High school football will not begin on time in Tennessee. The TSSAA provided three alternatives that include shortened seasons with state champs still crowned.
TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress provided the options Wednesday to the Board of Control.
Under the COVID-19 state of emergency order Gov. Bill Lee extended through Aug. 29, contact sports are restricted. For the TSSAA, that consists of football, basketball, wrestling and soccer.
The first Friday night of football was initially set for Aug. 21. Under all 3 plans, football practice with contact might return on Aug. 30 if the emergency order is raised with the first games on Sept. 18. The championships would remain Dec. 3-5.
No decision was made Wednesday. The board will reconvene July 8 and wants a strategy in location by the end of July.
The very first alternative is a seven-game regular season with the regular 32-team Division I playoff brackets and regular brackets for Division II. TSSAA would set the area schedules.
Teams that did not make the playoffs could play two more video games.
The 2nd alternative is an eight-game regular season with a 16-team Division I playoff bracket and typical brackets for Division II. Just the region champion and runner-up would make the playoffs rather than the leading 4 teams in each Division I region.
The TSSAA would set the region schedules and the playoffs would begin Nov. 13.
The third alternative is a nine-game regular season with an eight-team playoff bracket for Division I and Division II. Just the area champion would make the playoffs in Division I.
The schools would keep their current schedule beginning with Week 5 on Sept. 18, and after that go back to play Week 3 video games on Nov. 6 and Week 4 video games on Nov. 13. The playoffs would start Nov. 20.
“But with that being said, eventually the TSSAA and Board of Control are going to have to make some tough decisions. Hopefully they get the input of just not administrators and individuals on the board, but hopefully they will talk to coaches that are around players more than anyone.”
There was a 4th choice considered without state championships, however Childress stated that nobody had actually really pressed that idea. Under that choice, the season would start on Sept. 18 with the schedule as is, and after that teams would return and select up the other video games rather of having a postseason.
” My opinion on it is that I would take the eight video games,” Memphis Academy of Health Sciences football coach Cedric Miller stated. “If we did just seven video games that means for me in my district, I would lose a league video game due to the fact that we have eight groups in our district in 2A.
For some though, there are bigger concerns to respond to.
” I understand the people leading our association have a lot more knowledge than I do, however I was disappointed listening to the Board of Control conference as I believe we spent a great deal of time on trying out how to start and not a lot of discussion was going on as to how we would finish,” Peabody football coach Shane Jacobs stated. “There are a lot of what ifs regarding what might happen once the season starts, and we dont have responses to those concerns. I think those are just as important as the concerns of how to begin.”
When the TSSAA dead duration ends on Monday, groups can resume conditioning and weightlifting however they cant have close contact activities, including 7-on-7 competitors.
TSSAA assistant executive director Mark Reeves said he has been in communication with the governors workplace about putting the TSSAA in the same classification as college and expert sports so the limitation on contact would not apply.
The regular-season schedules for football and ladies soccer are the only fall sports affected up until now. Girls soccer video games had been set to begin Aug. 17.
” Cross golf, county and volleyball can continue to follow the TSSAA calendar and start their seasons as they would any other year,” Childress stated.
Cross nation and volley ball can begin practicing on July 27 with video games beginning Aug. 17. Golf can start practicing July 13 with matches beginning on July 27.
Childress recommended extending the ladies soccer season a few weeks and playing the state champions at a later date, so that the players have a full season.
” At this point, we all have to be versatile and comprehend it is a special scenario,” University School of Jackson soccer coach Paul Conway said. It is important to have that potential to understand that all of this training that we are going to do, there is a light at the end of it.”
Reach Michael Odom at [email protected] or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.
“But with that being stated, ultimately the TSSAA and Board of Control are going to have to make some tough decisions. “If we did only seven games that suggests for me in my district, I would lose a league video game due to the fact that we have 8 teams in our district in 2A.” I understand the people leading our association have a lot more understanding than I do, however I was dissatisfied listening to the Board of Control meeting as I think we invested a lot of time on attempting on how to start and not a lot of discussion was going on as to how we would end up,” Peabody football coach Shane Jacobs said. “There are a lot of what ifs as to what might take place once the season begins, and we dont have responses to those concerns. I believe those are just as crucial as the concerns of how to start.”
