FCIAC, SWC among leagues to move to fall season

“It was pretty clear our athletic directors and principals all shared the belief that all schools should play in the same season.” — SCC commissioner Al Carbone

This will be the final season that all of the CIAC boys golf teams will be playing during the spring season.

The FCIAC, South-West Conference and Berkshire League, along with a handful of programs in the Central Connecticut Conference, will begin play in the fall this year.

“Golf is so dependent on course availability which the schools have no control over,” Joe Velardi, the liaison from the CIAC to the CIAC golf committee, said.

These decisions came after a long process over a proposed move to the fall for the entire sport, a proposal put forth by both the FCIAC and SWC. There was originally a 72 percent approval from the CIAC’s membership schools comprised of coaches, athletic directors and principals, but dropped to just 54 percent when the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors (CAAD) did its own poll of just the athletic directors in November of 2019.

Then the proposal was voted down by the CIAC Board of Control in February of last year, but with a caveat: the CIAC golf committee came up with a proposal to allow teams or leagues to decide which season to play in. This was a proposal the committee originally had rejected in 2019.

The committee came up with the new proposal, which was approved by the Board of Control in December. Teams and leagues had until Jan. 1 to let the CIAC know which season it would participate in.

“Our courses were asking for it, the pros at the course were asking for it and the country club members at those clubs were asking for it as well,” SWC co-commissioner Mark Berkowitz said. “It was really an easy decision for the SWC.”

Said FCIAC commissioner Dave Schulz: “We think it’s for the best for both the girls (golfers) and the boys with the use of the golf course.”

Velardi said all of the girls golf teams will continue to play during the spring season. Girls can choose to play on a boys team in the fall, but then would not be allowed on the school’s girls team.

If a boys team or league changes its mind and wants to return to the spring season, the earliest return to competition would be the spring of 2023.

CCC commissioner Trish Witkin said the decision was left up to the individual schools. The following CCC teams will move to the fall: Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Farmington, Glastonbury, Newington, Northwest Catholic, Rocky Hill, Simsbury, Southington, Tolland and Wethersfield.

SCC commissioner Al Carbone said the league was in favor of moving to the fall when the original proposal was being vetted, but has since decided to stay in the spring through at least the 2022 season.

“It was pretty clear our athletic directors and principals all shared the belief that all schools should play in the same season,” Carbone said. “To have state champions in two different seasons simply creates confusion.”

But that is exactly what will happen. All told, 48 teams will play golf this fall, meaning there will be two state championships held. With just over 100 teams remaining in the spring, it looks like just three tournaments will be held instead of four.

Also, the first fall match is scheduled to begin on Aug. 30 - well before the rest of the fall teams normally begin regular season competition. The season will end around the third week of October.

“Access to a golf course is the paramount concern for a quality high school golf program. Schools, especially those with boys and girls teams, are having difficulty getting on their course,” said Gregg Simon, the associate executive director of the CIAC. “By moving to the fall, those teams have more access to their course and therefore can offer a better experience for their studentathletes.”