Its history dates to 1895, making it the earliest continually existing high school athletic organization in the country.

Among its duties are the administration of state tournament series in its various sports, overseeing eligibility and conference alignment, and promoting sportsmanship.

It has 11 members, seven chosen by regions, three at-large and a representative from the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

When that organization announced it would shut down, the WIAA changed its rules to allow private schools.

For boys' sports, it added cross country (1913), golf (1923), tennis (1925), and swimming (1925).

The WIAA's role is to keep conferences consisting of similar-sized schools within a reasonable distance of each other.

The schools involved must be in the same geographical area and combine for at least two years, although the WIAA may approve an early release.

The total enrollment of the two schools determines which tournament division the team plays in.