Annual Meeting Preview: Nonschool Opportunities for Amendment
Posted: 4/23/2018
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association will conduct its 123rd Annual Meeting at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Stevens Point Wednesday, April 25.
The membership will consider four amendments, two for the Constitution and two for the Rules of Eligibility at the Association’s business meeting. Changes to the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules of Eligibility require a majority vote in favor of the amendment by the member schools’ delegates in attendance at the Annual Meeting.
An amendment would add language to the membership’s Nonschool Participation section of the Rules of Eligibility was advanced to the Annual Meeting by the Board of Control at its meeting in March.
At the Annual Meeting two years ago, the membership implemented the rule that permits, with school approval, a student-athlete to participate in up to two nonschool events during the regular season of the same respective sport.
If supported by the membership, this amendment will require students, who report late to the school team because of participation in a nonschool competition, to forfeit their opportunity to utilize their two school-approved, nonschool competitions. The rationale for the change is to avoid providing student-athletes with, in essence, an additional nonschool opportunity after reporting late to their school team because of nonschool competition.
Unanimous support for the amendment’s passage was demonstrated by each level of the representative committee structure. The Sports Advisory Committee voted 12-0 in favor of the amendment. The Advisory Council voted 17-0 in support and the Board of Control supported adoption of the amendment with a 10-0 recommendation.
According to the Constitution, the Board of Control has the authority following each Annual Meeting to incorporate related changes in the Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules of Eligibility with the action taken by the membership at the Annual Meeting. Any changes the Board may make shall not alter the meaning or intent of any provision. All approved amendments will become effective upon the next publishing of the Bulletin, the official publication of the WIAA, on May 25, 2018.
