HARTLAND — A Waukesha County judge ruled Friday that Arrowhead High School senior Tristen Seidl can play varsity football this fall, even though the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) said he was ineligible.
The judge issued a temporary injunction Friday, stopping the WIAA “from prohibiting Tristen Seidl from participating in Varsity Football at Arrowhead High School at any time during the fall of 2025 until the pending case is fully adjudicated on its merits.”
The judge wrote that “sufficient grounds exist” under Wisconsin law to allow Seidl to play while the lawsuit continues.
Watch: Arrowhead senior cleared to play after judge issues injunction against WIAA
Why the case went to court
Seidl’s parents, Blayne and Jenell Seidl, filed the lawsuit in August. They argue the WIAA acted unfairly and illegally when it denied their son the chance to play his senior season.
The family’s complaint explains that their Dousman home was destroyed in a 2023 fire.
After the fire, they moved four times into different temporary residences while waiting for the house to be rebuilt, according to the lawsuit
In March 2025, they learned the home could not be salvaged and had to be demolished.
Because of that, the family made their rental within the Arrowhead district their permanent residence and enrolled Tristen at Arrowhead for his senior year.
The WIAA ruled him ineligible under its transfer policy.
That rule states that juniors and seniors who transfer schools must sit out of varsity sports for one calendar year, unless their parents make a “total and complete” change of residence. Families can request a waiver if something extraordinary happens — but the WIAA decided Tristen did not qualify.
Arrowhead’s concerns
Arrowhead Superintendent Conrad Farner said in a Sept. 2 statement that the district supports Seidl’s eligibility.
“The Arrowhead administration supports the student being able to play for Arrowhead. He has been practicing with the football team all season. The family established residency within the district due to extenuating circumstances that required many prior moves. It is our understanding that the student’s previous district also supports him being able to play at Arrowhead,” Farner wrote.
But school officials also warned about what could happen if later rulings go against Seidl.
“If Tristen participates in games, but down the road, a different court says Tristen was ineligible to play, does the Arrowhead football team forfeit every victory in which he played? If a judge says the student can play, but the decision is made not to play him, does that put anyone with the district in the position of breaking the law and/or potentially facing additional lawsuits?
”He added that Arrowhead “did not create this situation” but now faces “an unenviable position” where the “entire team’s season [is] potentially impacted.”
WIAA’s response
A WIAA spokesperson said the association will comply with the court order but stands by its rules.
“While we respect the court’s decision, the WIAA remains committed to upholding the integrity of the rules of education-based athletics as established by our member schools,” the spokesperson said. “We firmly believe in the importance of enforcing these rules with fairness, consistency, and uniformity.”
What’s at stake
The Seidl family said in the lawsuit that Tristen’s football scholarship offer from the University of Sioux Falls depends on his ability to play his senior year.
The case is still active in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
A final ruling will decide whether the WIAA can continue enforcing its transfer eligibility rules in situations like Seidl’s.
This story was reported on-air by Kaylee Staral and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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