Oregon high schoolers have at least another seven months to wait for their favorite sports to return as the state institutes stricter health guidelines.
The executive board of the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA), which oversees high school sports in the state, announced on Wednesday that all high school sports will be suspended until March.
“Today’s decisions by the executive board provide a framework to maximize the potential opportunity for students in Oregon to participate in three seasons during the 2020-21 school year,” OSAA Director Peter Weber said. “The board recognized that a one size fits all approach isn’t what’s best for students across the state. By waiving policy to allow regional participation this fall, local school districts will have the discretion for participation in those areas that are able to do so safely per state directives.”
A revised OSAA calendar has tentatively planned for three, seven-week seasons from December through June. Basketball is slated for January and February while football season starts March and April. Baseball begins May and June.
OSAA also waived all out-of-season coaching policies, which includes conditioning and practices and competitions.
Local school districts across the state are still deciding per guidelines from the governor’s office, the Oregon Health Authority, and the Oregon Department of Education.
Fall sports had been delayed by OSAA until the end of September before Gov. Kate Brown issued new criteria for schools reopening.
More than a dozen school districts including Portland Public Schools have already opted for starting the school year online only.
“Shifting the season calendar later in the school year provides additional time for more schools to return to a hybrid or on-site learning format while providing flexibility for local school districts to make decisions this fall that are best for their school communities as health metrics and state guidance in this area continues to develop,” OSAA said.
The Oregon Health Authority reported Thursday that the total COVID-19 cases in the state stand at 20,225 with the death toll at 335.
Positive test rates in Oregon stood at 6.1 percent Thursday. That is more than 1 percent over Brown’s order that counties must maintain a 5 percent positive rate over a three-week period to reopen schools.
Only one out of Oregon’s 39 counties, rural Wheeler County, has seen positive test rates flatten for the past three weeks as of Thursday’s report.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Brown is considering an interstate travel ban in the face of burgeoning COVID-19 positivity rates in southern and northeastern Oregon.
