WIAA pushes back 2020-21 season schedule again

by CASEY MCCARTHY
Staff Writer | November 23, 2020 1:00 AM

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association executive board voted last Tuesday to alter the 2020-21 season schedule again, postponing the start of the revised Season 2 to Feb. 1. Each season will also be shortened to seven weeks with the change in schedule.

The revised WIAA Season 2, featuring basketball, bowling, gymnastics, boy’s swim and dive and wrestling, will now start at the beginning of February and run through the 21st of March, according to a released statement from the WIAA last week.

Season 3, featuring primarily traditional fall sports, will now start on March 15, with the exception of football beginning on March 8. Season 4 and the remaining spring sports will kick off on April 26.

The new revisions come after recent upticks in COVID-19 numbers putting the previously set start date of Dec. 28 at serious risk. The delay will push back the WIAA Open Coaching Window as well through Jan. 23.

Flexibility for season start dates remains available at the local levels for areas where less than 50% of the schools are able to participate in order to allow for the best chance of participation.

Revisions to the 2020-21 season schedule come shortly after the WIAA released a statement on the impact of Gov. Inslee’s recently revised restrictions, with indoor extracurricular activities directed to halt for the next four weeks.

Outdoor activities under the current activity guidelines are still allowed, with participants required to wear face protection at all times.

Casey McCarthy can be reached via email at cmccarthy@columbiabasinherald.com.