Competitive Balance

The WIAA membership has established a procedure to address competitive balance in the WIAA tournament series. The Classification Committee has been created to lead this process. The 18 members, consisting of school administrators and athletic directors are appointed by WIAA staff and approved by the Board of Control. They serve a 3-year term, and tenure may not encompass more than two full 3-year terms. The Classification Committee will elect Co-Chairs to serve for 2 years, staggered terms, in that leadership role. This committee will meet 6 times per year to review applications and to make decisions regarding those applications. The committee’s decision regarding applications is final. In addition, the committee will revise and make recommendations to the classification process which will be advanced to the Board of Control for approval.

A classification committee, comprised of members serving three-year terms, will hear appeals made by schools and will consider the following factors when placing programs in a higher or lower division upon a school's appeal: 

• Prior year out-of-building student percentage on rosters or historical movement of student-athletes
• Socioeconomics of the school's population 
• Demographics of the school's population 
• Competitive history and balance
• Geography 
• School's enrollment trend 
• Student participation rate in WIAA-sponsored activities 
• Admission policies of the school concerning student enrollment 

2025-26 Classification Committee Members 

Co-Chairs : Doug Parker & Aaron Moen

• Andie Alexander, Athletic Director at Stoughton - Term expires: 2026-27
• Kurt Cohen, District Administrator at Potosi - Term expires: 2025-26
• Bryon Graun, Athletic Director at Colby - Term expires: 2025-26
• John Handel, Athletic Director at Elkhorn - Term expires: 2025-26
• Cory Hinkel, Superintendent at Luck - Term expires: 2025-26
• Jason Knott, Superintendent at Pittsville - Term expires: 2027-28
• Michael Lambrecht, Principal at Columbus Catholic - Term expires: 2025-26
• Jason Lulloff, Athletic Director at Holmen - Term expires: 2026-27
• Aaron Moen, Athletic Director at Hudson (Co-Chair) - Term expires: 2026-27
• Ella Olson, Athletic Director at Superior - Term expires: 2026-27
• Doug Parker, District Administrator at Big Foot (Co-Chair) - Term expires: 2025-26
• Paul Pedersen, President at Regis - Term expires: 2027-28
• Kyle Polzin, Athletic Director at Delavan-Darien - Term expires: 2027-28
• Dan Quesnell, Principal at Divine Savior Holy Angels - Term expires: 2026-27
• Nicole Schmidt, Athletic Director at Mishicot - Term expires: 2027-28
• Cordell Smith, Athletic Director at Franklin - Term expires: 2026-27
• Tony Sweere, Superintendent at Hilbert - Term expires: 2027-28

IMPORTANT DATES : 

October 1 - Fall Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal opens
December 1 - Fall Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal closes

February 1 - Winter Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal opens

April 1 - Winter Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal closes

May 1 - Spring Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal opens

July 1 - Spring Sports Competitive Balance Classification Application to Request Up/Down and/or Appeal closes

Form Questions : 

Q. When is the Tournament Classification Request to Move Up or Down a Division Form Used? 

A. You would use the change request form when your team(s) have not been competitive in the WIAA tournament series for a significant period of time. This request, if approved, would place your team in a division lower than your enrollment. This form would need to be completed annually if you wish to keep playing down a division.

Q. When is the Tournament Classification Appeal Form Used?
A. You would use the appeal form when your team(s) have indeed met the 6 point tournament performance factor threshold, but you would like to compete at the division where your enrollment places you instead of playing at the promoted division. This form would need to be completed each time you wish to appeal the 6 point promotion.  

CHECK POINTS HERE

WHO TO CONTACT : 
Doug Parker, Co-Chair :  [email protected] / (262) 394-4501
Aaron Moen, Co-Chair : [email protected]/ (612) 581-1727
WIAA Office : (715) 344-8580

WIAA Performance Factor to Impact 2024-25 Tournament Series Placements 

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association competitive balance initiative completed its first full year of applying the performance factor for division placements, which will begin with the 2024-25 sports seasons.

The Classification Committee assembled to discuss and review the performance factor process and criteria in July. The committee recommended no changes to the process or criteria, citing results of performance factor couldn’t be appropriately evaluated until competition results are recorded to fully determine its impact. 

An ad hoc committee consisting of 11 superintendents/district administrators, six athletic directors, one principal and one principal/athletic director proposed the performance factor process, which was approved by a 265-115 membership vote at the 2023 Annual Meeting for implementation in 2024-25. The initiative promotes school programs that reach a threshold of tournament success based on a performance point system allocated over a three-year period. 

School programs reaching the six-point performance factor threshold during the past three seasons are placed in the division containing the next largest set of enrollments from where the schools’ enrollments would place them for each respective sport other than track & field and swimming & diving–which do not have a team component to advance in the Tournament Series–and sports with only one division. Schools are restricted to moving up a maximum of one division from the previous year’s placement. 

This performance factor initiative affords schools the opportunity to request to move down a division with lower enrollments. The Classification Committee reviewed 46 such requests in 2023-24. Eighteen of those requests were approved. 

The number of sports programs that have accumulated at least six points to engage a promotion to a division with higher enrollments–if their 2024-25 tournament placement enrollment doesn’t initially move them up a division–was 136 this year. It is noteworthy that 45 of those programs that achieved the six-point threshold competed in Division 1 in 2023-24 and will be promoted only if their enrollment places them in a division with lower enrollments.

The performance factor process also affords schools the opportunity to appeal their promotion to the division with the next largest enrollments based on performance points. Of the 136 programs reaching the three-year, six-point threshold in all respective sports in 2023-24 resulting in a promotion, 46 appeals were submitted. The Classification Committee reviewed and evaluated these appeals with three approvals.

Additional information will be reported by members of the Classification Committee at the Area Meetings in September.  For more on the performance factor process, visit the Competitive Balance homepage on the WIAA website.

# WIAA #

WIAA Spring Performance Factor Results in Divisional Movement
WIAA Winter Performance Factor Results in Divisional Movement
WIAA Fall Performance Factor Results in Divisional Movement