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WIAA Board Approves Basketball Shot Clock, Two Divisions in Boys Hockey Published on 06/23/2017 under Sports

STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control reviewed and approved a number of committee recommendations impacting winter sports, gave initial review and consideration of a newly conceived divisional placement plan for basketball, and engaged in robust membership-related discussions at its June meeting today.

Following a lengthy discussion, the Board voted to implement the use of a 35-second shot clock in basketball for varsity games only to begin with the 2019-20 season.

In other basketball-related action, coaches qualifying for the Sate Tournament will determine the seeds for the four qualifying teams in each of the five divisions with a Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association representative breaking any ties that may occur beginning in 2017-18.

Three other basketball recommendations received approval from the Board. If schools choose to play only one half of a junior varsity game and a full varsity game, players will be allowed to play in only two halves. Also approved was extending the coaching box to 28 feet from 14 feet for all levels. In addition, the number of players per team allowed to dress during the Tournament Series will increase to 18 while maintaining the maximum party limit of 22.

The Board also voted to convene the basketball coaches advisory committee following the 2017 Area Meetings to discuss the merits of a newly created basketball tournament placement model. Details of the plan will be shared and discussed at the Area Meetings and at each level of the committee process to be presented to the Board at its Jan. 31, 2018 meeting. General details of the plan is provided below.

The Board supported an amended recommendation for a two-year experiment on sponsoring two divisions in boys hockey beginning with the 2020 State Tournament. The tournament format will feature four teams in Division 1 and four in Division 2 with the smallest 32 programs by enrollment assigned to Division 2.

Another action item in hockey was the approval of the procedure for seeding the State Tournament. The WIAA will conduct a conference call with coaches of qualifying teams to determine the top four seeds, and the remaining four teams will be randomly drawn as opponents of the seeded teams in the brackets. The guidelines for seeding will replicate those for the regional and sectional levels.

Beginning next season, the State Tournament in team wrestling will also be seeded by coaches of qualifying teams. The process will replicate the procedure approved in boys hockey. Another wrestling recommendation approved for 2017-18 increases the total number of medals awarded to 28 at the State Team Tournament, which equals the number of eligible athletes. In other wrestling-related discussions, the Board was informed of a change in the Feb. 1, one-pound growth allowance to take effect on the date of the first regional competition.

The lone gymnastics coaches' recommendation received approval. It requires the final average score of a routine to be posted during meets throughout the season.

The Board also ratified spring cooperative programs for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons, general fund financial statements and payments and a spending resolution during development of the 2017-18 operational budget.

Among the additional discussions were a review of the 2017 spring State Tournaments, updates on Assembly Bill 260/Senate Bill 232, the 2017 New Athletic Director Workshop, possible 2017 Area Meeting topics, and potential Constitution items for the 2018 Annual Meeting.

The Board also received liaison reports from John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Peggy Seegers-Braun of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association.

The WIAA oversees interscholastic athletic programs for 511 senior high schools and 41 junior high/middle level schools in its membership. It sponsors 27 championship tournament series. For more information, please contact the WIAA office at (715) 344-8580.

In Other News

State Patrol Emphasizes ‘Move Over Law’ Ahead of National Day of Focus

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Published on 10/16/2026 under News Aspirus Health has announced it will sunset hospice care at the eight-bed Seasons of Life Hospice House in Woodruff, transitioning services directly into homes and assisted living facilities across the Northwoods. According to the announcement, the decision follows an evaluation of patient needs, staffing requirements, and long-term sustainability. Seasons of Life currently averages four patients daily while requiring round-the-clock staffing. Sustained low demand, high staffing needs, and rising costs made the dedicated facility model difficult to maintain, reflecting a national trend where hospice care overwhelmingly occurs in home or residential settings. Tom Kaster, VP of Home Health, Hospice and Home Medical Equipment for Aspirus Health, says, "Hospice care is not ending in the Northwoods. We are directing our resources toward a model that can reach more patients across a wider area while preserving compassionate support." Aspirus at Home–Home Care & Hospice expanded its Northwoods capabilities in July, including an improved on-call process and a broader service area. The team now supports patients in communities including Arbor Vitae, Eagle River, Three Lakes, Mercer, Manitowish Waters, Boulder Junction and Crandon. The Aspirus at Home Hospice team will create personalized transition plans for current patients at Seasons of Life. A final service date will depend on the patient census, and Aspirus is supporting the 11 affected team members with role options across the health system.

Published on 10/16/2026 under News Student actors from across the Northwoods will take the stage in Tomahawk this weekend. Tomahawk High School is hosting the District Fall One-Act Play Competition on Saturday. The host Hatchets will kick off the performances at 9:00 AM with their production of "Lost in the Woods" by Stephen Murray. The play follows a group of tech-free wilderness campers who get lost and encounter mysterious forest creatures and an eccentric counselor before help arrives. Tomahawk is aiming to secure its 11th consecutive trip to the state festival next month. Following Tomahawk's opening act, productions from Crandon, Northland Pines, and Oconto Falls will take the stage at the top of each hour. All performances are free and open to the public.

Published on 10/16/2026 under News Excitement is building across the state as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources prepares to launch its ninth official elk hunting season this Saturday, October 17. The reintroduction of elk to Wisconsin began in 1995 and has been a tremendous success. The Northern Elk Herd—roaming across Price, Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer, and Rusk counties—has grown to an estimated 383 animals as of this summer. Meanwhile, the Central Herd in Jackson and Monroe counties stands at an estimated 225 elk. New this year, tags are unit-specific, allowing wildlife managers to focus harvest pressure in areas with higher human-elk conflicts while helping the rest of the herd continue to grow. Even before the challenge of the hunt itself, winning a license is a rare feat. Out of more than 34,000 applicants statewide, just 16 state licenses were drawn. In the Northern Zone, an eight-bull quota is split evenly between four state hunters and four tribal members. In the Central Zone, 12 state licenses were awarded, split between six bulls and six antlerless elk. The season runs through December 13. Hunters are reminded to always positively identify their target and know the distinct differences between deer and elk before taking a shot.-Photo provide by Wisconsin DNR

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Published on 10/15/2026 under News State officials have taken a major step toward closing the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake youth facilities in Lincoln County. Governor Tony Evers and Department of Corrections (DOC) leadership recently celebrated the opening of the new Southeast Regional Care Center for Youth in Milwaukee. The 32-bed facility is designed to move young offenders out of Northern Wisconsin and closer to their families and support systems in the southern part of the state. Youth inmates are expected to begin arriving at the new center next month. DOC Secretary Jared Hoy noted, "The design supports what we now know about adolescent development, and the programming offered here will follow suit, with staff using evidence-based techniques to help youth make better choices and support rehabilitation." Designed around both education and treatment, the facility features a school with a music studio, welding and woodworking workshops, a health services unit, and a psychological services unit. The center is also partly powered by a rooftop solar array. The opening marks the first phase of a long-standing state plan to phase out juvenile operations at the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake campus campus by spring of 2029. Once additional regional centers, including one currently under construction in Dane County, are operational, the state plans to convert the 500-bed campus in Irma into an adult male correctional facility.

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