Students in the Southern Tier looking forward to kicking off seasons of football, soccer, field hockey, and more will have to wait a few more weeks to hit the field.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that fall high school sports would be delayed from original start date of August 24 to the new date: September 21.

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"The priority will continue to be on the educational process and a return to learning in the safest way possible," NYSPHSAA President Paul Harrica said in a statement.

All of this is of course contingent on there being a fall sports season. As of right now the plan is to have a fall season, but if the fall season does get canceled, NYSPHSAA would implement a tentitive shortened sports season for fall, winter, and spring sports that woudl begin in 2021:

  • Condensed winter sports season (basketball, bowling, gymnastics, ice hockey, indoor track & field, skiing, boys swimming, wrestling): January 4 - March 13
  • Condensed falls sports season (football, soccer, field hockey, cross-country, girls swimming, volleyball, unified bowling): March 1 - May 8
  • Condensed spring sports season (baseball, softball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, outdoor track & field, unified basketball): April 5 - June 12

Some of sports that require more close contact could be pushed back to a different condensed season in 2021, NYSPHSAA notes (wrestling moved to the condensed fall sports season, for example).

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