Following two hours of deliberation, the Arizona Interscholastic Association Executive Board agreed Wednesday to allow high school football and other fall sports to continue this year.
The AIA Executive Board voted for schools to participate in sports competition under Sport Medical Advisory Committee guidelines.
“I would like to say on behalf of the staff and the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, especially for the sport of football, we would not have been able to make this decision until this time right now based on the metrics,” said AIA executive director David Hines in a press statement. “So the metrics have gotten to a place that we can start football practice. That we can start the heat acclimatization (guidelines). That we can get kids in a helmet and shoulder pads and begin doing work.”
The current fall sports schedule, which was set in August, has the football season beginning either Thursday, Oct. 1 or Friday, Oct. 2. Big-school state championships and the Open Division title game will be played from Dec. 11-12. High school football teams can begin practice for the 2020 season on Monday.
Once the high school football season begins, local officials will determine if fans can attend games.
“To say we are happy to be where we are now is an understatement,” Hines added. “The Board members really took their time to make sure that this could be done safely. We think that it definitely can. With the help of everyone at our member schools doing their part, we can absolutely make this a memorable season.”
A full in-depth and updated look at the re-entry guidelines are below.
