New High School Sports/NCHSAA Schedule for 2020-2021 Announced:Football will begin practice on February 8/Basketball on December 7 and Baseball on April 12(First Day of Seasons on November 4/All Sports listed here)

The entire High School Season will begin/commence on November 4 with Cross Country and Volleyball practice….

High School Football practice begins on February 8 2021/First games on February 26/Season ends on April 9
(Football with a 7-game regular season.)
High School Basketball practice begins on December 7/First games on January 4
(There goes the 2020 HAECO Invitational Basketball Tournament.)
High School Baseball practice begins on April 12
Swimming and Diving begin practice on November 23
Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse and Men’s Soccer practice begins on January 11 with the first games on January 25
Golf(Men’s and Women’s), Men’s Tennis, Women’s Soccer and Softball begin practice on March 1
Wrestling practice begins on April 12
Women’s Tennis, plus Track and Field practice begins on April 12
(NO Indoor Track and Field during the 2020-2021 school year.)
(Cheerleading Invitational Competition will be held on May 1)

Commissioner Que Tucker Statement on amended 2020-2021 Sport Calendar

“You all have been waiting patiently for a decision from the NCHSAA relative to an amended sport calendar for the 2020-2021 academic year. Please keep in mind that these proposed dates are dependent on COVID-19 conditions improving across NC. However, last night the Board of Directors approved a framework we believe maximizes the opportunities for students in our membership to participate in athletics at some point during this school year, regardless of what plan is a school and/or school system operates.

The NCHSAA Board approved an amended calendar for the 2020-2021 school year in a special called meeting for this purpose on Tuesday, August 11 via Zoom. This calendar represents the hard work of the NCHSAA Staff, Board of Directors and various committees such as the City/County Athletic Directors, Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and the Sports Ad Hoc Committee. There is still much work to be done on the details of implementing athletic programs and contests during this pandemic, but we thank these committees and individuals for their hard work to bring us to this point.

We recognize that this is a lot of information to digest and drastically different from the way the sport calendar has been aligned for years in North Carolina. However, as we mentioned many weeks ago, “We will play again.” In that mantra we believe, and it is in that spirit that we present this calendar. It is the belief of the Board of Directors and our staff that this calendar provides us the greatest chance of providing interscholastic athletic opportunities to the students of the NCHSAA for the 2020-2021 academic year. We believe that this is the best path forward to a safe return to the field.

Our decision-making process has been careful and calculated, as we work to ensure the health and safety of all student-athletes, coaches and administrators during this unprecedented time. There is still much work to be done in regard to playoff formats, COVID-19 related rules modifications for numerous sports, securing potential playoff facilities and providing the safest possible regular season opportunities for student athletes. We are committed to that work and will continue to lead and govern interscholastic athletic programs across this state that support and enrich the educational experience provided by our member schools in such a manner to maintain the standards of excellence that the NCHSAA has become known for.

Dr. Josh Bloom Statement on 2020-2021 Sport Calendar on behalf of NCHSAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC)
“We feel it is critically important to provide opportunities for North Carolina student athletes to participate, and compete, in education-based athletics. While there are risks with resuming NCHSAA sanctioned athletics, it has also become very clear that there are significant negative consequences with not providing this option to student athletes. Accordingly, this is an exercise in balance – and we are committed to an appropriate balance of both safety AND participation.

Our student athletes rely on the leadership and guidance of their coaches and mentors, the structure and discipline inherent in sports, and the camaraderie, joy, and excitement inherent in training and competing with their friends and teammates. For many young people, the void left without sports is filled with anxiety, depression, and despair. While the consequences of not participating may be more difficult to quantify than the risks of COVID 19 infection, we recognize these consequences of NOT participating are real and they are grave. With this in mind, we feel it is crucial to provide some good news and a plan for NCHSAA member schools to resume athletics. Accordingly, and with guidance from the CDC, the NC DHHS, and from our SMAC, we look forward to providing a path to participation in the 2020-2021 academic year.”

from GreensboroSports.com:
**********Here is one way to put all of this into the proper prospective**********

11 thoughts on “New High School Sports/NCHSAA Schedule for 2020-2021 Announced:Football will begin practice on February 8/Basketball on December 7 and Baseball on April 12(First Day of Seasons on November 4/All Sports listed here)

  1. Thank you NCHSAA for at least a tentative timeline for this upcoming school year. Now that this has been set it is time for @GCSchoolNC to get in the game and revisit Phase 1 of return to play laid out by the NCHSAA.

    Rockingham, Forsyth, Randolph, and Davidson seem to be doing pretty good at implementing and following the guidelines.

  2. So they can’t legally or technically practice football until 02/08 so that gives less than 3 weeks before a 1st game. Clearly nchsa has no clue about prep time.
    Then they take all these hits, go run summer camps, summer 7 on 7, 2021 preseason and right back into 2021 full season. Can we see injuries happening.

  3. To be fair, it used to be the case that practice started August 1 and four weeks later games started. I believe they will get ample organized workout/conditioning time pre-February as well. I believe this decision was the best possible solution to get all athletes a shot at a season. Now it’s up to the rest of us to help the situation out the best we can.

  4. Sure hope those stimulus checks from DC/DT/President Donald Trump are still a possibility…

    This will end up making 10 months with No regular sports broadcast schedule….That is a long lapse….

  5. Tim Winters
    @UCNCFootball

    Just hit me that HS sports in our state commences on 11/4, one day after Election Day. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.

    **********NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker said today/Wednesday, that this was just a coincidence…She addressed that question during her press conference with the media.**********

    (The question posed was, “was the selection of this date, November 4, political or scientific?”)

    All upcoming start dates will be monitored and backed up and based by scientific date that relates to the Corornavirus/COVID-19 numbers……

  6. J.P. Mundy
    @JP_Mundy

    @NickStevensHSOT who are these conspiracy theorists thinking that everything changes the day after the election? If there is a transfer of power, it wouldn’t happen until January, anyway. It’s exhausting. We wanted a chance for kids to play. Today, they have it. I don’t get it.

  7. The first person that I heard of that brought up the theory was and is, current Lt. Governor Dan Forest, who is running for the North Carolina governor’s office vs. our current governor and the man who is running on the Democratic ticket for reelection, Roy Copper….

    Dan Forest came up with the conspiracy theory.

  8. Southeast Wrestling
    @wrestleSE

    Message to seniors Don’t let your mindset be on what we don’t get. Stay humble & have an “attitude of gratitude”. We know that there are folks working for us to compete. It’s your Last Dance so let’s make the most out of every second to prepare (now) and compete (when it’s time)…..

  9. Regarding the Dan Forest (Gump) conspiracy theory, Tucker addressed that during her video conference. The NCHSAA was going to allow practices to start Nov. 2, but THE SCHOOLS asked them to wait until after Election Day because so many high schools in many parts of the state are also polling places.

    Love or hate Cooper, the alternative is a moron of epic proportions.

  10. JUST IN: The NCHSAA has notified member schools that it is temporarily halting all conference & non-conference scheduling in all sports. It plans to release more details about playoffs, conferences, etc by Sept. 4.

  11. Lots of highly ranked NC players now deciding to enroll early in Jan. Can’t say I blame them.

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