WIAA Board Approves Key Changes to Basketball and Wrestling Regulations

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Board of Control made significant decisions affecting basketball and wrestling season regulations and membership policies during its June meeting.

Basketball Updates:

Four key recommendations from basketball coaches were approved, focusing on electronic seeding criteria for the Tournament Series starting next season. The changes include:

1. Forfeited Games: These will no longer be factored into a team’s win percentage.
2. Out-of-State Results: Games against teams from bordering states (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota) will influence both a team’s and its opponent’s win percentages. Games against non-bordering states will only affect a team’s own win percentage.
3. Head-to-Head Results: Introduced into the criteria when consecutive seeds have a final seeding calculation within a specific threshold, creating a virtual tie. Tie-breaker protocols will apply, and head-to-head results will determine the home team for first-round games.

Additionally, the 3-Point Challenge regulation has been updated, increasing the minimum number of attempts from 75 to 100 during the regular season to qualify.

Wrestling Enhancements:

The Board approved nine recommendations from wrestling coaches, significantly impacting girls’ wrestling and the State Individual Tournament schedule:

1. State Girls Wrestling Team Tournament: To be introduced in 2026-27. A girls’ team champion will be recognized starting in 2024-25, based on point values from the State Individual Wrestling Tournament.
2. Tournament Expansion: The girls’ tournament will expand to 16 regionals in 2024-25, advancing four girls to eight sectionals and then two girls from sectionals to the State Tournament.
3. Girls’ Program Mandate: Starting in 2025-26, sponsored girls’ wrestling programs must compete only against other schools with sponsored girls’ programs. Eligibility for the State Girls’ Wrestling Tournament will be restricted to participants from sponsored girls’ programs.
4. State Individual Tournament Schedule: The Thursday afternoon session will start one hour earlier, allowing for a two-match minimum for each participant. All matches up to the quarterfinals in all divisions will be completed on Thursday.
5. Tournament Seeding: Coaches must enter all competition results into a WIAA-preferred database within seven days. A 10-match minimum is required for consideration of a seed point when comparing winning percentages for the State Team Wrestling Tournament seeding.
6. Weigh-In Supervision: The WIAA adaptation to NFHS rules was struck, permitting any authorized person, not just licensed officials, to supervise weigh-ins.

These changes aim to streamline processes, ensure fair play, and enhance the experience for student-athletes across Wisconsin.