For boys and girls cross country, girls tennis, girls swimming and diving, and girls golf, practice can begin today for high schools across Wisconsin opting to play fall sports in the fall.

The WIAA voted Friday to provide a spring option for schools not able to compete this fall, or if they fail to complete half of their contests in the fall season. This includes several schools in the Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Green Bay/Appleton, and Milwaukee areas, which have already declared to pursue the spring option. Schools have until September 1 to pick which season to compete in.

Here is the WIAA release from Friday detailing the spring option, as well as other recommendations for the school year in light of the pandemic.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association approved several details of a one-year alternative season in the spring for fall sports and reduced the number of weeks for sports during the 2020-21 winter and spring seasons at its August meeting today.

The Board established the parameters and context of the alternate fall season with seven weeks of competition in the spring. Football programs unable to start or complete 50 percent of the fall season, including games and practices, are eligible for a prorated alternate season. Other fall sports unable to start or complete 50 percent of the fall season, including games and practices, are eligible for a complete alternate season. Fall sports programs exceeding 50 percent of their seasons will be considered a completed season.

For planning and scheduling purposes, schools will be required to initially declare if they plan to participate in the traditional fall season or the alternate fall season in the spring by Sept. 1. Athletic directors at member schools will receive an email with a link to the online form to declare their intentions.

The revised sports calendar replaces the existing 2020-21 season calendars and identifies – in addition to an alternate fall season in the spring with seven weeks of competition – a period of no coaching contact prior to the start of the respective sport seasons; an acclimatization or practice period before the first allowed competition; and the designated number of weeks for the winter and spring seasons, including any culminating event. The Board acknowledges all schedules are subject to change if conditions warrant in accordance with local, state and national health guidelines.

2020-21 Fall Sports Season Start &End Dates (* End dates to be determined)

Cross Country-Boys &Girls (Monday, Aug. 17 - Week of Oct. 26*)

Football (Monday, Sept. 7 - Week of Nov. 16*) - Earliest first game is Wednesday, Sept. 23

Golf-Girls (Monday, Aug. 17 - Week of Oct. 12*)

Soccer-Boys (Monday, Sept. 7 - Week of Nov. 2*)

Swimming &Diving-Girls (Monday, Aug. 17 - Week of Nov. 9*)

Tennis-Girls (Monday, Aug. 17 - Week of Oct. 19*)

Volleyball - Boys & Girls (Monday, Sept. 7 - Week of Nov. 2*)

2020-21 Winter Sports Season Start &End Dates

Basketball-Boys (Monday, Nov. 23 - Week of March 1*)

Basketball-Girls (Monday, Nov. 16 - Week of Feb. 22*)

Gymnastics (Monday, Nov. 16 - Week of Feb. 22*)

Hockey- Boys &Girls (Monday, Nov. 16 - Week of Feb. 15*)

Swimming &Diving-Boys (Monday, Nov. 23 - Week of Feb. 1*)

Wrestling (Monday, Nov. 23 - Week of Feb. 15*)

2020-21 Alternate Fall Sports Season Start &End Dates

Cross Country-Boys &Girls (Monday, March 15 - Week of May 3*)

Football (Monday, March 8 - Week of May 3*) - Earliest first game is Wednesday, March 24

Golf-Girls (Monday, March 29 - Week of May 17*)

Soccer-Boys (Monday, March 22 - Week of May 10*)

Swimming &Diving-Girls (Monday, Feb. 15 - Week of April 5*)

Tennis-Girls (Monday, March 8 - Week of April 26*)

Volleyball - Boys & Girls (Monday, Feb. 22 - Week of April 12*)

2020-21 Spring Sports Season Start &End Dates

Baseball (Monday, April 19 - Week of June 28*)

Golf-Boys (Monday, April 19 - Week of June 14*)

Softball (Monday, April 19 - Week of June 28*)

Soccer-Girls (Monday, April 26 - Week of June 28*)

Tennis-Boys (Monday, May 3 - Week of June 21*)

Track &Field - Boys &Girls (Monday, April 19 - Week of June 28*)

The revised calendar emphasizes the Board’s position to accommodate all the sport seasons in 2020-21 with the knowledge a number of member schools having already determined interscholastic activities are not able to be conducted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board also addressed a number of other rules and regulations to be modified or suspended in 2020-21 to provide flexibility to members and licensed officials during the pandemic.

* If tournament series are conducted, regional groupings will be implemented (four teams in football).

* All minimum number of contests requirement for tournament eligibility will be suspended in 2020-21.

*All tournament series seeding will be conducted virtually in 2020-21.

*All nonborder out-of-state competitions or practices are strongly discouraged.

* All multiple-team events from outside a host’s region is strongly discouraged.

* Co-op programs that include schools that are unable to participate in activities during 2020-21 may seek other co-op partners to provide opportunities for participation.

* With conference approval, schools whose conference has canceled sports in 2020-21 may seek schedule relief with other conferences as an independent without sanctions or going through the prescribed conference realignment process.

*For 2020-21, programs may schedule contests after they are eliminated from the WIAA tournament or culminating event respective sport’s revised season.

* Schools that were unable to conduct their five unrestricted coaching contact days during the 2020 summer may schedule those days during the 2020-21 calendar provided there is one week of no contact prior to the start of the respective season. However, during the closed-session meeting, the Board directed staff to have discussions on coaching contact during 2020-21 placed on the agenda of the September meeting.

* Licensed officials will not drop in classification in 2021-22 if they choose not to renew licensure or are unable to fill a varsity schedule. in 2020-21.

The Board also determined student-athletes may compete in no more than two nonschool events with school approval during each regular sports season in 2020-21 only, which adopts the middle-level regulation. An “event” will be defined as a game or tournament.

The “Return to Fall Sports Considerations” was approved for distribution to the membership and for placement on the COVID-19 page of the WIAA website. Also passed was a recommendation to add language to the Code of Conduct section of the Rules of Eligibility, clarifying how schools respond to allegations of sexual harassment at school or at school-sponsored events.

In other action, the Board voted to table a discussion of a request to form another ad-hoc committee to review competitive equity, and gave its approval of new appointments to the 2020-21 Coaches Advisory Committees and the Conference Realignment Task Force. In addition, the Board authorized the annual renewal of the Association’s membership in the National Federation of State High School Associations, the newly created Conference Realignment Task Force Handbook, as well as the editorial modifications to the 2020-21 Media Policies Guide and Administrative Staff Handbook.

Among the other topics discussed were the decision to conduct the 2020 Area Meetings in September virtually, the initial development of the 2020-21 operational budget, the launching of the COVID-19 Games Wanted webpage on the WIAA website and a review of the New AD Workshop.

The conference realignment request from Dodgeland/Hustisford for boys soccer only was approved via the fast track option implemented by the Conference Realignment Task Force. The co-op will move to the Flyway Conference from Capitol Conference in 2021-22.

The Board also received liaison reports from Mike Thompson of the Department of Public Instruction, John Ashley of the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, and Nathan Delany of the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association, as well as a presentation on returning to high school sports by Dr. Tim McGuine.

Jimmie Kaska

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