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WFCA releases details of much-discussed football-only realignment plan

07/23/2018, 9:45am CDT
By Travis Wilson

Conference realignment has been the bane of existence for the WIAA, schools, administrators, and coaches for years. Often driven by success, or lack thereof, in football, attempts have been made in the past to address it in just the problem sport, most notably with the District Plan introduced in 2009. While that proposal failed, discussions have continued, and momentum has built considerably over the last year or so.

After significant support for the concept of statewide football-only conference realignment at last fall's WIAA Area Meetings, the WIAA tasked the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association in December with creating a proposal for their consideration.

As a member of the WFCA Executive Board in charge of the website and communications, I have been part of the Ad Hoc Committee that has worked for the last seven months on a plan to realign the entire state into more manageable conference assignments and develop a process for review and relief.

Today, the WFCA has announced the full statewide football-only conference realignment plan with a goal of implementation in the 2020 season. The WFCA's plan has been presented to the WIAA staff, who have shown support. Final passage of the proposal still lies with the WIAA Board of Control, who will vote on the plan later this year or perhaps in January of 2019.

The objectives identified by the WIAA included creating uniformity in the number of teams in each conference as well as standardizing the number of conference games each team plays for playoff qualification. Currently, some teams are members of conferences with as many as 11 members and as few as five. This means some teams have to win five games to become playoff-eligible, while others need to win just two.

Conferences with an odd number of teams have faced considerable challenges in finding non-conference games, especially once most leagues enter conference play. 

In the WFCA proposal, all teams would play exactly seven conference games, occurring in Weeks Three through Nine. Weeks One and Two would be open for non-conference games for all teams in the state.

All teams playing 11-man football would be placed into leagues with eight or perhaps seven teams (along with two, nine-team conferences, though that could change by the time of implementation). A goal of the discussions was to change as few teams as possible. As a result, the final draft of the plan would see only about 18% of the teams in the state change from their current conference affiliation. Leagues that feature seven teams will be provided a designated "sister conference" that will feature required bye week crossovers in Weeks Three through Nine that will count in conference standings for both sides. 

In addition to support from the WIAA and many of the school administrators, the concept of football-only conference realignment was favored by 65% of respondents to a 2017 WFCA survey as opposed to the status quo.

Of note, this proposal does not change the playoff qualifying process or procedures.

The goal of the WFCA Ad Hoc Committee was not specifically to provide relief for those schools that have requested it in the past, but where opportunities arose and without disrupting the primary goals of creating uniformity, some schools were moved to better situations.

There will be a designated process for schools to request review and relief from their designated conferences, with a two-year cycle (see below). A committee would review official written requests from member schools by February 1st of odd-numbered years, and then provide a recommendation to the WIAA Board of Control, who has final say in all realignment matters. Requests for relief must include the written approval of the head coach, Athletic Director, High School Principal, and District Superintendent. Getting support from all key decision-makers is an important part of the proposal, as situations have arisen in the past where a coach or athletic director has indicated they want to move conferences, only for the superintendent or administration to overrule with a different viewpoint. It also engages all parties to ensure there are no surprises.

Schools must also provide rationale for moving conferences as well as a plan for a proposed change. Simply not being able to win would not be an acceptable rationale. Reasons related to enrollment trends, student population, etc. that may be causing teams to struggle in the Win-Loss column or perhaps travel issues would be the kinds of things that would receive more consideration in the review process.

WIAA procedures will also be in place to address situations where a team drops football, enters a new co-op, switches to 8-Player, or new teams are formed. Requests for relief would only be made in odd-numbered years, to be reviewed and then any changes implemented in the even-numbered years. Once implemented there would not be any changes until the next even-numbered year, so all conference designations would apply for a minimum of two years.

The WIAA has final authority to change or adjust the plan at any time. 

The WFCA ad hoc committee went through more than a dozen formal drafts of the conference assignments, and many more discussions, thoughts, suggestions, and options. The committee poured many, many hours into making it as fair and equitable as possible. The WFCA Ad Hoc Committee consisted of: Doug Sarver, Saint Francis (committee chairman and WFCA President); Tony Biolo, Wisconsin Rapids (WFCA Past President); Jerry Hannack, Elmwood/Plum City (WFCA Northern Vice President); Matt Hensler, Badger (WFCA Southern Vice President); John Hoch, Lancaster (WFCA Liaison & President-Elect); Travis Wilson, WisSports.net General Manager & WFCA Communications Director. WIAA Deputy Director Wade Labecki was also involved in many of the discussions.

