CIF postpones sports to 2021 due to recent surge in Coronavirus cases
By Kyle Foster
Twitter: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
In 2020, nothing is normal. So we shouldn’t be surprised when something gets canceled or postponed.
You can now add another thing that will happen, but it won’t be normal. That is a normal high school sports season.
The reason for the move of every season to 2021 is because of the most recent spike of Coronavirus cases around California since the four-phase reopening began. This isn’t the first season to be changed because of COVID-19 either. Last March, the baseball and softball season was postponed due to the virus starting to spread and becoming a pandemic before the CIF canceled the rest of the season in April.
In a never before seen move, the CIF moved their normal state championship dates for football from December to April. The last date for sections to have their football championship games is April 10th, 2021 with the last date for regional or state championship games to occur being a week later on April 17th. On top of that, the CIF made an unprecedented move by temporarily suspending bylaws 600-605, which allows athletes to now compete in outside competition simultaneously while being on their high school team. This means an athlete could play on their AAU basketball team and their high school basketball team or their travel baseball or softball team along with the high school team at the same time. The last notable change is that there will be no week zero for football, which normally allows teams to schedule in a bye week. Instead, football games statewide will begin on January 8th and each school won’t have a bye week. You can view the full media release here.
Meanwhile, the CIF North Coast has announced that their football playoffs for football will start on March 26th/27th, with the semifinals on April 2nd/3rd, and then the section finals in April 9th/10th. Practices can begin on December 14th, with a scrimmage window from December 25th-January 2nd. Lastly, the regular season is set to finish on March 20th.
Basketball, baseball, and softball seasons are now all considered spring sports. All of them will have their first practices on March 15th, with the final date of the regular-season competition being on June 5th. Playoffs for basketball will begin June 1st-3rd and continue with quarterfinals on June 4th/5th, semifinals on June 8th/9th, with finals on June 11th/12th. Regional and state playoffs will begin on June 18th/19th. As for baseball and softball, their playoffs will begin June 8th/9th, with quarterfinals on June 10th/11th, semifinals on June 15th/16th, and finally the championship games on June 18th or 19th. Regionals for baseball and softball will begin on June 26th.
You can view the full CIF North Coast Section calendar here.
Community Colleges to adopt a different model for 2020-21
The CIF isn’t the first one to move all of their sports to after the New Year either. On July 9th, the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), announced their new contingency plan to move all their sports seasons to 2021. The plan includes a reduction of the seasons by 30% with regional playoffs still happening. You can read that whole story here and see the layout of everything here.
“I know I speak for the entire CCCAA Board that moving Fall athletics to Spring 2021 is a huge disappointment,” said Dr. Erika Endrijonas, Board Chair and President of Pasadena City College in the July 9th release. “However, the need to keep our student-athletes and the amazing coaches and athletic trainers who work with them safe was simply the only option available with the virus spiraling out of control across the state.”
