The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association voted on Monday to lift Bellevue High School’s football postseason ban, allowing the Wolverines to play in the 2017 playoffs.
The WIAA Executive Board also vacated Bellevue High‘s playoff finishes in 2012, 2013 and 2014, stripping the football program of its 2012 and 2013 state championship titles.
The WIAA also levied a $2,500 fine against the football program, which will be applied to the WIAA coaches’ education and concussion management activities.
Bellevue’s football program will also be required to provide ongoing reports to the WIAA Executive Board to document institutional reforms.
In announcing the amended sanctions, WIAA Executive Director Mike Colbrese said that “the Board recognized that there has been a culture shift at Bellevue High School with the changes that have been made to that program,” and added that, “the change in sanctions is an effort to the address the institution that was responsible for the violations committed.”
Bellevue High’s Wolverines were originally banned for four post-seasons, recently reduced to two, after investigations found that the football program violated several WIAA rules regarding recruiting and coaching at summer camps.
