MONROE — The Athletic Directors for Monroe and Darlington appealed their respective football teams’ promotion to a higher division recently set forth by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (WIAA) new competitive balance system, which will go into effect in the 2024-25 school year. Both teams’ appeals were denied on Wednesday, Dec. 6.
COMPETITIVE BALANCE AND TOURNAMENT PERFORMANCE FACTOR
In April, the WIAA approved a competitive balance proposal that determines postseason divisions based on a performance point system. The new system includes a Tournament Performance Factor that doles out points based on a team’s postseason success on a rolling 3-year period.
If a team reaches six points in any given 3-year period, that team will be moved up a division for the next season’s playoffs. No team can get moved up more than one division at a time. If a team that previously got bumped up does not accumulate six or more points in a 3-year span, they will be moved back down a division. The exception to these rules is enrollment.
Newly formed cooperatives that combine enrollments when determining divisions will also combine point totals.
For baseball, basketball, football, hockey, softball, soccer and volleyball, points are distributed as such:
● State champions: 4 points
● State runner-up: 3 points
● Final 4: 2 points
● Final 8: 1 point
Sports that do not operate in a bracket during the postseason will have their points calculated differently. Track and Field and swimming will continue to use only enrollment when determining divisions.
Going back to the 2021 season, which is the first year of the current 3-year span, Monroe football reached Level 4. They fell to Pewaukee 28-14, earning two points. In 2022, the Cheesemakers were undefeated Division 3 state champions, which is worth four points. This season, 2023, the team lost to Stoughton 23-16 in Level 3, picking up another point. Added up, Monroe tallied seven points, which is above the 6-point threshold to move up a division.
Likewise, Darlington had a successful 3-year run. The Redbirds reached Level 4 in back-to-back seasons, which is worth two points each. This season, Darlington was the Division 6 state runner-up — another three points. In total, the team also accumulated seven points.
APPEAL CRITERIA AND DENIAL
The proposal allows a team to appeal its promotion to a new division, which both Monroe Athletic Director Jeff Newcomer and Darlington Athletic Director Tanner Havens did. The ADs had from the end of the 2023 state tournament (Nov. 17) until Dec. 1 to file their appeals.
The classification committee — 15 members who serve 3-year terms — then considered the following eight criteria when approving or denying an appeal. For an appeal to be approved, a majority of the classification committee must be in favor.
● 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
● Student enrollment factors (i.e open enrollment, students from outside your school’s location)
Monroe and Darlington’s appeals were denied on Dec. 6, meaning they will be promoted to Division 2 and 5, respectively. The school administrators received a letter from the WIAA classification committee explaining the denial on Dec. 7.
The letter stated, “This notice reflects the actions of the December 6th Classification Committee meeting regarding the appeal application submitted by your school for divisional promotion due to the accumulation of performance points in Football. The committee reviewed the eight areas of consideration as presented to us in your request. … For your awareness, your appeal has been denied for the fall 2024. You may reapply next year for the 2025 season.”
Darlington football head coach Travis Winkers felt his team had a strong argument — aside from competitive history and balance. He was more disgruntled, however, on the lack of reasoning from the WIAA.
“It is what it is. I felt we had a pretty strong argument based on almost all the eight layers of criteria. The competitive history is the only one we may not,” he said. “The fact that we didn’t even get an explanation on our denial — we simply got a generic response — shows me they didn’t truly look at the appeals, too.”
Newcomer, too, acknowledged that the Monroe football team had been successful in recent years (competitive history and balance), but thought the other seven factors would be in Monroe’s favor for a successful appeal. (See Appeal Criteria, above).
“Yes, we have a strong history of football success, but prior to 2016, not so much,” he said. “I know why we put this rule in place. If there was a team, school or town that fit the mold of accepting the request, though, I 100% feel it would have been Monroe — even Darlington.”
A large portion of both Monroe and Darlington’s football programs have come from their respective senior classes. The Cheesemakers graduated 14 players from its 2023 roster (39%), while Darlington graduated 15 players from its 2023 roster (26%) (movement of student athletes).
Although Monroe’s enrollment has increased in the last three years — 717 to 742 — it is projected to decrease in the next five years. This was a large factor in the school’s relocation to the Rock Valley Conference beginning this season (enrollment trends). Part of the reason for this decline is open enrollment. In 2022, Monroe gained 108 students but lost 178, a net change of -70 students (enrollment factors).
Darlington’s enrollment has increased from 262 to 280. The district has also lost students due to open enrollment, but at a smaller scale (enrollment trends and enrollment factors).
OBJECTIONS TO THE PROPOSAL
Even when the competitive balance proposal was approved in April, Winkers was opposed to the idea. He felt that the 3-year window was too small of a sample size to understand a team’s trajectory.
“I wish it was built over a 5-year span instead of a 3-year span,” he said. “I think a 5-year span gives a more true viewpoint, specifically for small rural schools. A really strong athletic class in a small school results in many of them playing as sophomores. Now the success of that one class has a direct effect on the classes behind them.”
