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Playoff Matrix · Football UNOFFICIAL

Last calculated Wed, Oct 21 · 10:51 AM CDT

Division 5 · 32 in the field · 53 Wisconsin programs

The table uses reported Week 9 results. Projected Final is today’s forecast based on reported Week 9 results and the remaining ES picks, not a saved forecast from Week 9. See the projected final order →

Since week 8: in Dodgeville (38 → 29) · out Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (32 → 33). Biggest climbs: Dodgeville ▲9, New Holstein ▲5, Peshtigo ▲5. Biggest drops: Arcadia ▼6, University School of Milwaukee ▼4, Ozaukee/Random Lake ▼3.

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–Racine Lutheran checkRacine26.381-D1 – · 1-D
2–Darlington checkDarlington26.331-B2 – · 1-B
3–Amherst checkAmherst23.331-A3 – · 1-A
4–New Glarus checkNew Glarus21.501-C4 – · 1-C
5–Durand-Arkansaw checkDurand19.392-B5 – · 2-B
6▲1Saint Croix Falls checkSaint Croix Falls17.782-C6 – · 2-C
7▼1Grantsburg checkGrantsburg17.062-A7 – · 2-A
8▲1Lake Country Lutheran checkHartland16.222-D8 – · 2-D
9▼1Brillion checkBrillion15.093-A9 – · 3-A
10–Milwaukee North/Milwaukee WI Conservatory of Lifelong Learning check14.403-D10 – · 3-D
11▲1Watertown Luther Prep checkWatertown14.393-B11 – · 3-B
12▼1Mayville checkMayville13.113-C12 – · 3-C
13▲1Elk Mound checkElk Mound11.834-B13 – · 4-B
14▼1Chilton checkChilton11.504-A14 – · 4-A
15▲5New Holstein checkNew Holstein11.504-C15 – · 4-C
16▼1Kiel checkKiel11.394-D16 – · 4-D
17▲2Westfield checkWestfield10.835-B17 – · 5-B
18▼2Winnebago Lutheran checkFond du Lac10.615-C18 – · 5-C
19▲2Milwaukee Academy of Science checkMilwaukee10.285-D19 – · 5-D
20▲5Peshtigo checkPeshtigo9.615-A20 – · 5-A
21▲1Amery checkAmery9.566-C21 – · 6-C
22▼4University School of Milwaukee checkMilwaukee8.596-D22 – · 6-D
23▼6Arcadia checkArcadia8.396-B23 – · 6-B
24▲2Tomahawk checkTomahawk7.726-A24 – · 6-A
25▼1Spencer/Columbus Catholic check7.567-A25 – · 7-A
26▼3Ozaukee/Random Lake check7.567-B26 – · 7-B
27▲1Brookfield Academy checkBrookfield6.967-D27 – · 7-D
28▼1Oostburg checkOostburg6.337-C28 – · 7-C
29▲9Dodgeville checkDodgeville5.898-B in29 – · 8-B
30–Bloomer checkBloomer5.228-C30 – · 8-C
31–Wittenberg-Birnamwood checkWittenberg5.118-A31 – · 8-A
32▼3Columbus checkColumbus5.008-D32 – · 8-D
Cut line · the top 32 qualify
33▼1Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau checkBelow cut lineGalesville4.50Below cut line dropped33 – · Out
34▲2Obama SCTE checkBelow cut lineMilwaukee4.04Below cut line34 – · Out
35▼1Northland Pines checkBelow cut lineEagle River3.78Below cut line35 – · Out
36▼3Neillsville/Granton checkBelow cut line3.67Below cut line36 – · Out
37▼2Wautoma checkBelow cut lineWautoma3.56Below cut line37 – · Out
38▼1East Troy checkBelow cut lineEast Troy3.00Below cut line38 – · Out
39▲6Southwestern/East Dubuque (IL) checkBelow cut line2.72Below cut line39 – · Out
40–Parkview/Albany checkBelow cut line2.72Below cut line40 – · Out
41▼2Kingdom Prep Lutheran checkBelow cut lineWauwatosa2.12Below cut line41 – · Out
42▼1Richland Center checkBelow cut lineRichland Center2.00Below cut line42 – · Out
43▼1Spooner checkBelow cut lineSpooner1.33Below cut line43 – · Out
44T▼1Omro checkBelow cut lineOmro0.56Below cut line44T – · Out
44T▼1Prescott checkBelow cut linePrescott0.56Below cut line44T – · Out
46T▲1Brodhead/Juda checkBelow cut line0.50Below cut line46T – · Out
46T▼1Sturgeon Bay checkBelow cut lineSturgeon Bay0.50Below cut line46T – · Out
48T▼1Adams-Friendship checkBelow cut lineAdams0.00Below cut line48T – · Out
48T▼1Clintonville checkBelow cut lineClintonville0.00Below cut line48T – · Out
48T▼1River Valley checkBelow cut lineSpring Green0.00Below cut line48T – · Out
48T▼1Viroqua checkBelow cut lineViroqua0.00Below cut line48T – · Out
—Northwood/Solon Springs checkProgram eligibility not verified0-0————UnverifiedUnverified
—Winter/Birchwood checkProgram eligibility not verified0-0————UnverifiedUnverified

