Two weeks ago, the WIAC announced the atrocious decision to make most sports conference tournaments and championships only available online via pay-per-view (PPV).

Twelve sports will have their conference tournaments and championships locked behind a paywall. Never mind the fact that it is going to be either cheaper or the same price to attend these events in person, rather than pay more/same for less, online. For example, to watch the swimming and diving tournament, for the entire tournament it would cost you $30 in person, the same price to watch the tournament through the WIAC’s stream. It’s almost penalizing those who cannot attend the event in person and making them pay for it online.

Friends and family are the most affected by this, and if we’re 100% honest, sports not named football, volleyball or basketball just don’t have the following outside of friends and family to support a decision like this. And one of those sports — football, arguably the best for a PPV format, is not even involved in this decision (not that I want it to be).

And what has changed financially that they need to add a “nominal fee” to “continue to offer first-class championship experiences?” They have been able to do so for years, so what all of a sudden changed to have to introduce PPV? The answer is nothing. This is just a cash grab that is setting the stage to introduce PPV in all sports, like many conferences across the country are. That’s why it is being named on a trial basis, because the WIAC in the coming years will go full PPV on some streaming site like FloSports or Team1. 

It’s just a matter of time until this is the reality not only for WIAC but also every conference, as conferences and committees just won’t be able to turn down the paycheck from those streaming sites or just the extra pocket change PPV provides for them, ultimately harming the lifeblood of viewership in Division III sports, the friends and families of the athlete.