MHSAA Announces Fall Sports Will Start 2020-21 School Year as Traditionally Scheduled
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Recently, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) decided to begin the 2020-21 school year playing fall sports as traditionally scheduled, but with contingency concepts for potential interruptions, due to the spread of COVID-19.
If practices and games for high-contact sports (volleyball, swimming and diving, football, and soccer) are postponed, then they will be played in the spring, while low-contact sports (cross country, tennis, golf) will finish out the season. If all fall sports are suspended, they will be rescheduled during a reconfigured calendar that would see winter sports begin in November followed by the conclusion of Fall and Spring seasons potentially extending into July 2021.
“Our student-athletes just want to play, and we’ve gone far too long without them playing. But doing so safely, of course, remains the priority,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said. “Our plan moving forward is Fall in the Fall, starting on time. We’re excited to continue moving forward to bring back sports safely. It’s important for keeping students in our schools and keeping students in our sports programs.”
Currently, high school football practices are scheduled to begin Aug. 10, while all other fall sports start practice on Aug. 12.
