Section proposes alternative calendar
NCS plan would allow leagues more flexibility
While still awaiting updated guidance from the California Department of Health, the North Coast Section announced that it was taking action on Thursday to give its leagues the autonomy to break away from the Season 1/ Season 2 format while remaining in accordance with their county guidelines.
The original plan called for traditional fall sports to be played in Season 1 from January to April while most traditional winter and spring sports to be played in Season 2 from March to June. State guidance, based on color-coded COVID tiers, would not have allowed for many of those Season 1 sports to take place as initially scheduled.
However, as long as a regional stay-at-home order is in place, that would still prevent prep sports from taking place.
“With input from our member schools and League Commissioners, the Executive Committee took action today to move forward with our calendar by giving leagues the autonomy to build their season of sport calen
dars around the guidance from the California Department of Public Health, the local counties that their league resides in, and the approval of their member schools and districts,” NCS commissioner Pat Cruickshank wrote in a letter to NCS members schools.
“This action will be subject to approval by the Board of Managers at their January 29, 2021 meeting.”
If approved by the Board of Managers, the decision would fall to NCS leagues about whether or not to adopt this format or stick with the original Season 1/ Season 2 format. If leagues choose the color-based alternative season, competition would begin no earlier than Feb. 1.
The final date for allowable competition for NCS member schools is June 12.
The tiers and the sports permitted in each one break down like this:
• Purple: cross-country, golf, tennis, track and field, swimming and diving
• Red: baseball, softball, girls lacrosse, field hockey
• Orange: football, boys lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, water polo, badminton, volleyball
• Yellow: competitive cheerleading, basketball, wrestling
“What this means is, if approved as presented, leagues will set their seasons of sport based on the color tier that their county resides in and the sports allowed in that tier,” Cruickshank wrote. “Purple sports will have the ability to go off first once the county and schools have approved it. Then once counties move into the red tier, the league will be allowed to begin that season of sport at a time that best fits them. The same will be done for the orange and yellow tier sports.
As of Tuesday, all but four counties in California — including the entire Bay Area — remained in the most restrictive, purple tier.
While no sports were moved up or down within
the color-tier system, the NCS made several other announcements on Thursday.
State and regional championships had already been cancelled when a return to play was pushed to Jan. 25 last month. The NCS announced that should leagues break away from the Season 1/Season 2 format then no section championships would take place this season.
“The leadership advocated for beginning the seasons and having the most opportunities for our students to play,” Cruickshank wrote.
Student athletes may only compete in one sport at a time. Football season must be completed by April 17 for the Fall 2021 season to begin as projected on Aug. 9. Football remains in the second-least restrictive orange tier. That, paired with the April end date, keeps football season in jeopardy.
“What this means is, if approved as presented, leagues will set their seasons of sport based on the color tier that their county resides in and the sports allowed in that tier.”
— Pat Cruickshank, North Coast Section commissioner.