KHSAA Pushes Back Football Playoffs

The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) announced over the weekend that the start of its football playoffs will be pushed back a week to give schools and districts more time to adjust to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases.

According to a report from the Lexington Herald-Leader, the start of the KHSAA football playoffs were supposed to open on November 13, but will now take place the weekend of the 19 through the 21.

Like many other states in the country, Kentucky has seen a rise in COVID-19 cases recently. And though the state health officials have no ordered shutdown of school sports, there are state recommendations against playing in high-risk areas, The Herald-Leader reported.

A lot of school systems adhered to those recommendations, pressing pauses on athletics where data showed their community to be in a “critical” or “red” status.

“It goes without saying that we are in the midst of issues within our state and the current status of the pandemic. I have stated all along that decisions made by our office, at any point in time, would be done so in the best interest of student-athletes. While it may be a calculated strategic decision that in time, we feel was not the best path, we have to make decisions based on today’s information because tomorrow is so unknown,” said KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett in an issued press release.

“This decision isn’t just about the few ongoing quarantines, it’s about 82 counties Friday being defined as “red” including the vast majority of the east,” he continued. “It’s about giving our schools time to deal with the issues around athletics which are not identical to the issues around the school day and as such, may need separate local discussions.”

The delay will also allow more time for school systems to “review site strategies, seating capacities, and all other facets of the likely contests during this interim period and remind students that what they do outside of practice and the game field can have a tremendous impact on themselves and those around them, The Herald-Leader said. It is highly advised that all levels of school administration be in on hosting decisions and use this interim time to play out various “what if” scenarios based on hopefully changing data,” the KHSAA release said.

To read the full report from The Lexington Herald-Leader on the KHSAA’s postponement of its high school football playoffs, click here.