If there is a season, it starts the week of August 24th. The regular season will end September 28th. The playoffs will begin Oct. 9, and state championships would be played no later than Nov. 21. The length of the playoffs will be determined by how many teams play in each division.
The OHSAA will also allow schools that have been eliminated from the playoffs or that choose not to enter the playoffs to schedule additional games of regular season through November 14th. Teams can play a maximum of 10 regular season games if they do so.
The OHSAA will not use the computer ratings to determine the seedoff seedings this fall. Seeding is done through a vote by coaches the week of Sept. 28th.
All playoff games through the regional semi-finals and possibly the regional finals will be hosted by the team with higher seedings, and schools will have to commit to the playoffs by 11:59 p.m. September 13 Playoff regions are drawn on September 18, and schools can withdraw from the playoffs without penalty until September 24th.
“The regions previously approved during the meetings of the Board of Directors of OHSAA of May 2020 will not be used,” the OHSAA announced. “Due to massive changes in participation in the sport of our member schools since May, regions will be redrawn. We need to know which schools have decided not to enter the playoffs until September 24 to complete the coaches after September 30 a newly developed (for football) voting and seeding process. ”
Gabe Higgs of Madison takes care of the football defense by Carlisle’s Jayden Sweeney during her game Friday, October 11, 2019 at Laughlin Field in Carlisle. Madison won 26-16. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF
There will not be a single site for all seven state championship games.
“Availability of sites and nearby schools will be considered during site selection,” the OHSAA announced.
The OHSAA also said: “A decision on spectators at contact sports has not yet been made. However, the OHSAA believes that parents should at least be allowed to attend. ”
Football training began Saturday in the state, though many schools in Ohio have chosen not to play this fall or have not yet begun training. Dayton Public Schools and Middletown High School are among the local school districts to close out sports.
Some conferences, such as the Greater Western Ohio Conference and Miami Valley League, have reconfigured their schedules over the past week, announcing that they will play a single conference schedule.
