Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control approved a number of recommendations that will impact spring sports, reaffirmed the early start date to the 2011 football season and ratified the 2010-11 operational budget at its October meeting today. 
    
Regarding softball, the Board approved the continuance of the experiment placing on-deck hitters in the on-deck circle that is located behind the batter. Also approved was a pre-game warm-up protocol required for WIAA Tournament Series contests and recommended for regular-season games. The home team will take the field 35 minutes prior to the start of a game; the visiting team will take the field 20 minutes before the game; and the pre-game meeting and final field preparation will be held five minutes prior to starting the game.

In other softball items, beginning in 2012, the sectional semifinals and finals will be moved to Monday and Thursday from the Tuesday and Friday dates currently scheduled. Finally, the State Tournament schedule will be altered slightly beginning next spring. The Division 1 semifinals will be moved from Thursday evening to Friday evening with the Division 2 semifinals moving from Friday evening to Thursday evening.

Approval was granted for a pair of baseball recommendations associated with the Tournament Series schedule. The first mandates the start time of 1 p.m. on the published date of a regional game if scheduled graduation ceremonies result in a conflict and mutual agreement cannot be reached on a rescheduled time or date. The other moves regional final games in spring baseball from Friday to Thursday beginning in 2012.
 
In track and field, the Board approved a set of recommendations related to wheelchair competitions. The weight of the shot put for wheelchair competitors for both genders will be four kilograms beginning in 2011. In addition, when possible for races contested in lanes, one lane should be left vacant between competitors. Furthermore, all track events should be co-ed whenever possible, and the established maximum height of a throwing chair is 75 centimeters.

After significant review and discussion with the Executive Staff and Advisory Council, the Board voted not to approve a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association proposal for an eight-game regular-season schedule that included a guarantee of a ninth game for teams not qualifying for the playoffs beginning in 2011. The WFCA proposal was an alternative to an early start date approved by the Board in June.  The early start date eliminates the three-games-in-10-days scenario at the end of the season and maintains a nine-game schedule.

The Board gave its approval of the 2010-11 zero-based, operations budget of  $7.9 million. The budget reflects a growth in projected income from an increase in State Tournament sponsorship agreements, a guaranteed rights fee from When We Were Young Productions, an increase in football State finals ticket price and the addition of a fifth division championship in basketball. It also reflects expenses, including legal fees, routine program enhancement costs for registration and results services and an increase in cross country sectional host allowance.

The projected increase in revenue does not reflect an increase in ticket prices for the State Softball and State Baseball Tournaments from $6 to $8, which was also approved by the Board for next spring.

In further Board action, it authorized a five-year extension through 2015 of an existing agreement with Uihlein Soccer Park as the State venue for the State Boys and Girls Soccer Tournaments. Uihlein officials recently announced construction to install FieldTurf will be completed by the State Boys Soccer Tournament on Oct. 28-30. The project includes naming the facility Time Warner Cable Stadium. Every game of the State Boys and Girls Soccer Tournaments are scheduled to be played at the stadium. Uihlein Soccer Park has hosted the State soccer tournaments since 2003-04.

Member schools are now granted the opportunity to utilize on-line ticketing for pre-State Tournament Series events following the Board’s acceptance of the proposal. Schools hosting WIAA Tournament Series events may use the service of their choice provided added fees do not exceed $1.

The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 506 senior high schools and 85 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It will sponsor 25 championship tournament series in 2010-11. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.