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Note: The point totals below are unofficial and final point designations will be assigned by the WIAA.

After years of debate, discussion, and proposals to try to address competitive equity, the WIAA membership approved a Competitive Balance plan at April's Annual Meeting that was two-fold: a Tournament Performance Factor that applies points based on previous year's playoff success and moves teams up if a certain threshold is met, and an opportunity for schools to request divisional placement up or down based on several factors.

With the 2023 winter sports season completed, WisSports.net has examined the WIAA's Tournament Performance Factor portion of the plan, which will go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year, and applied points to all teams in all applicable sports to determine which teams have achieved the requisite six TPF points to move up a division in 2024-2025. To see the impacts for fall sports, please click here.

The Tournament Performance Factor uses the exact same points-based system to determine if teams will move up a division based on past success as did the Success Factor recommended back in 2015, and is applied equally to public schools and private schools.

Points will be awarded based upon the finish of the team in the tournament series. For bracketed sports, here are how points are assigned:

• 4 points for winning a state title
• 3 points for advancing to the championship game
• 2 points for advancing to the state semifinal (final 4)
• 1 point for advancing to the state quarterfinal, sectional final or Level 3 11-player FB, Level 2 8-player FB (final 8 teams).

Non-bracketed sports are slightly different and fully outlined here. The sports of swimming & diving as well as track & field are not included in the Tournament Performance Factor and thus teams cannot move up or down in those sports based on postseason success. Also, the sports of girls wrestling, girls hockey, boys volleyball, and 8-player football are single-division sports and thus are not applicable currently either.

At the team level, those teams that accumulate six or more points in the previous three years will be placed up one division from their normal postseason classification. No team will be moved up more than one division per year. If a team is moved up under the Tournament Performance Factor and in future years their trailing three-year point total falls below six points, they will be moved back down, unless their enrollment places them in a higher division.

Point are accumulated per division. If a team accumulates points in multiple divisions over a three-year period, each division is summed separately. So if a team gets two points in D4, then two points in D3, then two points in D4 over three years, they would NOT meet the threshold to move up, as they would have four points in D4 and two in D3. Unless or until they accumulated a total of six points in a single division, they would not move up.

Also, if a team moves up a division based on Tournament Performance Factor points, and accumulates points in the new, elevated division, their total for the new division would reset. For example, if a team is moved up by points, then wins two state titles in a row in the elevated division, they would again be elevated to the next division. 

As an example of how points are applied provided by the WIAA for a hypothetical team:

• Year 1 - 0 points - Division 4
• Year 2 - 0 points - Division 4
• Year 3 - 0 points - Division 4 - 3-year total = 0 points
• Year 4 - 1 point - D4 - Sectional Final; 3-year total = 1 point
• Year 5 - 2 points - D4 - State Appearance-(Final 4); 3-year total = 3 points
• Year 6 - 3 points - D4 - State Runner-Up; 3-year total = 6 points (will move up to D3)
• Year 7 - 4 points - D3 - State Championship; 3-year total = 9 points
• Year 8 - 0 points - Division 3 - 3-year total = 7 points
• Year 9 - 0 points - Division 3 - 3-year total = 4 points (will move down to D4)
• Year 10 - 1 point - Division 4 - 3-year total = 1 point

There will be an appeals process in place for those teams that would be impacted by the Tournament Performance Factor, with schools able to appeal to a Classification Committee based on the following factors:

• Prior year out-of-building student percentage on rosters or historical movement of student athletes
• Socioeconomics of the school's population (i.e. % of student body on Free and Reduced Lunch rate)
• Demographics of the school's population
• Competitive history and balance - non-success and success
• Geography
• School's enrollment trend
• Student participation rate in WIAA-sponsored activities
• Student enrollment factors (i.e. open enrollment, students from outside your school's location)

The appeal window for winter sports teams impacted by Tournament Performance Factor points closes on April 1st. The WIAA's Classification Committee will meet April 10th to review and decide on appeals.

We have applied Tournament Performance Factor points to teams for the past three years to determine which teams will move up, pending appeal.

In our sport-by-sport review below, we will display only those teams that move up in the 2024-25 year (teams that have met the six-point threshold). To see full point applications for all teams that have earned any Tournament Performance Factor points, please click here.

As a reminder, the 2024-2025 school year will be the first season that the Tournament Performance Factor will be applied, so points accumulated in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 will determine placements in that first year.

Nine teams met the six-point threshold, though Neenah, Arrowhead, and De Pere are Division 1 and cannot be moved up. Teams that will move up a division (pending appeal) in 2024-25 are Pewaukee, Saint Thomas More, West Salem, Kenosha St. Joseph, Wisconsin Lutheran, and Brillion.

Of note, West Salem earned a total of six points in 2022 and 2023 in Division 3, but participated in D2 in 2024. Should the Panthers' enrollment place them in D3 in 2024, they'd be promoted to D2; if their enrollment places them in D2, they would not move up any further.

The teams, their points, and new projected divisions are below.

Nine teams met the six-point threshold, though Kettle Moraine, Arrowhead, and Brookfield East are Division 1 and cannot be moved up. Teams that will move up a division (pending appeal) in 2024-25 are Notre Dame, Laconia, Pewaukee, Waupun, McDonell Central, and Albany/Monticello.

Of note, McDonell Central earned a total of six points in 2022 and 2023 in Division 5, but participated in D4 in 2024. Should the Mack' enrollment place them in D5 in 2024, they'd be promoted to D4; if their enrollment places them in D4, they would not move up any further.

The teams, their points, and new projected divisions are below.

Five teams met the six-point threshold, though Notre Dame, Hudson, and Edgewood are Division 1 and cannot be moved up. Teams that will move up a division (pending appeal) in 2024-25 are Saint Mary's Springs and New Richmond.

The teams, their points, and new projected divisions are below.

Five teams met the six-point threshold, though Kaukauna is Division 1 and cannot be moved up. Teams that would move up (pending appeal) in 2024-25 are Fennimore, Luxemburg-Casco, Prairie du Chien, and Coleman.

Of note, Saint Croix Falls accumulated two points in 2021 while in Division 3, then a point in D2 in 2022 and three points in D2 in 2023. As a result, they do not meet the six-point threshold to move up at this time.

As a reminder, the WIAA has provided clarification that both teams and individuals from teams who meet the point threshold will be bumped up divisions.

The teams, their points, and new projected divisions are below.

Nine teams met the six-point threshold, though Franklin/Muskego, Verona/Edgewood, and Homestead are Division 1 and cannot be moved up. Teams that would move up (pending appeal) in 2024-25 are Mount Horeb, West Salem, Elkhorn, Nicolet, Whitefish Bay, and Medford/Colby.

As a reminder, the WIAA has provided clarification that both teams and individuals from teams who meet the point threshold will be bumped up divisions.

The teams, their points, and new projected divisions are 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.