The long-postponed high school football season is set to begin this week in Massachusetts.
The Fall II season, which began as the association adjusted to the reality of the coronavirus pandemic, is slated to run from February 22nd to April 25th, with no last month’s postseason sponsored by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association was announced. School districts can opt out if they so choose.
In addition to football in the Fall II season, there is cheerleading, indoor track and uniform basketball. The school districts also had the option to move the following sports from the Fall I season to the Fall II season: cross-country skiing, dancing, golf, field hockey, soccer, swimming, diving, and volleyball.
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“We made adjustments in the fall and had a successful first season. We made additional changes for the winter and our student athletes have been actively involved since December. Now we hope that under the guidance of the governor’s office and from [the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs]Together with the work of our various committees, we will have a safe and successful Fall II season, ”said MIAA President Jeffrey Granatino in a statement announcing the start date last month.
See the MIAA presentation on the changes here and the rules changes for football here.
The group that oversees college sports in Massachusetts found that higher-risk sports like soccer are not played in the fall.
The announcement came amid a decline in coronavirus cases since the peak of the second surge in Massachusetts when the vaccine rollout spiked. Cases, hospital stays, and percent positivity have continued to decline in the weeks since the announcement.
Governor Charlie Baker has encouraged schools to reopen with existing security measures. He cites research that shows schools that take precautionary measures are unlikely to be a source of major community spread.
The pandemic has devastated college sports, affecting the second half of the 2019-20 season and the start of the 2020-21 season. In August, high school soccer, cheering, and uniform basketball were only moved for practice.
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