On the day the high school authorities in Virginia announce they would not have a football season this fall, the South Carolina High School League approved a plan for teams to start practice, have a season and hold playoffs. However, the plan is tentative due to the nature of the Covid-19 pandemic and dates can change and plans cancelled altogether.
The executive committee looked over a series of proposals and concepts from staff and school districts and approved a plan that will allow football practice to begin August 17th. Teams will be allowed to participate in two scrimmages and one jamboree. The date for the first game is set for September 11th. That gives teams four weeks of practice before the first game.
The plan calls for teams to play their region games on the front end of their schedule with any non-region games to follow. Playoff bound teams would play a seven game schedule. Non-playoff teams could add an 8th game to their schedule.
The first round of the playoffs is set for October 30th. There will be four rounds of the playoffs with state championship games set for November 20th.
The schedule as currently set would allow the football season to conclude two weeks ahead of a normal football season in South Carolina. It also is set up to allow for flexibility in case the virus does not ease up and delays are necessary.
SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said their goal was to create a plan that would allow for a football season that would not impose on other sports. He said the idea of moving the football season to the spring was considered along with other proposals.
As for fans in the stands, Singleton said that would be left up to each locale and school district to make that call.
As for the state’s private schools, SCISA has not announced any changes to its normal plans and practice for those schools is set to begin the end of this month.
