Madison – The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) is under scrutiny after it admitted to a mistake regarding the exclusion of Madison West and Greenfield from the high school football playoffs. WIAA Executive Director Stephanie Hauser acknowledged the error during a meeting with Madison West players, coaches, and staff on December 3. Despite this recognition, many feel that the WIAA has not fully addressed the situation.
Hauser stated that Madison West was wrongly left out of the playoff brackets. However, her explanation of when the WIAA learned about the mistake has raised eyebrows. The playoff brackets were first released on October 19, with the scheduling of first-round games soon after. It was just two days later that Madison West’s Athletic Director Corvonn Gaines reached out to the WIAA to voice concerns about the exclusion.
Further communication came from Madison West senior Ike Ingwell, who also reached out to WIAA officials. Unfortunately, his efforts to clarify the issue went unanswered leading up to the playoffs, resulting in frustration among players and parents. The WIAA’s internal timeline has been called into question as it suggests that the organization had knowledge of the issue well before the playoffs began, contradicting their claims.
In their statement, the WIAA noted technical issues with their qualification computer program as part of the oversight. They announced plans to review the process and implement changes to ensure that such a mistake does not happen again. However, many families are still seeking answers, feeling robbed of critical moments with their teams during the playoffs.
As the controversy unfolds, the WIAA seems eager to move on, but players and parents are waiting for a more thorough explanation of how the error occurred and what steps will be taken to prevent similar situations in the future.
