NCHSAA will postpone fall sports again, date to be determined
Tags: NC High School Athletic Association, coronavirus
Posted August 6, 2020 9:07 a.m. EDT
Updated August 6, 2020 2:47 p.m. EDT
By Nick Stevens, HighSchoolOT managing editor
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The N.C. High School Athletic Association has informed its membership that the 2020 fall sports season will be postponed again due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the new date has not yet been determined.
In an email to membership, the NCHSAA said its board of directors and several committees will work on a solution over the coming weeks. The NCHSAA hopes to make an announcement by Aug. 17.
"We want to play sports during this upcoming school year and are making plans to do so; however, the health and safety of all participants, including coaches and other essential staff, will be a priority as decisions and plans are made," the email said.
The decision to postpone the season for a second time comes after North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced on Wednesday that the state's reopening would remain paused in Phase 2 for at least another five weeks, until Sept. 11.
In July, the NCHSAA postponed the official start of fall sports practices and tryouts until Sept. 1, but noted that the date could change again.
Sports practices and games have been suspended since Mar. 13, but the NCHSAA allowed schools to resume limited optional workouts on June 15, provided the school district gave the school permission. As of Wednesday, for the first time since sports were suspended in March, a majority of NCHSAA member schools had resumed workouts. 51% of schools have resumed workouts, 48% are suspended, and data is missing from 1%.
The NCHSAA moved into Phase 2 of its reopening plan on Monday, which allowed schools participating in workouts to begin using shared equipment. It did not increase the number of student-athletes who may participate though.
This is a developing story and HighSchoolOT will have more information soon. This story will be updated.
Full NCHSAA statement: Fall sports to be postponed beyond Sept. 1
Posted August 6, 2020 9:21 a.m. EDT
The N.C. High School Athletic Association released the following statement to the membership on Thursday morning regarding the postponement of the high school fall sports season:
“At his press conference on Wednesday, August 5, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper and his health team extended Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan until at least September 11. Unfortunately, this announcement means that the start of sports for the 2020-2021 school year will be delayed beyond September 1 for NCHSAA member schools.
The NCHSAA Staff and Board of Directors will review all available options, seek input from SMAC, DPI, a sports Ad Hoc Committee, and announce a calendar for playing sports during the upcoming school year. It is hoped that we can make this announcement prior to August 17, 2020.
We want to play sports during this upcoming school year and are making plans to do so; however, the health and safety of all participants, including coaches and other essential staff, will be a priority as decisions and plans are made.”