CIF declares cancellation of Fall championships
The CIF-Southern Section formally announced the cancellation of all Fall Sports championships on Tuesday, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
CIF cited two main reasons for the cancellation: 1) The virus has not subsided enough to allow football, girls volleyball and boys/girls water polo to even begin competition this season; and 2) the time remaining in the Fall Season can now be utilized to schedule more contests for all schools.
CIF has been working on a colored tier system where the virus is concerned. Currently most of the state is in the purple tier, which would allow cross country, golf, swimming, tennis and track and field to play, if the stay-at-home order is lifted.
In Tuesday’s statement, the Southern Section said boys and girls cross country could begin as early as next week if the stay-at-home order ends before then.
The red tier would allow baseball and softball to play. Fall Sports, such as football and girls volleyball, are in the orange tier. The yellow tier, the lowest of all, includes basketball and wrestling.
By cancelling the championships it allows all schools to get more playing time, instead of an elite few. The new end dates for each fall sport are: Boys/ girls cross country, March 27; 8-man football, April 3; 11man football, April 17; girls volleyball, March 20; and water polo, March 20.
“Hopefully, the additional weeks now available during the Fall Sports season will be useful to our schools in the effort to have regular season and/or league competition in the time ahead,” said CIF-SS Commissioner of Athletics Rob Wigod. “We strongly support our member schools in returning to play, provided
the guidelines distributed by the California Department of Public Health and local authorities are adhered to.
“We will continue to do all we can to advocate our position to those entities as well.”
Spring sports are currently still on schedule to begin in April, should conditions concerning the virus improve.
The CIF State office also sent out a memo on Tuesday, reminding all California high schools that competition is not permitted in any sport during this recent stay-at-home order.
“The CIF and its Sections are bound by the orders, regulation and guidance of the Governor’s Office, CDPH (California Department of Public Health) and the California Department of Education (CDE),” the statement said. “The CIF and its Sections require and expect all of its member leagues, school districts and schools to comply with orders, regulations and guidance of the Governor’s Office, CDPH and CDE.”
The statement comes after reports that Capistrano Valley and Calvary Chapel played a football game last weekend, among other schools.
“The vast majority of our members schools have complied with the State’s orders pertaining to high school sports, however, the CIF has recently become aware that several member schools have competed in interscholastic contests in contravention of the guidance of the CDPH and CIF rules,” the statement said. “Any school determined to have participated in or to be conducting interscholastic athletics events in violation of the State’s orders or CIF rules may be subject to CIF Article 22 sanctions including, but not limited to, fines, suspension or dismissal from membership.”