STEVENS POINT, WI – The 2025 high school football season is officially wrapped up, but two programs in Northeast Wisconsin, Winneconne and West De Pere, are already making headlines heading into 2026. Both schools have earned enough postseason success over the past three years to be elevated to higher divisions under the WIAA’s Tournament Performance Factor, which awards points based on playoff finishes and moves teams up once they reach six points over a rolling three-year period.
West De Pere, a perennial contender and one of the state’s most consistent Division 2 programs, has reached the threshold to be promoted to Division 1 next fall. The Phantoms’ deep playoff runs, highlighted by another strong postseason showing in 2025, solidified their rise into Wisconsin’s top tier. West De Pere joins powerhouse programs like Muskego, Kimberly, and Bay Port in the state’s largest and most competitive division.
Meanwhile, Winneconne will also be moving up a class, jumping from Division 4 to Division 3. The Wolves have quietly built one of the region’s strongest playoff resumes, stacking up enough Tournament Performance Factor points to earn the promotion for 2026. Their recent postseason consistency, including multiple deep playoff appearances, helped push them over the six-point mark.
Both schools have the option to appeal their elevation before the December 1 deadline, but if the moves stand, Winneconne and West De Pere will enter new competitive landscapes next season. The reclassification marks a major shift for both programs as they prepare for tougher schedules and new postseason paths in 2026.
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