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Playoff Matrix · 8-Man Football UNOFFICIAL

Last calculated Thu, Oct 22 · 2:59 PM CDT

8-man football · 32 in the field · 71 Wisconsin programs

The table uses reported Week 6 results. Projected Final is today’s forecast based on reported Week 8 results and the remaining ES picks, not a saved forecast from Week 6. See the projected final order →

Since week 5: the same teams are in the field. Biggest climbs: Gilman ▲7, Flambeau ▲6, Port Edwards ▲6. Biggest drops: Frederic ▼7, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah ▼5, Suring ▼4.

No future qualifying games remain. This is a comparison of the current qualifying results, not a new forecast; unresolved results or opponent data still affect the comparison.

Rank+/−TeamCityW-LTotalTier 1 AVGTier 2 AVGTier 2 WinsProjected SeedProjected Final Seed
Rank · Seed · Partial
1▲2Belmont checkBelmont17.161-C1 – · 1-C
2▲7Gilman checkGilman15.121-B2 – · 1-B
3▼2Assumption checkWisconsin Rapids14.701-A7 ▼4 · 2-A
4▲1Wabeno/Laona check14.551-D4 – · 1-D
5▲2Valley Christian (Oshkosh) checkOshkosh14.142-A3 ▲2 · 1-A
6▼4Suring checkSuring14.032-D6 – · 2-D
7▼3Hurley checkHurley13.852-B5 ▲2 · 2-B
8▲3De Soto checkDe Soto13.092-C8 – · 2-C
9▼3Sevastopol checkSturgeon Bay11.673-D9 – · 3-D
10–Clear Lake checkClear Lake11.003-B13 ▼3 · 4-C
11▼3North Crawford checkSoldiers Grove10.163-C11 – · 3-C
12▲1Tri-County checkPlainfield9.453-A17 ▼5 · 5-C
13▼1Northwood/Solon Springs check9.334-B15 ▼2 · 4-D
14▲4Owen-Withee checkOwen8.724-A10 ▲4 · 3-A
15▼1Palmyra-Eagle checkPalmyra8.584-C14 ▲1 · 4-A
16–Athens checkAthens8.074-D21 ▼5 · 6-B
17–Almond-Bancroft checkAlmond7.685-C18 ▼1 · 5-A
18▼3Turtle Lake checkTurtle Lake7.335-B12 ▲6 · 3-B
19–Rib Lake checkRib Lake7.175-D19 – · 5-D
20▲6Flambeau checkTony6.905-A16 ▲4 · 4-B
21▲6Port Edwards checkPort Edwards6.366-C22 ▼1 · 6-A
22▲1Thorp checkThorp6.176-B26 ▼4 · 7-C
23▲1Lena/Saint Thomas Aquinas check6.006-D20 ▲3 · 5-B
24▼2Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran/Providence Academy (Green Bay) check5.506-A29 ▼5 · 8-A
25▼5Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah checkElkhart Lake5.127-A28 ▼3 · 7-D
26▲5Niagara checkNiagara4.887-D24 ▲2 · 6-D
27▲1Bruce checkBruce4.747-C25 ▲2 · 7-B
28▼7Frederic checkFrederic4.337-B30 ▼2 · 8-B
29▼4Alma Center Lincoln checkAlma Center4.338-A33 ▼4 · Out projected out
30▲2Lake Holcombe checkHolcombe4.178-B27 ▲3 · 7-A
31▼1Oakfield checkOakfield3.678-C23 ▲8 · 6-C
32▼3Three Lakes/Phelps check3.508-D31 ▲1 · 8-D
Cut line · the top 32 qualify
33▲8New Auburn checkBelow cut lineNew Auburn3.00Below cut line34 ▼1 · Out
34▼1Wild Rose checkBelow cut lineWild Rose3.00Below cut line32 ▲2 · 8-C projected in
35▲3Highland checkBelow cut lineHighland2.92Below cut line38 ▼3 · Out
36▼2Mellen checkBelow cut lineMellen2.87Below cut line39 ▼3 · Out
37▲9Williams Bay checkBelow cut lineWilliams Bay2.22Below cut line37 – · Out
38▼3Cornell checkBelow cut lineCornell1.83Below cut line45 ▼7 · Out
39▼3Siren checkBelow cut lineSiren1.83Below cut line41 ▼2 · Out
