STEVENS POINT — The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Conference Realignment Task Force convened Thursday, Jan. 11 to conduct appeals for requests that were denied in December in addition to providing a hearing and configuring plans that were modified from their original proposals.

The current nonfootball conference realignment process addresses sports other than football for implementation in 2025-26. Football-only conference realignment consideration occurs on an alternate-year rotation.  

There were two appeals of denied plans conducted by the Task Force. One denial was upheld, while a modified appeal will receive further consideration.

Based on the information gathered from the hearings for the modified plans, the Task Force amended a number of the proposals that will receive a hearing for all schools impacted by the modifications at the Feb. 8 meeting. Schools that are affected by modified realignment solutions have the opportunity to provide feedback, which enhances engagement, communication and transparency in the conference realignment process.

As a result of the appeal by the Capitol Conference, the Task Force reconfigured the alignments of the Capitol Conference,  Rock Valley Conference and a new league to be named at a later date. Under the modified plan, the proposed Capitol Conference will comprise Clinton, Columbus, Jefferson, Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran, Lodi, Whitewater and Waupun. The Rock Valley Conference will include Big Foot, Delavan-Darien, East Troy, Edgerton, Evansville, Monroe and Turner. A newly formed conference will include Belleville, Brodhead, Cambridge, Marshall, New Glarus, Poynette, Waterloo and Wisconsin Heights.

The Task Force also modified plans in an effort to place Plymouth and Kewaskum into a conference.

The Task Force also addressed conference alignment for the inaugural season of boys and girls lacrosse in 2026.

The conference configurations for all the modified realignment plans, as well as all the original realignment proposals submitted, are available on the Conference Realignment Requests and Proposals page of the WIAA Website at http://tinyurl.com/3pw89d7e. The Board of Control will vote on the recommendations of the Task Force at its meeting Tuesday, March 5. The Board has the options to approve, reject or remand realignment recommendations back to the Task Force. If approved, the modifications will be implemented for the 2025-26 sports seasons. If remanded, the Task Force will reconvene to make appropriate changes to the plan before presenting it to the Board of Control again in April. If rejected, the conferences will remain in their current configuration.

The WIAA, as defined by its Constitution, is a voluntary, unincorporated, and nonprofit organization. The membership oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 515 senior high schools and 43 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.