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WFCA working with WIAA on new playoff model for qualification, groupings, and seeding

12/04/2024, 11:15am CST
By WFCA

The WFCA has heard from many of you with questions and concerns around football playoffs, including controversies around qualifying, frustrations with how regional groupings have been assigned, and inconsistencies in the seeding assignments.
 
The WFCA Executive Board has spent considerable time over the last several weeks discussing these issues and how to best move forward.
 
We are writing you today to inform you that we are working on a proposal that we feel would address many of the concerns around the current playoff process. We are currently designating this proposal as the Wisconsin Football Playoff Matrix. Some of you may have heard about it at the state championships at Camp Randall or through conversations with other coaches.
 
A plan that incorporates the components of what is currently used in Ohio is being developed by the WFCA's Seeding Committee, and we are ready to share it with you. We would like to extend a big thank you to Edgewood assistant coach Andy LaVoy for his work on the technical and computer aspects of this plan, and Edgewood head coach Jesse Norris for his work on this as well.
 
It is important to note that this plan does NOT change the current structure of conferences, the realignment process, season length, start date, game maxes, number of qualifiers, or the number of divisions.
 
The Wisconsin Football Playoff Matrix introduces what we feel to be a fair, data-driven approach to high school football playoffs, designed to ensure transparency, limit travel impacts, and provide consistency. Developed by Andy LaVoy and Jesse Norris of Edgewood High School in collaboration with the WFCA Executive Board, the system draws inspiration from the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA), while addressing Wisconsin’s unique needs.
 
As you will see below, we have run the data for this proposal to compare to the actual qualification, regional assignments, and seeding for the 2024 season. It has also been applied to the 2023 and 2022 seasons for additional data. We feel it performs quite well.

Key Features

  • Division Placement: Seven divisions based on enrollment, evenly distributed for fair competition, and established before each season starts.
  • Ranking System: 
    • Teams earn Tier 1 points for wins, scaled by the division strength of their opponents.
    • Tier 2 points reward quality wins by factoring in the success of defeated opponents.
    • Combined scores provide a clear, objective ranking for playoff qualification.
  • Playoff Qualification: Top 32 teams in each division qualify for postseason play.
  • Seeding and Regions: Teams are seeded 1–8, assigned to one of four geographic regions (Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, Southeast) to minimize travel.

Benefits

 

  • Fairness: Objective rankings and clear rules ensure equal opportunities.
  • Travel Reduction: Geographic seeding minimizes travel impacts for teams and fans.
  • Consistency: Fully computerized, removing subjective decisions.

 
8-Player Impacts


This plan was designed for leagues with multiple divisions, but we feel it can effectively be used for 8-player qualification and seeding as well. Currently, the WIAA's 8-player qualification is different than 11-player, and is much simpler, based on your own record. This plan uses your own record as well as your opponents' records. 8-player seeding currently follows 11-player seeding model, but again, we think this can solve for that process effectively as well. We do not have the 8-player results to share yet, but will work on those to provide as well.

Implementation and Next Steps


This proposal is designed for immediate implementation in the 2025 season, with minimal adjustments needed for schools and administrators. Stakeholder feedback from the WIAA, coaches, and school administrators is encouraged to refine the system further and ensure a smooth transition.
 
We are using this opportunity to introduce this plan to our coaches. Please use the next week to review the information and formulate any questions or concerns you may have. Our plan is to host Webinars on Monday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 11 (links below) where we can provide additional context and information as well as allow coaches the ability to ask questions or provide feedback. These webinars will be recorded and shared with the membership.
 
On December 13 we will send out a survey to all head coaches to get their vote on this plan, which will direct us on how best to move forward. We have already received considerable positive feedback from coaches who have seen this proposal. Should this receive support on the Coach Survey, we will move forward with it to present at the WIAA Coaches Advisory Committee meeting on January 7th, where it will then go through the WIAA committee process with the goal of advancing it for a vote at the February 5th WIAA Board of Control meeting for approval.

Wisconsin Playoff Matrix Proposal


Explainer Video: https://www.loom.com/share/7c231f2d83df4ecd95a6fff78d850e25

2024 Hypothetical Results Website: https://andylavoy.com/football/

Division Placement


DIVISIONS are calculated before the season starts, based upon the enrollment numbers from the previous school year. The largest schools will be placed in D1, the smallest in D7. We will break the DIVISIONS down 1 through 7 as evenly possible, with the remainders placed evenly in larger-enrollment DIVISIONS on down. 
 
The WIAA Performance Factor will continue to be applied without modification.

Ranking Methodology

Tier 1 POINTS are awarded for each win:

  • Win over a DIVISION 1 school - 6.5 POINTS 
  • Win over a DIVISION 2 school - 6.0 POINTS 
  • Win over a DIVISION 3 school - 5.5 POINTS 
  • Win over a DIVISION 4 school - 5.0 POINTS 
  • Win over a DIVISION 5 school - 4.5 POINTS 
  • Win over a DIVISION 6 school - 4.0 POINTS
  • Win over a DIVISION 7 school - 3.5 POINTS 

 
The steps to calculate a team’s TOTAL are as follows:

  1. Calculate Tier 1 POINTS for each win.
  2. Divide by the number of games played to get the Tier 1 SCORE.
  3. Calculate Tier 2 POINTS as the total of defeated opponents’ Tier 1 POINTS.
  4. Divide Tier 2 POINTS by opponents’ games played and multiply by 10.
  5. Add Tier 1 SCORE and Tier 2 SCORE to get the TOTAL.

