Coulee Conference football could lose Altoona, see Luther return in 2024

A proposed conference realignment plan for Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) football could impact the schedules of the Arcadia and Gale-Ettick-Trempealeau high school programs.

Arcadia and G-E-T would both remain Coulee Conference teams in the realignment, scheduled for the 2024-25 school year. 

Travel for one game on their schedule would get shorter — Altoona would leave the Coulee to join the Middle Border Conference in the proposed shift, while Onalaska Luther would rejoin the Coulee to keep the conference at eight teams.

The changes were discussed at the WIAA’s Conference Realignment Taskforce meeting this month. More meetings are planned for January, when impacted teams will be allowed to voice concerns or responses to the proposed changes before a final vote on the proposal occurs March 7.

The Dairyland Conference — home to Trempealeau County teams Independence/Gilmanton, Whitehall, Eleva-Strum and Blair-Taylor — is one of 17 conferences that would not see any changes  under the proposal.

Altoona (529 student enrollment) has been in the Coulee Conference since 2020, and their highest finish was fourth in the conference in 2021. The Railroaders went 4-6 overall and 3-4 in the Coulee this season.

The smaller Onalaska Luther program (231 student enrollment) finished third in the Scenic Bluffs Conference in 2022, going 7-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play. Luther last played in the Coulee in 2018, when they went 0-5 in conference play and 1-8 on the year.

The realignment would also include multiple schools switching to the state’s eight-player league.