STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — The member schools of the Wisconsin Valley Conference have voted to delay the start of the fall sports season following guidance from local health officials.
Sports that are deemed a low risk for COVID-19 transmission will begin practice by September 1st, with competition beginning after September 17th. Those include golf, cross country, and swimming.
High-risk sports like volleyball, soccer, and football may begin practice September 7th with games beginning no earlier than the 25th.
Monday’s meeting came after local health officials within the WVC’s four-county footprint released a statement encouraging all schools to successfully hold at least four weeks of in-person classes before beginning competition amongst each other.
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The decision also breaks form from the WIAA’s late-July recommendation for low-risk sports begin practice by August 17th and high-risk sports by September 7th. The Board of Control also left open the possibility that conferences could set their own schedules, which could also lead to the cancellation of state championships. If that happens, the WIAA may choose to recognize regional champions instead.
Some conferences, such as the Madison-centered Big 8, have already announced plans to cancel their fall seasons.
Information regarding schedules for those sports and activities will be announced at a later date. Additionally, all other co-curricular activities will be administered locally.
Monday’s decision was made to allow for monitoring and reacting to COVID-19 transmission rates within the coming weeks. WVC Superintendents and local health officials maintain that their top priority is to have a successful reopening of schools.
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