JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Georgia High School Association is planning on moving ahead with the start of football season next month, but said it has “contingency plans” lined up if the coronavirus makes its current course unsustainable.
Executive director Robin Hines said in a statement on the GHSA website that “it is possible that the start date of September 4 could change based on COVID-19 data.” The state’s board of trustees voted on July 20 to push the start of the regular season back two weeks until the beginning of September.
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“As numbers dictate over the next two weeks, a decision will be forthcoming with regard to the football start date,” Hines wrote. “The GHSA staff has contingency plans to cover all start and restart scenarios.”
It was the 22nd update on COVID-19 from the GHSA since the pandemic altered high school sports there on March 12. By comparison, the Florida High School Athletic Association provided six updates, five in March and the last on April 20. The FHSAA is set to hold a board of directors meeting and vote on when to start fall sports in Florida on Friday.
In Georgia, the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System announced on Wednesday that it would postpone the start of most fall sports until Sept. 1. Football will be pushed back until Oct. 1. Schools there would only play against teams in its district of 11 schools. There will be no band or cheerleading, the district said. Dougherty County Schools in Albany postponed sports until Oct. 31.
According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, six GHSA member schools have canceled fall sports.