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 9 (games dated Friday 2026-10-16 or earlier; WIAA deadline: completion before 11:59 p.m. Central; stored dates do not establish finish times) · 1614 results counted, 46 forfeits · top 32 qualify in Division 5 · 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: Division 1 = 6.5, D2 = 6.0, D3 = 5.5, D4 = 5.0, D5 = 4.5, D6 = 4.0, D7 = 3.5. 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 9).
  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 9). Tier 2 AVG = Tier 2 points ÷ opponents’ games, and the Tier 2 score is 9 × Tier 2 AVG. WIAA’s rule: “Divide Tier 2 points by opponents’ games played and multiply by 9 (this is a 100% bonus to the Strength of Victory) to get the Tier 2 score.”
  3. Total (PQS) = Tier 1 AVG + 9 × 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 9. 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: Racine Lutheran (rank 1, seed 1)

WIAA's final Week 9 report credits Catholic Central/Ken Ch Life as an opponent with 8 games and 4.5 Tier 1 points, plus 1 win. Its played-results ledger retains 2–7 over 9 games and 8 Tier 1 points. The official aggregate supplies opponent credit; it does not identify which game WIAA excluded or change a played result. The Tier 3 tie-break remains pending verification when it depends on this differing ledger.

DateOpponentResultOpponent’s valueTier 1 earnedOpp. Tier 1 pointsOpp. gamesCounts?
2026-08-21Marmion Academy, ILW5.5 (D3)5.5016.509yes
2026-08-28Martin LutherW5.5 (D3)5.5022.009yes
2026-09-04Saint FrancisW5 (D4)5.0036.509yes
2026-09-10Milwaukee Academy of ScienceW4.5 (D5)4.5024.509yes
2026-09-18CudahyW5.5 (D3)5.503.509yes
2026-09-25Catholic Central/Ken Ch LifeW (Seeding Only)4 (D6)4.004.508yes. Replacement win counted instead of the forfeit win over Catholic Central that week (more favorable, regulations 3h).
2026-09-25Catholic CentralW (forfeit)3.5 (D7)———Not counted: this forfeit win was replaced by the more favorable win on 2026-09-25 (regulations 3h).
2026-10-02University School of MilwaukeeW4.5 (D5)4.5029.009yes
2026-10-09Kenosha St. Joseph CatholicW4 (D6)4.0032.009yes
2026-10-16Pius XI CatholicW5.5 (D3)5.5022.509yes

Tier 1 AVG = 44.00 ÷ 9 = 4.889. Tier 2 points = 16.50 + 22.00 + 36.50 + 24.50 + 3.50 + 4.50 + 29.00 + 32.00 + 22.50 = 191.00; opponents’ games = 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 9 + 8 + 9 + 9 + 9 = 80; Tier 2 AVG = 191.00 ÷ 80 = 2.388. Total = 4.889 + 9 × 2.388 = 26.38 (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