40▼3Elcho/White Lake checkBelow cut line1.83Below cut line43 ▼3 · Out
41▼2Washburn checkBelow cut lineWashburn1.69Below cut line35 ▲6 · Out
42T▼2Pembine/Goodman checkBelow cut line1.67Below cut line40 ▲2 · Out
42T▲3Wausaukee checkBelow cut lineWausaukee1.67Below cut line36 ▲6 · Out
44T▼3Chequamegon checkBelow cut linePark Falls1.17Below cut line42 ▲2 · Out
44T▼3Luck checkBelow cut lineLuck1.17Below cut line46T ▼2 · Out
44T▲8Newman Catholic checkBelow cut lineWausau1.17Below cut line48 ▼4 · Out
44T▼3Prentice checkBelow cut linePrentice1.17Below cut line46T ▼2 · Out
48T▼1Florence checkBelow cut lineFlorence0.50Below cut line50T ▼2 · Out
48T▼1Gibraltar checkBelow cut lineFish Creek0.50Below cut line50T ▼2 · Out
48T▼1Princeton/Green Lake checkBelow cut line0.50Below cut line44 ▲4 · Out
48T▼1Winter/Birchwood checkBelow cut line0.50Below cut line50T ▼2 · Out
48T▼1Wonewoc-Center checkBelow cut lineWonewoc0.50Below cut line50T ▼2 · Out
53T▼1Oneida Nation checkBelow cut lineOneida0.00Below cut line54 ▼1 · Out
53T▼1Wayland Academy checkBelow cut lineBeaver Dam0.00Below cut line49 ▲4 · Out
—Shell Lake check3-year enrollment average 204Shell Lake15.73ExcludedExcluded
—Iola-Scandinavia checkIola13.93ExcludedExcluded
—Algoma check3-year enrollment average 220Algoma9.90ExcludedExcluded
—Clayton/Prairie Farm check3-year enrollment average 2119.83ExcludedExcluded
—Rosholt checkRosholt8.75ExcludedExcluded
—Abundant Life Christian/Saint Ambrose check3-year enrollment average 2898.68ExcludedExcluded
—Phillips check3-year enrollment average 201Phillips4.83ExcludedExcluded
—Kickapoo/La Farge check3-year enrollment average 2294.36ExcludedExcluded
—St. John's Northwestern check3-year enrollment average 350Delafield4.28ExcludedExcluded
—Marion/Tigerton check3-year enrollment average 2111.55ExcludedExcluded
—Wisconsin Heights check3-year enrollment average 229Mazomanie1.17ExcludedExcluded
—Bowler/Gresham check0.00ExcludedExcluded
—Gillett checkGillett0.00ExcludedExcluded
—Menominee Nation check3-year enrollment average 368Keshena0.00ExcludedExcluded
—Montello check3-year enrollment average 216Montello0.00ExcludedExcluded
—Monticello checkMonticello0.00ExcludedExcluded
—South Shore checkPort Wing0.00ExcludedExcluded

Wisconsin programs continue below the cut line in the same table. Eligibility notes use the published WIAA record; where it does not identify the reason, we say so. A three-year enrollment average above 200 can have a second-year commitment exception.

About these numbers

Unofficial. These are WIAA’s playoff qualifying scores (PQS) recomputed by Ewert Sports from the results we hold, using the formula in the 2026 football tournament regulations. WIAA’s weekly standings are the official ones; where ours differ, a missing or disputed result is the reason, and the row says so. How it is computed, with a worked example ↓

Through week 6 (games through Saturday 2026-09-26; the week’s cutoff is Wednesday 2026-09-30) · 214 results counted, 36 forfeits · top 32 qualify · seeds: ranks 1–4 are the #1 seeds, 5–8 the #2 seeds, … 29–32 the #8 seeds.

