STEVENS POINT, WI-

The Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee’s proposal this year is adjusted by assigning the top 96 teams in enrollment to Division 1, the smallest 128 teams to Division 5, and equally dividing the remainder of teams to Divisions 2, 3, and 4. There would be roughly 85-90 teams in each of Divisions 2, 3, and 4 depending on sport and year.

Division 1 would feature six sectionals of 16 teams, while the other divisions would retain a four sectional structure. As a result, two more Division 1 teams would make the state tournament in both boys and girls basketball. Using the computer seeding system, teams in D1 would be seeded one through six, with the top two seeds getting byes into the state semi-finals, while the number three seed would play the six-seed and the four-seed would face off against the five-seed in the state quarterfinals.

Last year, the WIAA Basketball Coaches Advisory Committee advanced a plan that would have revised how divisional assignments are made, created a total of six sectionals in Division 1, and added two Division 1 teams to the state tournament schedule for both boys and girls basketball.

That proposal was defeated at the Advisory Council level and thus not voted on by the Board of Control. However, both groups indicated support for the idea, though with different assignments for schools to divisions.

Since the WiAA moved to five divisions in 2011, there has been an open session in the state tournament schedule on Thursday morning. By adding two more Division 1 teams to the State Tournament, that Thursday morning session would be able to be filled.

The proposed adjusted state tournament schedule would be as follows:

Thursday
9:05 am – Division 4 Semifinals
1:35 pm – Division 3 Semifinals
6:35 pm – Division 1 Quarterfinals (3 vs. 6 / 4 vs. 5)

Friday
9:05 am – Division 5 Semifinals
1:35 pm – Division 2 Semifinals
6:35 pm – Division 1 Semifinals (1 vs. 3/6 winner — 2 vs. 4/5 winner)

Saturday
11:05 am – Division 5 Finals
12:45* pm – Division 4 Finals
2:30* pm – Division 3 Finals
6:35 pm – Division 2 Finals
8:15 pm – Division 1 Finals

The WIAA Advisory Council will review all basketball proposals at its June 20th meeting, though the group can vote down any or all plans and prevent a vote by the Board of Control on June 21st. Unlike the shot clock plan, the revised divisional placement and six-division proposal does not have to be voted on by the membership to be implemented.

If passed, this plan would have to be applied along with the recently passed Competitive Balance Plan beginning in the 2024-25 season.