Though the action at high school sporting events may become heated from time to time, some members of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) would prefer that fans keep their shirts on. So, after years spent examining the issue, the WIAA's Sportsmanship Advisory Committee offered up a proposal this spring that would have ban spectators from going bare-chested during indoor contests at its member schools.

"Three or four years ago, some members of our sportsmanship advisory committee wondered aloud why we were allowing spectators to go shirtless at our indoor contests," says Todd Clark, Director of Communications for the WIAA and Coordinator of the association's Sportsmanship Advisory Committee, which is made up of superintendents, principals, and athletic directors from member schools. "The committee members thought it was offensive and inappropriate for educational-based athletics.

"We don't allow our athletes to have excessive celebration after a made basket, so why shouldn't we hold the fans to a similar standard?" Clark adds. "We want to promote a team atmosphere and respect the game and the players who are performing on the court. The game is about those individuals, not fans who come to the game trying to get attention by taking off their shirts."

However, the WIAA defeated the proposal this past June, feeling the issue should be handled at a local level. Several athletic administrators wanted to see conference or individual school enforcement, instead of the WIAA having to put its foot down.

In 2007-08, the WIAA restricted fans from going shirtless at indoor state tournaments only. The decision was partly because fans who watched the game shirtless and with upper torsos painted, damaged cloth seats with the paint. "We requested that fans wear shirts at state events and have a policy banning body paint--which was developed largely at the facility's request," Clark says. "Paint gets on chairs and makes for excessive cleanup that's charged to the association."