 
Franklin’s 2024 TOTAL calculation: (56.0 / 9) + (228.5 / 81 * 10) = 34.43
 
Teams will be RANKED within their own DIVISION based upon their TOTAL.

Playoff Qualification

The top 32 teams from each DIVISION will be the qualifying field, as set Friday Night of Week 9 at 11:59 pm. 

Seeding and Regional Alignment

After RANKING is complete, teams will be assigned a SEED based on their RANK within their respective DIVISION. The top 4 teams in each DIVISION will receive a #1 SEED, the next 4 teams a #2 SEED, and so on through #8 SEED.

Regional Alignment for Seeds #1–#4
For the #1 SEEDS, teams will be assigned into one of four regions—Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast. A “pin” is placed in each corner of the State of Wisconsin (Green Bay, Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee), and all 24 possible regional assignments are evaluated. The arrangement that results in the shortest total as-the-crow-flies distance is selected.

Travel Optimization for Seeds #2–#8
For SEEDS #2–#4, teams will be assigned to the region where the teams’ cumulative total drive time to each of the #1 SEEDS is minimized. #4 and #3 will be placed directly with their likely 2nd Round opponent, the #1 and #2 SEEDS respectively. The #2 will be placed with their closest #1 SEED, their likely 3rd Round opponent.
 
For lower SEEDS (#5–#8), matchups prioritize minimal travel distance directly between first round opponents. For each first round away team seed (e.g., #5 SEEDS) and their respective home teams (e.g., #4 SEEDS), all 24 travel distance permutations are calculated, and the matchups with the lowest total travel are chosen, with each away team assigned to the region of its paired home team.
 
We will prioritize minimizing total travel distance within each region while also considering the longest individual trip. During the calculations, we will track the longest trip assigned to any team within a region. If an alternative arrangement shortens the longest trip and the reduction in the longest trip exceeds the additional total distance incurred (without increasing total travel by more than 10%), we will select the option with the shorter longest trip. This ensures that travel burdens are more evenly distributed, preventing any single team from being disproportionately affected by the regional alignment.

Hosting Privileges
The higher SEED in each of the first three rounds will host the game.
 
We feel this system balances the competition of each bracket while prioritizing logistical efficiency for lower-ranked teams, rewarding regular-season success while minimizing travel burdens.

Example Application: 2024 Franklin

 

Division Placement

In 2024 we had 364 teams, which evenly divides each DIVISION into 52 teams.
 
Franklin has an enrollment of 1606 and is subject to the Performance Factor, which is larger than the 52nd largest school in the state, placing them in DIVISION 1 before the start of the season.

Ranking Methodology

Franklin was 9-0, with 5x D1 wins (worth 6.5 POINTS each), 3x D2 wins (worth 6.0 POINTS each), and 1x D3 wins (worth 5.5 each).
 
(5 x 6.5) + (3 x 6.0) + (1 x 5.5) = 56.0 Tier 1 POINTS
 
They played 9 games, so their Tier 1 DIVISOR is 9.
 
Totalling up all of their defeated opponents (which is all 9 in Franklin’s case), their Tier 2 POINTS comes to 228.5. 
 
Their opponents played a combined total of 81 games, so their Tier 2 DIVISOR is 81.
 
To determine their TOTAL score we do the following:
 
Tier 1 POINTS /Tier 1 DIVISOR + 10 x Tier 2 POINTS / Tier 2 DIVISOR
 
(56.0 / 9) + (10 * 228.5 / 81) = 34.43

Seeding and Regional Alignment

Franklin is top 32 in the state for DIVISION 1, they qualify for the playoffs.
 
Franklin has a higher TOTAL than every other team in DIVISION 1, they are RANKED #1.
 
Because Franklin is RANKED #1, they have earned a #1 SEED.
 
The other Top-4 RANKED teams within DIVISION 1 are: Verona, Oconomowoc, and Kimberly. They will all receive a #1 SEED and will host up to 3 home games during the playoffs, and be the top SEED in their REGION.
 
Calculating their total distances to the four corners of the State, we find the shortest overall travel for the four teams places each team in the following REGIONS:
Northwest: Oconomowoc, Northeast: Kimberly, Southwest: Verona, Southeast: Franklin

Handling Special Cases

(Please note these may change based on conversations & feedback with WIAA)

Forfeits
Forfeits are counted as valid games unless replaced by a different game the same week.
 
No Contests
No-Contest games are not counted.
 
Out-of-State Games
Enrollment for each out-of-state opponent is collected and the opponent is given an equivalent Wisconsin DIVISION for the purposes of Tier 1 POINTS. If the enrollment falls between the Wisconsin cut lines, the lower-enrollment DIVISION will be used.
 
All regular season games that end before 11:59 pm Friday of Week 9 are counted in the formula.
 
Tier 2 POINTS for out-of-state opponents are totaled using all of their games played with the POINTS they accumulated within the division that school was placed within the Wisconsin enrollment.
 
Tied Games
Ties result in half of the point value being earned.
 
Ties in the TOTAL
In the event of a tie in the RANKINGS, and only in the event of a tie, we will compare third stage SCORE: This is the sum of your defeated opponents’ Tier 2 POINTS divided by the total number of games they played.
 
Ties in Enrollment
If two or more schools have the same enrollment, the previous year’s enrollment will be used as the tiebreaker for the sake of determining DIVISIONS. (Same as current process)

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