September 6, 2020 at 8:06 a.m.
WIAA: 68 percent of schools opt for fall football
WIAA: 68 percent of schools opt for fall football
In July, the board of control voted to maintain fall interscholastic opportunities with a delayed start in all fall sports except cross country, as well as an alternate opportunity for schools unable to start and administer the traditional fall season. The sports of girls' golf, girls' tennis, girls' swimming and diving, and cross country were permitted to begin practice, with prescribed acclimatization protocol, Monday, Aug. 17. The earliest practice date for the traditional fall sports of football, boys' soccer, and volleyball was yesterday.
"At this time, a majority of schools have opted to conduct their fall sports in the traditional season," the WIAA stated in a press release. "The Executive Staff is utilizing the data to create innovated postseason opportunities for a tournament format or a culminating event."
Here is the breakdown of the percentages and the number of schools that have declared for either the fall season or the alternate fall season next spring.
Cross Country (Boys') - 82% (348 Fall), 18% (76 Alternate Fall)
Cross Country (Girls') - 82% (346 Fall), 18% (75 Alternate Fall)
11-Player Football - 68% (256 Fall), 32% (121 Alternate Fall)
8-Player Football - 81% (38 Fall), 19% (9 Alternate Fall)
Girls' Golf - 74% (129 Fall), 26% (46 Alternate Fall)
Boys' Soccer - 64% (181 Fall), 36% (101 Alternate Fall)
Girls' Swimming & Diving - 63% (88 Fall), 37% (51 Alternate Fall)
Girls' Tennis - 73% (150 Fall), 27% (55 Alternate Fall)
Volleyball (Boys') - 63% (38 Fall), 37% (22 Alternate Fall)
Volleyball (Girls') - 74% (353 Fall), 26% (121 Alternate Fall)
The revised sports calendar approved by the board at its Aug. 14 meeting replaces the existing 2020-21 season calendars and created an alternate fall season in the spring with seven weeks of competition for schools unable to start or complete 50% of the traditional fall season.
"The Executive Staff acknowledges declarations and schedules are subject to change if conditions warrant in accordance with local, state and national health guidelines," the WIAA stated.
WIAA executive staff sent an email to all schools that interprets the intention of the alternate season opportunity in providing member schools with a choice to conduct a traditional fall season or an alternate fall season in the spring. Schools will not be provided an alternate spring season if programs use the fall as a contact period or to intentionally schedule less than 50 percent of the prescribed games in order to circumvent out-of-season contact rules and use the fall as an opportunity to practice.
Schools scheduling fall sport seasons with bona fide competition schedules - and meets the intention of the WIAA Board of Control's 50 percent opportunity - may be able to switch to the alternate season.
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