In the document below, teams highlighted in yellow have moved from their current conference affiliation. Conferences highlighted the same color and positioned next to each other are "sister conferences".

Rationale and Other Criteria

Goals of Ad Hoc Committee when creating Football-Only Conference Realignment Plan:

  • Bring uniformity to conferences throughout the state (majority of conferences will now be eight-team conferences, any seven-team conferences will "sister" with another league of similar enrollment sizes and geography for required crossovers during bye week that count in conference standings
  • All teams have seven conference games for playoff qualification

Other Items of note:

  • This is a varsity-only solution and conference system. Sub-varsity scheduling will be determined by the schools. Alternatives for sub-varsity scheduling include (but are not limited to):
    • Current Conference Schedule
    • Football-Only Conference Schedule
    • Individual schools develop their own schedules
  • WIAA Playoff Criteria DOES NOT CHANGE under this proposal
  • Conferences will remain in charge of scheduling of conference games
  • Conferences will determine how the sister conference crossovers will work and be decided

Timeline

The plan will be presented at the August WIAA Board of Control meeting, though no vote will be taken at that time. The proposal will then be discussed at the fall WIAA Area Meetings.

Based on feedback received from member schools, the WIAA will determine when the plan will be presented for final approval to the WIAA Board of Control. That could be this fall, or perhaps January of 2019.

If passed as presented, the timeline for implementation would then be:

  • December 2018 - Schools must declare for 8-Man Football; can only declare for 8-Player in even years & must remain in 8-Player for two years
  • Spring 2019 - Schools can request review and relief from their new football-only designation; reviewed by WIAA process and final changes made and announced for implementation in 2020 (teams would play 2019 season in current conference assignments)
  • Fall 2020 - Football-only conference plan implemented and teams are locked into the new football-only conferences for 2020 and 2021 seasons
  • December 2020 - Teams must declare for 8-Player Football (two year requirement)
  • Spring 2021 - Schools can request relief; reviewed by WIAA and final changes announced for 2022 season
  • Cycle repeats every two years.

Process for Review and Relief

We will have the opportunity to evaluate/change Football-Only Conferences every two years. This will not be an automatic change or evaluation. Schools/Teams will have opportunities to be be adjusted on the ODD years if/when an issue occurs or a proposal is brought forward to the committee. This must be done before Feb. 1st of the ODD numbered year.

The Football-Only Committee will be made up of the following:
1-2 WIAA Members
2-3 WFCA Board of Directors (NVP, SVP & Pres. Elect)
2 Athletic Directors / Admin.

When asking for a Review/Relief from a Football-Only Conference. The teams will have the opportunity to submit a Review/Relief proposal that the committee will evaluate and consider.
The timeline for this will be as follows: School’s Athletic Director will submit the written proposal to the WIAA by Feb. ​1st​ in the ODD numbered year.

The written proposal MUST include: 

  • Approval of District Superintendent, High School Principal, Athletic Director and the Head Football Coach
  • Rationale and reasoning for the change
  • Plan and Option (or Options) of the proposed change:
    • Where will your school be placed
    • What school will replace you within your football-only conference
    • When left with a 7-Team conference, WHO would be your paired (sister) conference?

In Review, the following steps need to be taken when asking for review/relief from a Football-Only conference:

Written Proposal due to the WIAA by Feb. 1st in the ODD numbered year. Proposal to include:

  • Agreement of School Personnel
  • Rational/Reasoning for change
  • Plan/Option of proposed change

Addendum:

Badger, FRCC, Milwaukee City, VFA, & Woodland (2020 Listed Teams)
These are the larger (14/16-Team) Conferences that will need to split, two 8-team groups or two 7-team groups. If it is in two 7-team groups, these are automatically paired (sister conf.) for the bye week of conference play.

These conferences can configure however they would like before the 2020 season (must have something in to WIAA by Feb. 2019). The WFCA/WIAA has a recommendation proposed for those schools if they cannot come to an agreement on how they would like to “split”. They DO NOT have to go thru the same Review & Relief process to switch within their full conference, as long as no team is leaving or coming into the conference.

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.

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