Class 6A and 5A high schools will be starting their football and volleyball seasons a little later this year. The University Interscholastic League released a modified activity calendar this morning, pushing games back five weeks. High schools in conferences 4A and below will be allowed to start their seasons on schedule. According to FOX 26, Texas UIL explained their thinking as follows:
“This plan provides a delay for schools in highly-populated metro areas, primarily conferences 5A-6A, given the challenges with COVID-19 those communities are facing, while providing schools in other areas, primarily 1A-4A, an opportunity to start seasons on schedule. Acknowledging the situation is not always clear-cut and that COVID-19 affects every community differently, the plan also allows for local flexibility and encourages districts to plan for possible interruptions in order to complete district seasons.”
The league also released safety guidelines for mitigating COVID-19 risk at UIL activities. This includes face covering and symptom screening requirements. See the full list at UILTexas.org.
Their statement on the safety guidelines is below:
“Our goal in releasing this plan is to provide a path forward for Texas students and schools. While understanding situations change and there will likely be interruptions that will require flexibility and patience, we are hopeful this plan allows students to participate in the education-based activities they love in a way that prioritizes safety and mitigates risk of COVID-19 spread.”
Photo: Getty Images