On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association's Conference Realignment Task Force met to review non-football requests from schools seeking adjustments to their conference placements.
Some requests were for all sports except football, while others were for single-sports. Schoola had until November 1st to submit applications for review, with November 15th the final deadline for application.
The Task Force has reviewed requests and proposals and approved or denied preliminary solutions. This is not the end of the process, however, as schools that are impacted will have the opportunity to offer additional feedback or appeal, with the Board of Control having final authority to approve or reject any plans. The Board will meet in March to review proposals, with schools then able to appeal if they choose, before final yes or no approval given by the Board of Control in April. More details about the Conference Realignment process can be found on the WIAA website here.
Based on requests received from schools, the Task Force has given initial support to a number of non-football proposals, including Elk Mound moving from the Dunn-St. Croix Conference to the Cloverbelt-West, Fox Valley Lutheran from the North Eastern to the Bay, Merrill from the Wisconsin Valley to the Great Northern, Osseo-Fairchild from the Cloverbelt to the Dairyland, and West De Pere from the Bay to the FRCC.
A modified proposal also passed that would mean the end of the East Central Conference for all sports except football. Berlin and Ripon would move to the South Central, Waupun to the Capitol, Kettle Moraine Lutheran to the Metro Classic, and Winneconne to the Bay. Also, Kewaskum and Plymouth would move to the North Shore Conference, which could then potentially be divided into two divisions, roughly Large and Small.
Waukesha North and Waukesha South would move out of the Classic Eight Conference, going to the Woodland Conference, though divisional assignments within the Woodland are uncertain.
A request from Oak Creek to move from the Southeast Conference to the Greater Metro was denied.
Clinton advanced a plan to move Lake Mills from the Capitol into the Rock Valley, giving the RVC 12 teams. However, Lake Mills itself did not support the move and it was denied by the Realignment Task Force.
To view all realignment requests with data, info, and rationale from the schools, statements of support by other impacted schools, and solutions proposed by requesting schools, visit the WIAA's Conference Realignment page, selecting the 2023-24 School Year and Non-Football requests.
The full list of preliminary solutions by the Task Force can be found below.
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.
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