The WIAA Board of Control approved a number of measures on Friday morning, including an alternate fall season plan for schools that can’t participate in fall sports due to coronavirus restrictions.

On a 11-0 vote, a modified winter-alternate fall-spring plan was passed that has the winter and spring sports seasons shortened by a couple of weeks each.  It also moves tournament dates around, referred to as culminating events.  Schools will have until September 1 to declare whether they will play their fall sports this fall, or take the alternate schedule in the spring.

For schools that compete in the spring with their fall sports, there will be some overlap with spring sports, but the WIAA has no rules against multiple-sport participation by student athletes.  The ability to play dual sports is up to each school district.

For football, schools competing this fall will play seven regular-season weeks with two culminating event weeks, while the schools playing in the spring will play seven regular-season games with no postseason.

Practice for football, volleyball and soccer starts on September 7.

In a move that was expected for some time, the WIAA’s Board of Control canceled its spring sports season and tournament series on Tuesday.

The WIAA originally canceled the rest of the winter sports season back on March 12, due to COVID-19.

When governor Tony Evers ordered schools in the state closed a week later, the spring sports season was in jeopardy.  The governor’s Stay at Home order was extended for the rest of the school year which forced the WIAA to take the latest action.

The state’s high school sports governing body was holding out hope for as long as possible.  But it wasn’t just the governor’s order.  The University of Wisconsin’s decision to cancel all non-essential events through June 30, forced the WIAA to find new venues for the state tournament series if the season was actually delayed.  Those events included the state boys individual and team tennis events at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, boys golf at University Ridge and softball at Goodman Diamond.

Prep coaches in spring sports will be able to continue to offer virtual coaching until the end of the season, which is defined as the final date of that sport’s state tournament or meet.

The Board of Control also expanded the number of summer contact days for spring sports from five to 30.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, in accordance with policies and guidance from public health organizations and the World Health Organization for mass gatherings, will be limiting attendance at the remainder of all winter tournament events this weekend and next weekend.

The restriction also includes the boys basketball sectional semifinal and final games, the State Girls Basketball Tournament, and the State Boys Basketball Tournament.  The boys sectional competition runs tonight (Thursday night) and Saturday.  The Girls Tournament runs today through Saturday and the Boys Tournament is set for March 19-21.

The guidelines for mass gatherings calls for restriction of public events to 50-250 attendees, depending on the event and venue.  This pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances that make these decisions and actions prudent and necessary. [Read more…]