Spring is a season of change, and across the athletic world, high school, college and professional organizations often use this time to introduce proposed updates for the upcoming season so coaches, athletes and fans know what to expect. The same is true for hunting and fishing regulations. This week’s column looks at what is on the horizon 2026-2027.

When it comes to high school sports in Wisconsin, notable changes are coming next season. For years, the WIAA has fielded feedback from coaches about the challenges surrounding timeout calls, especially in high-pressure moments when requests from the sideline can go unnoticed. Stories of missed opportunities and mounting frustration have become all too familiar. In response, the WIAA is introducing a new approach: players on the court will now be responsible for calling timeouts during live play, while coaches will retain the ability to call timeouts during dead-ball situations.

As has often been discussed, the WIAA continues to address ongoing concerns about unsportsmanlike conduct from players, coaches and even fans. In response, several new penalties are being introduced in three sports. In high school baseball, if a player is ejected, the opposing team will start the next inning with a runner on second base. If a head coach or assistant coach is ejected, that runner will instead be placed on third. In football, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed to a coach will result in the opposing team beginning its next possession at midfield, along with the offending coach’s team losing a timeout. Finally, in basketball, perhaps the most notable change, coaches will be required to remain seated during live action, only standing to react to a significant play or to call a timeout. 

For the past two decades, the WIAA has wrestled with a shortage of game officials, a growing concern not just in Wisconsin, but across the country. In an effort to retain experienced, veteran basketball officials, the WIAA has announced plans to introduce a fourth official for varsity games. The expanded crew will divide responsibilities evenly, with two officials assigned to each half of the court. Rather than covering the full floor, referees will now work from the baseline to midcourt, allowing for better coverage and reduced physical strain. The change has been endorsed by the National Aging Council and AARP. Additionally, responding to the requests of young aspiring officials, the WIAA next season will allow basketball referees to wear black, sanctioned shorts as they do for varsity football. Officials will also be allowed to use black kinesiology tape during games. 

Additionally, the WIAA is exploring the idea of designating school athletic directors and other staff members as de facto officials. In an effort to curb unruly and abusive behavior toward referees at basketball and football games, these staff members would have the ability to “buzz” game officials, prompting a technical foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the offending rooter’s team during the next dead ball. This novel approach has been implemented in six states; all have reported a decline in inappropriate spectator behavior.

The NCAA will also introduce a new rule aimed at keeping basketball coaches within their designated coaching box. Utilizing expanded technology, any time a coach steps outside the box, the area in front of the bench will illuminate and remain so until the next dead ball. A technical foul will then be assessed at the next dead ball. The opposing team will be awarded two free throws and possession of the ball out of bounds under their own basket. Additionally, the offending coach will lose a timeout and be required to remain within the confines of a smaller coaching box. Leaving the smaller box would also “trigger illumination” and lead to an immediate ejection, plus the opposing team will receive two points and the ball under their own basket. And the offending coach’s team would lose another timeout. 

Change is in the air at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. For many bow hunters, using dogs to track wounded or harvested deer is nothing new. What is new is how widely the practice has been embraced. Over the last 20 years, tracking dogs have gone from a niche tool to a widely accepted part of ethical recovery efforts. Currently, the majority of states allow their use and only a handful prohibit using dogs for deer recovery. Wisconsin has decided to expand the use of dogs with this unique pilot program. During the 2027 November nine-day traditional deer hunt, hunters in Deer Management Units 109-125 can be accompanied by two dogs. Hunters would be allowed to use the canines to not only recover and track wounded deer, but also used during organized “deer drives.” There would be a nine-dog cap per hunting party. Like any pilot effort, what happens in the future will depend on how things play out in the field. Hunter feedback and overall success will help determine whether this approach eventually expands statewide. 

Beginning in 2027, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is expected to introduce a new “Unconventional Hunting License” aimed at broadening participation in the field. In recent years, a small but growing number of hunters have shown interest in stepping away from traditional firearms and archery equipment in favor of more primitive, hand-crafted methods. Survey data suggested an increasing curiosity around alternative hunting tools and reconnecting with more rudimentary techniques to harvest game. In response, Wisconsin is exploring a framework that would formally recognize and regulate these approaches. Under the proposed new license, approved hunting weapons would include slingshots, atlatls, blowguns, boomerangs, hand-thrown rocks, as well as wooden spears, daggers and clubs. Details surrounding safety requirements, ethical standards, and implementation will ultimately shape how this unconventional approach fits into Wisconsin’s broader hunting landscape.

One more thing. Happy April Fool’s Day.