A statewide football realignment proposal shows big changes for Big Rivers and others

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WEAU) – Conference realignment changes proposed by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association’s conference realignment task force point to significant impacts for western Wisconsin schools beginning in the 2024 season.

First, the Big Rivers and Valley Football Association would merge into two conferences, ending a long-standing rivalry between both Eau Claires public schools and familiar foes such as Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Hudson. 11-player football proposal for the 2024-25 season.

The football-only proposal would also eliminate the Lakeland Conference, reducing the state from 49 to 48 football conferences. The new conferences would be in effect for the 2024 and 2025 football seasons before the next round of semi-annual football realignment. for the year 2026.

One of the most significant changes in the state is the merger of the Big Rivers-Valley Football Association into two leagues. According to a document released by the WIAA, Eau Claire Memorial and Eau Claire North would join the new conference, Big Rivers/VFA East, along with DC Everest, Marshfield, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln and Wausau West. Big Rivers-VFA West would include Chippewa Falls, Hudson, Menomonie, New Richmond, Rice Lake, River Falls and Superior. Both leagues played one mandated crossover game, East vs. West, and the seventh conference game counts toward the playoffs. The move would break the state’s eighth-most played contests, Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire Memorial, which have been played 114 times, according to data tracked by WisSports.net. Chippewa Falls Director of Operations Mike Thompson tweeted that the proposal would radically change the Big Rivers Conference, which is rich in tradition and competition.

For smaller Chippewa Valley schools, Dunn-St. Croix and Heart O North conferences would get a makeover and play each other in a crossover game. The DSC would include Boyceville, Cadott, Colfax, Elmwood/Plum City, Spring Valley, Unity and Webster, while the Heart O North would split into two leagues, with the conference’s minor division intersecting with the DSC and including Cameron, Chetek. -Weyerhaeuser, Clear Lake, Glenwood City, Grantsburg, Ladysmith and Turtle Lake. The Cloverbelt, Dairyland and Mississippi Valley conferences would remain intact. Altoona would join the Middle Border Conference along with several western Wisconsin schools in another change.

Former Lakeland Conference schools will be moved to the new Heart O North and Dunn-St. Croix leagues, making the Lakeland Conference no longer a football conference under the proposal.

According to WisSports.net 105 teams in 11-man football would switch conferences according to the proposal, 12 players will move from 11-man football to 8-man football. A total of 336 schools will participate in 11-man football in 2024, with 224 teams making the playoffs. In addition, 67 programs would compete at the 8-player level.

Document sent by WIAA shows that there are still nine conferences in 8-man football, with Western Wisconsin teams predominantly in five. Northwest Wisconsin schools are in the North Central East and North Central West conferences, which include many former Lakeland Conference schools. Teams from the north-central part of the state, including schools in Rusk and Taylor counties, participate in the Northwoods East and Northwoods West conferences. Schools in the southwestern part of the state, including Vernon and Crawford counties, are in the Southwest Conference.

Schools affected by the proposed change will provide feedback at a January meeting with the WIAA, and a task force meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 to consider the feedback. The Jan. 12 meeting will also deal with complaints from schools that rejected their requests for reorganization before the proposal was made public. If the task force does not approve the appeal, schools can still appeal directly to the WIAA at its Feb. 1 board of control meeting. If necessary, recommendations will be made back to the working group at its meeting on February 9. Plans made from these meetings will be finalized at the March 7 WIAA Board of Control meeting.

WIAA Conference Realignment Process flow chart is available at Reorganization of the conference page on the WIAA website and an explanation of the conference realignment process and the Conference Realignment Task Force.

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