MHSAA announces schedule to finish fall sports, resume winter

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Today, the Representative Council of the Michigan High School Athletic Association approved an adjusted schedule to restart and conclude Fall Tournaments in football, girls volleyball, and girls swimming & diving, and also to resume Winter sports after the three-week “pause” in activity ordered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) scheduled to end Dec. 9. The MDHHS announced Nov. 15 a three-week pause to various activities including school sports, effective Nov. 18, in hopes of halting the state’s rising infections due to COVID-19.

The volleyball and swimming & diving tournaments have one week remaining, with MHSAA Finals for both previously scheduled for Nov. 21. The 11 and 8-Player Football Playoffs also are nearing their conclusions, with the 8-player postseason two games from completion and 11-player down to its final three rounds. Winter practices for all but boys basketball, bowling, skiing, and wrestling had begun for high school teams.

If allowed by the MDHHS, the practice would resume for all three Fall sports on Dec. 9, with tournaments scheduled as follows:

Volleyball: Quarterfinals in all four divisions would be played Tuesday, Dec. 15, with Semifinals played Dec. 17-18 and Finals on Saturday, Dec. 19. Those final two rounds would be played at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena, as previously scheduled.
Swimming & Diving: All three Lower Peninsula Finals would be conducted Tuesday, Dec. 22 (diving) and Wednesday, Dec. 23 (swimming) with three high schools each hosting one meet. This allows for a two-week practice window for all participating swimmers who previously met and entered qualification times, and for divers who previously qualified at Regional meets.
Football: 11-Player Regional Finals and 8-Player Semifinals would be played Tuesday, Dec. 15, and Wednesday, Dec. 16; 11-Player Semifinals and 8-Player Finals would be played Dec. 21-22, the 8-player championship games at Midland Community Stadium; 11-Player Finals will be played Monday, Dec. 28, and Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Ford Field.

For Winter sports, the Council approved resuming practices on Dec. 9 if allowed by the MDHHS, with competition to begin Jan. 4. The Council meets again on Dec. 4 for its annual Fall Meeting, and at that time will consider possible tournament adjustments necessary due to the shortened Winter competition season.