Northwoods | 202 | 7 | 6 |
Iola-Scandinavia | CWC-Small | 200 | 7 | 6 |
Regis | Cloverbelt | 198 | 7 | 6 |
Black Hawk/Warren IL | Six Rivers | 197 | 7 | 6 |
Webster | Lakeland | 196 | 7 | 6 |
Elmwood/Plum City | Dunn-St. Croix | 190 | 7 | 6 |
Glenwood City | Dunn-St. Croix | 188 | 7 | 6 |
River Ridge | Six Rivers | 187 | 7 | 6 |
Johnson Creek | Trailways | 187 | 7 | 6 |
Randolph | Trailways | 185 | 7 | 6 |
Reedsville | Big East | 182 | 7 | 6 |
Hurley | Lakeland | 181 | 7 | 6 |
Bangor | Scenic Bluffs | 181 | 7 | 6 |
New Lisbon | Scenic Bluffs | 180 | 7 | 6 |
Edgar | Marawood | 175 | 7 | 6 |
Potosi/Cassville | Six Rivers | 172 | 7 | 6 |
Pacelli | CWC-Small | 168 | 7 | 6 |
Lourdes Academy | Trailways | 166 | 7 | 6 |
Hilbert | Big East | 158 | 7 | 6 |
Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca | Ridge & Valley | 153 | 7 | 6 |
Pepin/Alma | Dairyland | 141 | 7 | 6 |
Ithaca | Ridge & Valley | 141 | 7 | 6 |
Assumption | CWC-Small | 138 | 7 | 6 |
De Soto | Ridge & Valley | 136 | 7 | 6 |
Catholic Central | Midwest Classic | 128 | 7 | 6 |
Turtle Lake | Dunn-St. Croix | 121 | 7 | 6 |
Cambria-Friesland | Trailways | 105 | 7 | 6 |
Highland | Ridge & Valley | 92 | 7 | 6 |
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.