PIAA set to make ‘biggest announcement’ regarding fall sports

By: Chris Harlan
Thursday, August 20, 2020 | 8:46 PM

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The PIAA has been around for more than a century, and Friday’s decision surely ranks among its most debated.

Should high school sports be played this fall?

Gov. Tom Wolf repeatedly has said no and issued a “strong recommendation” that all youth sports be delayed until at least Jan. 1 to prevent potential coronavirus spread by teams traveling across county lines.

But the PIAA has disagreed, arguing his recommendation isn’t based on relevant data, and the board could vote to allow fall sports to continue against the wishes of the governor and his administration.

After weeks of debate and delays, it’s time to decide.

“Everybody wants at least some sort of answer or guidance to move on,” WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said, “not just a continual push back.”

The 32-person PIAA board meets online at 3 p.m. The board includes members from all 12 PIAA districts along with representatives for the state’s principals, superintendents, game officials and other specific constituencies.

The board met Aug. 7 but delayed its decision until now.

“I know they’ve heard from a lot of people from both sides,” Scheuneman said. “Everything is being taken into consideration. It’s going to be an important decision that they make for all of us.”

There isn’t much time left for debate.

Fall sports are scheduled to start Monday with heat acclimatization for football and the first day of practice for all other sports.

The PIAA in recent days has appeared poised to allow sports to continue as scheduled. PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi on Tuesday told state lawmakers the PIAA wants to move forward with sports.

An alternative would be to delay until January, possibly creating three condensed seasons.

“This affects so many different sports,” said Garry Cathell, executive director for the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association. “We’re not just talking about football. We’re talking about fall and possibly winter sports if people stick with the shutdown until Jan. 1.

“It’s the biggest announcement they’ve made.”

The Pennsylvania Principals Association released survey numbers Thursday that showed its membership was divided. The association didn’t reveal how many principals responded to the survey, but 56% opposed a delay until January and 44% favored the delay.

WPIAL treasurer Michael Allison, principal at Hopewell, is president of the principals’ association. He declined comment until after Friday’s meeting.

The PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee met Monday and remained committed to fall sports.

The SMAC voted unanimously in July that “strict adherence by schools and teams to their school-adopted plans and the governor’s School Sports Guidance should provide a reasonably safe environment for student athletes to participate in interscholastic athletics as currently scheduled.”

This week, the SMAC questioned the wisdom of a possible January start date in the middle of influenza season with “no guarantee there will be better medical circumstances.” The committee said there was no “medical or scientific reasons” for choosing Jan. 1.

Cathell, who communicates regularly with the PIAA staff, predicted the board will allow fall sports to proceed.

“They’re turning over every stone and doing everything they possibly can to make this thing work,” he said. “I believe we’re going to try to start and try to have a season, but there are questions there.”

Among them, what if fall sports are shut down within a few weeks of starting? Would the PIAA then shift fall sports to the spring?

“What will constitute a full season?” Cathell said. “Five games? Six games? Two games?”

The PSFCA wants at least five games, he said. Anything less and football season should resume in the spring.

”These are things I know the PIAA has and continues to investigate,” Cathell said. “But because they can’t give a firm answer, it’s got a lot of coaches and school districts nervous.”

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.