Press Release
STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control issued its approval for first consideration of a conference realignment proposal and a number of action items at its May meeting today.
The realignment plan moves Peshtigo from the M & O Conference to the Packerland Conference for all sports beginning in the fall of 2017. It also proposes three football-only conferences in the northeast portion of the state involving the Packerland, M & O and Northern Lakes Conferences, including two 11-player leagues and an 8-player conference, which would also be implemented in the fall of 2017.
The plan would create an eight-team football league comprised of Algoma, Coleman, Kewaunee, Niagara/Goodman/Pembine, Oconto, Peshtigo, Southern Door and Sturgeon Bay. It would also form a nine-team conference including Crandon, Crivitz, Elcho/White Lake, Florence, Gillett, Wabeno/Laona, Suring, Three Lakes/Phelps and Wausaukee. The seven-team, 8-player conference would include Bowler/Gresham, Gibraltar, Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, Menominee Indian, Oneida Nation and Sevastopol.
Membership rules require a 40-day window for schools involved in conference realignment plans to appeal the first consideration of the Board before it takes final action. Thus, schools have until June 29, 2016, to file an appeal of the Board’s initial vote. The Board is scheduled to take final action on the plan at its August 12 meeting.
In other action, the Board approved the boys hockey cooperative programs for 2016-17 and 2017-18, which were postponed from the April 19 meeting. It also approved the minutes of the 2016 Annual Meeting and the funding for repairs to the WIAA executive office.
The Board received Executive Staff reports and engaged in discussions with representatives of School Perceptions on a membership survey to gather data on competition, co-op teams and sports season placement. It also received liaison updates from John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Tim Collins of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.
The membership of the WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 511 senior high schools and 43 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It sponsors 24 championship tournament series in 2015-16. For more information, visit the WIAA website at www.wiaawi.org or contact the WIAA office at(715) 344-8580.