7/15/20
Later start to SC high school sports season approved. Here’s what we know
Lou Bezjak, The State
High school sports in South Carolina will get a later start this season.
The S.C. High School League Executive Committee approved a proposal in a 14-2 vote Wednesday to move the start of fall sports competition until September because of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposal is for teams in all sports to play region games first, with the flexibility to add non-region contests later in the season if desired (and if possible).
Wednesday’s decision does not affect the state’s private schools, which are governed by the S.C. Independent Schools Association. Those SCISA schools still plan to start their preseason practices July 30 with games starting in August, and the flexibility to modify if needed.
SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said the league’s plan was based on the information gathered from member schools and other various proposals from coaches. The league sent out a survey to principals, superintendents and athletic directors throughout the state to get their input about the 2020-21 athletic calendar.
The plan pushes the start of practices from July 30 to Aug. 17, with games starting for football four weeks later. Singleton said all fall sports teams get two scrimmages and a jamboree. The plan calls for seven-regular season football games starting Sept. 11.
Regular-season football games would end Oct. 23, with playoffs beginning the following week. Playoffs will be three or four rounds and end Nov. 21 if nothing is interrupted, or go into December if they start later.
“This plans provides flexibility. We can move everything back,” Singleton said during Wednesday’s executive committee meeting. “The main thing is to put something in with some flexibility so that we can make adjustments as we go along.”
Singleton said it was unclear if fans would be allowed to attend games. There is still a ban on spectator sports by Gov. Henry McMaster in place. If that restriction is lifted, Singleton said each district would determine how many fans can attend games.
The league’s plan assumes all schools are in session, whether in-person or through virtual classes. Singleton said schools’ athletes would be able play for their school even if they are doing all virtual classes. McMaster, in speaking Wednesday, asked schools to give parents the choice of in-person or virtual learning — including “the option to send their children back to school, five days a week.”
McMaster said school districts should select Sept. 8, after Labor Day, to open schools.
The High School League meeting did not address dates or the outlook for winter and spring sports, focusing only on the fall and sports such as football, competitive cheer, girls tennis, girls golf, swimming and volleyball. The winter and spring sports plan will be revisited at a later date.
The league did not immediately address when or how teams’ fall game schedules would be set. Teams that don’t make playoffs would have an opportunity to play an extra game with another non-playoff team.
The committee picked the SCHSL proposal over one submitted by Lexington County that would have moved football to early January and move traditionally spring sports such as baseball, girls tennis, softball and girls lacrosse to the fall. It called for four 10-week sports seasons beginning in September.
That plan was gaining support in the last few days but was voted down 16-1. Lexington County Athletic Director David Bennett, one of the proponents of the plan, said they will appeal their plan before SC High School League appellate panel next week.
Singleton said the SCHSL also considered moving football to spring but felt their plan provided the most flexibility. He said if football gets canceled there would be the option to move it to the spring, though it would present challenges.
Under the SCHSL plan, it also allow flexibility to push back winter and spring sports’ calendar dates if needed.
“When we first started to work on their plan, we threw a lot of stuff against the wall, but they kept going back to the more flexible they made the plan, the better chance they have of making all sports available,” Singleton said.
The committee also voted down a Greenville County proposal that would have stopped all summer sports workouts. Schools had the option to begin Phase 1 of workouts June 8. But since then, many districts have stopped or delayed the start of those activities because of the increase in new COVID-19 cases. Gray
Collegiate and Kershaw County schools were the only Midlands public schools still conducting workouts. Lexington 1 stopped its sports workouts earlier this summer but resumed them Wednesday.
Districts such as Beaufort, Sumter, Richland 1 and Richland 2 haven’t even started those summer workouts. Beaufort County announced this week it wouldn’t allow for workouts until Aug. 10.
Singleton said the league will continue to be in Phase 1 for the next couple of weeks. That phase allows for in-person weightlifting and conditioning only. He said he doesn’t think there is a competitive advantage for schools that haven’t started yet.
Once official practice starts, there won’t be any phases and teams can get right into practice — with some likely safety modifications in place.
South Carolina is one of several neighboring states starting to announce plans for the upcoming sports season. Virginia announced Wednesday there will be no fall football and that it might be played in the spring. North Carolina said fall sports practice can begin Sept. 1. Tennessee is planning to start Aug. 29 for practice, while Georgia is looking to start its season on time.
SC HIGH SCHOOL FALL SPORTS START DATES
(If practice begins as scheduled on Aug. 17)
Football
First game: Sept. 11 (begin with region play)
Maximum regular season games: 7
Playoffs start: Oct. 30
State finals: Nov. 20
Girls Tennis and Volleyball
First contest: Aug. 31 (begin with Region play)
Playoffs start: Oct. 19
State finals: Oct. 31
Swim and Girls Golf
First contest: Aug. 31
Swim state finals: Oct. 10 and 12
Girls’ golf qualifiers: Oct. 19
Girls’ golf state finals: Oct. 26-27
Cross Country
First contest: Aug. 31
Qualifiers: Week of Nov. 2-7
State finals: Week of Nov. 9-14
Competitive Cheer
First contest: Sept. 12
Upper/lower qualifiers: Week of Nov. 2-7
Cheer state finals: Week of Nov. 9-14
