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Playoff Matrix · 8-Man Football UNOFFICIAL

Last calculated Thu, Oct 22 · 11:13 AM CDT

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

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

Since week 7: in Three Lakes/Phelps (33 → 31) · out Alma Center Lincoln (31 → 33). Biggest climbs: Turtle Lake ▲7, Oakfield ▲6, Bruce ▲5. Biggest drops: Athens ▼4, Niagara ▼4, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah ▼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–Belmont checkBelmont17.891-C1 – · 1-C
2–Gilman checkGilman16.241-B2 – · 1-B
3▲1Valley Christian (Oshkosh) checkOshkosh14.621-A3 – · 1-A
4▲2Wabeno/Laona check14.511-D4 – · 1-D
5▼2Hurley checkHurley14.402-B5 – · 2-B
6▼1Suring checkSuring12.532-D6 – · 2-D
7–Assumption checkWisconsin Rapids12.492-A7 – · 2-A
8▲1De Soto checkDe Soto12.082-C8 – · 2-C
9▼1Sevastopol checkSturgeon Bay11.963-D9 – · 3-D
10▲3Owen-Withee checkOwen10.573-A10 – · 3-A
11▼1North Crawford checkSoldiers Grove10.253-C11 – · 3-C
12▲7Turtle Lake checkTurtle Lake9.383-B12 – · 3-B
13▼2Clear Lake checkClear Lake9.004-C13 – · 4-C
14▼2Palmyra-Eagle checkPalmyra8.934-A14 – · 4-A
15–Northwood/Solon Springs check8.734-D15 – · 4-D
16–Flambeau checkTony7.954-B16 – · 4-B
17▼3Tri-County checkPlainfield7.315-C17 – · 5-C
18–Almond-Bancroft checkAlmond7.315-A18 – · 5-A
19▲2Rib Lake checkRib Lake7.165-D19 – · 5-D
20▲3Lena/Saint Thomas Aquinas check6.795-B20 – · 5-B
21▼4Athens checkAthens6.416-B21 – · 6-B
22–Port Edwards checkPort Edwards6.076-A22 – · 6-A
23▲6Oakfield checkOakfield5.856-C23 – · 6-C
24▼4Niagara checkNiagara5.666-D24 – · 6-D
25▲5Bruce checkBruce5.307-B25 – · 7-B
26▲2Thorp checkThorp5.297-C26 – · 7-C
27▼2Lake Holcombe checkHolcombe5.257-A27 – · 7-A
28▼4Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah checkElkhart Lake4.667-D28 – · 7-D
29▼3Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran/Providence Academy (Green Bay) check4.588-A29 – · 8-A
30▼3Frederic checkFrederic4.138-B30 – · 8-B
31▲2Three Lakes/Phelps check3.758-D in31 – · 8-D
32–Wild Rose checkWild Rose3.418-C32 – · 8-C
Cut line · the top 32 qualify
33▼2Alma Center Lincoln checkBelow cut lineAlma Center3.38Below cut line dropped33 – · Out
34▲2New Auburn checkBelow cut lineNew Auburn3.00Below cut line34 – · Out
35▼1Washburn checkBelow cut lineWashburn2.65Below cut line35 – · Out
36▲7Wausaukee checkBelow cut lineWausaukee2.63Below cut line36 – · Out
37–Williams Bay checkBelow cut lineWilliams Bay2.36Below cut line37 – · Out
38▼3Highland checkBelow cut lineHighland2.32Below cut line38 – · Out
39▼1Mellen checkBelow cut lineMellen1.89Below cut line39 – · Out
40▲1Pembine/Goodman checkBelow cut line1.51Below cut line40 – · Out
41▼2Siren checkBelow cut lineSiren1.50Below cut line41 – · Out
42▲3Chequamegon checkBelow cut linePark Falls1.50Below cut line42 – · Out
43▼3Elcho/White Lake checkBelow cut line1.50Below cut line43 – · Out
44–Princeton/Green Lake checkBelow cut line1.20Below cut line44 – · Out
45▼3Cornell checkBelow cut lineCornell1.13Below cut line45 – · Out
46T▼1Luck checkBelow cut lineLuck0.75Below cut line46T – · Out
46T▼1Prentice checkBelow cut linePrentice0.75Below cut line46T – · Out
48–Newman Catholic checkBelow cut lineWausau0.75Below cut line48 – · Out
49–Wayland Academy checkBelow cut lineBeaver Dam0.41Below cut line49 – · Out
50T–Florence checkBelow cut lineFlorence0.38Below cut line50T – · Out
50T–Gibraltar checkBelow cut lineFish Creek0.38Below cut line50T – · Out
50T–Winter/Birchwood checkBelow cut line0.38Below cut line50T – · Out
50T–Wonewoc-Center checkBelow cut lineWonewoc0.38Below cut line50T – · Out
54–Oneida Nation checkBelow cut lineOneida0.00Below cut line54 – · Out
—Iola-Scandinavia checkIola15.50ExcludedExcluded
—Shell Lake check3-year enrollment average 204Shell Lake13.70ExcludedExcluded
—Abundant Life Christian/Saint Ambrose check3-year enrollment average 28912.41ExcludedExcluded
—Rosholt checkRosholt12.18ExcludedExcluded
—Clayton/Prairie Farm check3-year enrollment average 21112.00ExcludedExcluded
—Algoma check3-year enrollment average 220Algoma7.62ExcludedExcluded
—Phillips check3-year enrollment average 201Phillips6.38ExcludedExcluded
—Marion/Tigerton check3-year enrollment average 2115.19ExcludedExcluded
—Kickapoo/La Farge check3-year enrollment average 2294.70ExcludedExcluded
—St. John's Northwestern check3-year enrollment average 350Delafield3.90ExcludedExcluded
—Wisconsin Heights check3-year enrollment average 229Mazomanie1.14ExcludedExcluded
—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 8 (games dated Friday 2026-10-09 or earlier; WIAA deadline: completion before 11:59 p.m. Central; stored dates do not establish finish times) · 287 results counted, 50 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: Lena/Saint Thomas Aquinas (rank 20, seed 5)

DateOpponentResultOpponent’s valueTier 1 earnedOpp. Tier 1 pointsOpp. gamesCounts?
2026-08-21Wabeno/LaonaL30.00—8yes
2026-08-27Pembine/GoodmanW33.009.008yes
2026-09-03WausaukeeW33.009.008yes
2026-09-11GibraltarW33.003.008yes
2026-09-18SuringL30.00—8yes
2026-09-25FlorenceW (forfeit)33.003.008yes. Forfeit win: the loser's full value.
2026-09-25Wabeno/LaonaL (Seeding Only)3———Not counted: a replacement game that was not won, so the forfeit win that week stands.
2026-10-02GillettW (forfeit)33.000.008yes. Forfeit win: the loser's full value.
2026-10-02Iola-ScandinaviaL (Seeding Only)3———Not counted: a replacement game that was not won, so the forfeit win that week stands.
2026-10-08NiagaraW33.0012.308yes

Tier 1 AVG = 18.00 ÷ 8 = 2.250. Tier 2 points = 9.00 + 9.00 + 3.00 + 3.00 + 0.00 + 12.30 = 36.30; opponents’ games = 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 64; Tier 2 AVG = 36.30 ÷ 64 = 0.567. Total = 2.250 + 8 × 0.567 = 6.79 (Tier 3 tie-break pending verification).

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

Unofficial WIAA Football Playoff Matrix | Ewert Sports | Ewert Sports