MILWAUKEE, Wis. — High school football games are increasingly moving away from traditional Friday night kickoffs to Thursday evenings or Saturday afternoons, largely due to ongoing referee shortages across Wisconsin.

While the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) reports statewide improvements in referee numbers, local associations continue to struggle with staffing challenges that affect game scheduling and quality.

"We've actually increased by five football crews this fall as well. That's up from 153 to 158," WIAA assistant director Chad Schultz said.

Wisconsin high school football referee shortage persists despite statewide increases

However, the Milwaukee Officials Association (MOA) hasn't experienced the same growth locally.

"In certain areas of the state, ther

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