Due to the coronavirus, the State of California has officially canceled high school football for 2020 and ruled that the season won’t start until January.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the state’s governing body for high school sports, informed the state’s schools of the decision in a statement issued on Monday, the L.A. Times reported.
“This is the best possible plan we have with what’s going on to give students an opportunity to participate,” Vicky Lagos, the Los Angeles City Section commissioner, told the paper. “There are going to be issues in terms of facilities and multiple-sport athletes, but this is the best scenario for the most people. I have confidence the schools and coaches will work it out among themselves. My take from coaches is they want the opportunity to participate and be with the kids.”
The state’s ten school athletic sectors will craft their football schedules based on the CIF’s recommendations the paper added. Practices are set to begin on Dec. 14, with the first games starting at the end of the first week of January.
Football is not the only sport delayed until next year. All other high school sports are also set to begin in January, the CIF said.
“It is unprecedented times, and given that not one sport didn’t have its calendar changed, we felt we needed to be flexible,” added executive director of the CIF, Ron Nocetti.
New sports calendar. Sections can decide when to start sports and how long. pic.twitter.com/F9ETZew3Yo
— eric sondheimer (@latsondheimer) July 20, 2020
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