Student-athletes, coaches and many others across the state held their breath on Aug. 12, when a release from the N.C. High School Athletics Association was posted announcing that the organization would be releasing an altered 2020-21 school sports schedule.
While many people are not fans of the newly formatted schedule, which moved all fall sports and sprinkled them within the winter and spring season months along with shortened seasons for every sport, the fact that the NCHSAA finally had a plan was a sigh of relief for most.
Under the new schedule, football has been moved to February, with official practices able to start on Feb. 8, first contests tentatively scheduled for Feb. 26 and a seven-game regular season schedule allowed.
While the NCHSAA’s release and livestream in which they unveiled the new schedule did not contain much information relating to playoffs, Commissioner Que Tucker said the organization was planning on holding playoffs for each sport, with the formats and dates yet to be determined.
Other notable changes in the new calendar are the moving of cross country and volleyball to the start of November, and boys soccer to January. Wrestling was moved to the end of the school year to start in April.
Many flaws in the new calendar still have yet to be acknowledged. However, most coaches and athletic directors have shared the same sediment – at least we have a chance to play, let’s make the most of it.