In jeopardy

» Rice may reschedule or cancel opener vs. UH.

Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco ISD canceled its football and volleyball seasons Monday, making it the first school district in Texas to do so amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco High School, located 60 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, competes in Class 2A in the University Interscholastic League.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported the district’s school board voted to stay in an online-only curriculum for the first nine weeks of the school year. The district is not allowing practices for extracurricular activities through Oct. 3 and any possible start date for the football or volleyball regular seasons would be pushed to early November, making them untenable.

High schools in Classes A through 4A in the UIL start football, volleyball, cross country and team tennis seasons later this month. For these schools, district certification dates — when playoff teams must be determined — are Oct. 27 for volleyball and Nov. 7 for football. Class 6A and 5A volleyball and football programs start fall practice Sept. 7.

Ben Bolt is allowing cross-country athletes to train individually and compete in the district championship meet.

The Houston area’s 4A and 3A teams commenced fall practice in football last week and the volleyball regular season begins Monday.

Houston ISD’s eight 4A schools — Furr, Kashmere, North Forest, Scarborough, Washington, Wheatley, Worthing and Yates — are currently not participating in athletics with the district preparing to start the school year virtually Sept. 8 through Oct. 16.

No extracurricular activities are allowed while the district is online, according to Houston ISD’s reopening plan.