STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Jeff Sitz, executive director and secretary for the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association (WADA) and former athletic director at Wisconsin Lutheran High School was inducted into the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the 56th National Athletic Directors Conference Monday, Dec. 15 in Tampa, Fla.
In his service to the WIAA, Sitz served on the ad hoc committee assigned to review provisions that would afford private schools a membership option in the WIAA by 2000-01. He later served on the ad hoc committee in 2014-15 to study a competitive balance solution. Other state leadership roles included serving as president of the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Directors Association (WISADA), president of the WADA Board of Directors and hosting numerous WIAA regional and sectional championship events across nine sports
Sitz is a respected leader in his community, statewide and nationally. His 38-year tenure as athletic director at Wisconsin Lutheran produced significant success and respect for the athletic program. Under his direction, the Vikings earned 26 State Tournament championships and 26 State Tournament runner-up finishes. However, his contributions went beyond wins and losses. He created the school’s first Student-Athlete and Coaches Handbooks, established the All-Sports Booster Club, founded the Hall of Fame, and developed the Junior Viking Athletic Program.
His vision drove two major capital campaigns that resulted in state-of-the-art facilities including track and field complexes, turf fields, weight rooms and wrestling facilities. He expanded opportunities by adding girls soccer and girls wrestling programs and created and hired the Director of Sport Performance position.
Prior to his executive director role with WADA, Sitz held roles as assistant executive director, Awards Committee chair, and Certification Committee chair. His dedication earned him the 2020 WADA State Athletic Director of the Year award and induction into the WADA Hall of Fame in 2023.
With the NIAAA, Sitz’s impact has been profound. He served on the NIAAA Board of Directors and was president in 2018. He champions professional development and organizational growth, showcased by being the Finance Chair for the NIAAA’s 6th Strategic Planning Committee. In addition, he is a member of the NIAAA National Faculty and is chair of Leadership Training Course (LTC) 706, and helped split LTC 706 into two courses.
Other national accolades include receiving the NFHS Citation Award, the NIAAA Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award, and the NIAAA 35-Year Award.
# WIAA #
Contributions from NFHS Communication