How WIAA builds the bracket, and how to check a team

  1. Tier 1 points. Every win earns points set by the team you beat: 3.0 for an 8-player school, 3.3 for one whose three-year enrollment average is over 200. A tie earns half. A loss earns nothing. A forfeit win earns the full value. Tier 1 AVG = Tier 1 points ÷ games played (at most 8).
  2. Tier 2 points. Add up their Tier 1 points for every team you beat (a team you tied is not beaten and adds no points). Opponents’ games = the games played by every team you played, won, lost or tied, added together (each counted up to 8). Tier 2 AVG = Tier 2 points ÷ opponents’ games, and the Tier 2 score is 8 × Tier 2 AVG. WIAA’s rule: “Divide Tier 2 points by opponents’ games played and multiply by 8 (this is a 100% bonus to the Strength of Victory) to get the Tier 2 score.”
  3. Total (PQS) = Tier 1 AVG + 8 × Tier 2 AVG. WIAA’s own example: Franklin 2024, 56.0 ÷ 9 + 228.5 ÷ 81 × 9 = 31.61. Ties in Total are broken by Tier 3, the average of the Tier 2 scores of the teams you beat.
  4. Replacement games. If a team replaced a forfeit win with a new game that week, the forfeit counts when the replacement was lost; when it was won, whichever is worth more counts (regulations 3h). WIAA prints such games as “Seeding Only”. When you beat a team in its replacement game, your Tier 2 points count that team’s Tier 1 points without the forfeit win it kept that week.
  5. Field and seeds. Teams are ranked inside their division by Total. The top 32 qualify after Week 8. Ranks 1–4 are the #1 seeds, 5–8 the #2 seeds, and so on to #8. The four #1 seeds anchor four regions: the #1- and #4-ranked go to one half of the state bracket, #2 and #3 to the other. #2 seeds join the nearest #1 seed, #3 and #4 seeds their likely second-round opponents, and #5–#8 are placed by the shortest total travel. Level 1 is #8 at #1, #5 at #4, #7 at #2 and #6 at #3 in each region.

Worked example: De Soto (rank 8, seed 2)

DateOpponentResultOpponent’s valueTier 1 earnedOpp. Tier 1 pointsOpp. gamesCounts?
2026-08-20North CrawfordL30.00—5yes
2026-08-27Winter/BirchwoodW (forfeit)3———Not counted: this forfeit win was replaced by the more favorable win on 2026-08-28 (regulations 3h).
2026-08-28Rib LakeW (Seeding Only)33.0012.006yes. Replacement win counted instead of the forfeit win over Winter/Birchwood that week (more favorable, regulations 3h). Tier 2 credit: Rib Lake's Tier 1 points less the forfeit win it kept that week (3).
2026-09-04Wisconsin HeightsW3.33.303.006yes
2026-09-11Kickapoo/La FargeW3.33.309.306yes
2026-09-17HighlandW33.009.306yes
2026-09-25MonticelloW (forfeit)3———Not counted: this forfeit win was replaced by the more favorable win on 2026-09-25 (regulations 3h).
2026-09-25RosholtW (Seeding Only)33.0012.306yes. Replacement win counted instead of the forfeit win over Monticello that week (more favorable, regulations 3h). Tier 2 credit: Rosholt's Tier 1 points less the forfeit win it kept that week (3.3).

Tier 1 AVG = 15.60 ÷ 6 = 2.600. Tier 2 points = 12.00 + 3.00 + 9.30 + 9.30 + 12.30 = 45.90; opponents’ games = 5 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 35; Tier 2 AVG = 45.90 ÷ 35 = 1.311. Total = 2.600 + 8 × 1.311 = 13.09 (Tier 3 tie-break 3.13).

To check another team, open its row’s “check” link in the tables above.

Unofficial WIAA Football Playoff Matrix | Ewert Sports | Ewert Sports