Winkers sited Mayville as another prime example of a team negatively affected by the small window. The Cardinals made the Division 5 state championship in back-to-back seasons (3 points) but didn’t make it past Level 2 this year (0 points). Still, their appeal was denied, and Mayville will now play in Division 4 for the 2024 season.
“There were some other schools like Mayville who I feel had a strong argument. They went to state two years in a row with one of the better classes in their school in the last 20 years but then didn’t accumulate any points once that class graduated,” Winkers said. “That clearly shows that one class can bump you up a division and by losing their appeal directly affects future classes.”
Monroe football head coach Toby Golembiewski took it a step further, saying the rule punishes a current team based on past teams’ performances. It also undermines the hard work his team — and others — to have a prosperous season.
“I don’t know why kids are being penalized for what kids did before them,” he said. “We work very hard to get our kids ready and be successful.”
THE LONE APPROVAL
Overall, 97 teams were affected by the new competitive balance rule — 11 girls cross country, 10 boys cross country, 15 football, 4 girls golf, 8 boys soccer, 5 girls tennis, 9 girls volleyball, 4 boys basketball, 6 girls basketball, 3 gymnastics, 2 boys hockey, 3 wrestling, 2 baseball, 3 boys golf, 5 girls soccer, 5 softball and boys tennis.
Of those 97 teams, 33 were unable to send an appeal because they were already in Division 1 — the largest division based on enrollment. Of the remaining 64 teams that could appeal, 24 did, including Monroe and Darlington. They, along with 21 other schools, were denied. Only one appeal was approved — Wonewoc-Center volleyball.
The Wolves have reached the state tournament for the last three years and were Division 4 state champions this season. Thus, Wonewoc-Center has accumulated eight points for the 3-year window (competitive balance).
The team graduated five players from its 2023 roster — all key cogs in their state run (45%) (movement of student athletes). Wonewoc-Center’s enrollment has been steady in the last three years between 106 to 115, with 21.1% of students coming from open enrollment (enrollment trends and enrollment factors).
Appeal criteria aside, the WIAA’s decision comes in conjunction with the approval of five divisions for girls volleyball instead of four. This structure mirrors girls basketball, where Wonewoc-Center is in Division 5 based on enrollment. Thus, the approval to stay in Division 4 is essentially a promotion.
ON THE CUSP
While Monroe and Darlington football were the only local teams affected by the new competitive balance rule, several other local teams had accumulated a significant number of points.
Black Hawk-Warren football tallied five points in the last three years, reaching Level 3 in back-to-back seasons with a Division 7 state runner-up title in 2023. Had the Warriors won state this year, they would have likely been moved up to Division 6. If the team reaches Level 4 next season, it will reach the 6-point threshold.
Monticello volleyball also accumulated five points in the last three years. The Ponies made back-to-back state trips in 2021 and 2022, claiming the Division 4 state runner-up title in 2022. This season, Monticello lost its opening playoff game and didn’t pick up a point. The team would need to reach the state tournament next year in order tally six points.
With its Division 3 state title this fall, Sugar River boys soccer picked up four points. Because the Raiders faced a gauntlet in the two playoffs prior and did not advance to the sectional final, they did not accumulate any points. If the team makes the state tournament next season, it would likely get promoted to Division 2.
Likewise, Brodhead softball earned four points with its Division 3 state title this spring. The Cardinals did not earn any points in 2021 or 2022, losing in regionals both seasons. If Brodhead makes the state tournament again this spring, the team will have six points and likely get moved to Division 2 for 2025.
Pecatonica baseball, after making its first state appearance in program history this spring, earned three points with its Division 4 state runner-up title. Because the Vikings reached the sectional final in 2022, they total four points in the last three years. If the team makes it to the state tournament again this spring, it would likely get bumped up to Division 3 for the 2025 playoffs.
Individually, Albany girls basketball qualified for its first state tournament last season. Although they fell in the semifinal, the Comets still picked up two points. The year prior, the team earned a point. Albany began its co-op with Monticello this season, but the Ponies did not tally any points in the last three years. Thus, Albany-Monticello’s total remains at three points. If the co-op reaches the state championship this year, it would likely get promoted to Division 4.
MOVING FORWARD
Although neither administration is pleased with the WIAA classification committee’s decision, they must accept outcome. Newcomer acknowledges that Monroe athletics have been disadvantaged in the past and that the Cheesemakers have thrived, nonetheless.
“We’ve always prided ourselves on doing more with less,” Newcomer said. “We have some hard-working kids that overcome a lot of those things that we lack.”
Thinking logistically, Winkers said not much changes. He and his staff will still prepare their kids for success, no matter who the Redbirds face.
“In regards to our football program, the only thing it changes is places and teams I will send scouts to throughout the season,” he said. “We will continue to assess our strengths and weaknesses of our program to work on prior to next season. Whether we are playing in D6, D5, or D1, this is what we will do.”
Channeling these frustrations, Monroe and head coach Golembiewski will use the decision as added fire for the 2024-25 season.
“We have no choice now. We will have to use it as a motivator,” Golembiewski said.
