Hockey, basketball and most other Minnesota high school winter sports will start from one to five weeks later than usual in an effort to minimize overlap with fall seasons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Minnesota State High School League’s board of directors approved a plan during a virtual meeting Thursday that will have boys’ hockey starting Nov. 23, two weeks later than normal, and girls’ hockey starting Nov. 30, five weeks later than it had been scheduled to begin before the pandemic hit.
Boys’ basketball will start Nov. 23, a week later than normal, and girls’ basketball will start Dec. 7, four weeks later than normal.
The more significant delays in starting the girls’ sports appears to stem from the volleyball season ending about a month later than normal.
The changes include a 30% reduction in contests, with generally two games per week until the last two weeks in the regular season when a third game is permitted if needed because of postponements caused by COVID-19.
Other winter sports start dates include dance team on Nov. 9, wrestling on Nov. 30 and gymnastics on Dec. 7. Boys’ and girls’ Alpine and Nordic skiing will start Nov. 30. All of those dates are later than previously scheduled.
Two sports escaped delayed starts. Adapted floor hockey begins Nov. 16 and boys’ swimming and diving begins Nov. 30.
In August the league, at the urging of its Return to Play task force and following Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, mandated that fall sports adopt seasons 20% shorter in length and with 30% fewer contests. At that time football and volleyball were postponed until spring and other fall sports began seasons that would conclude by the end of October.
With winter sports approaching, a league task force has been mindful of trying to minimize overlap between fall, winter and spring seasons to minimize potential virus spread. That challenge intensified somewhat with the league’s decision last month to restart football and volleyball this week.
In most years, girls’ hockey begins practice in late October, with most other winter sports starting up by mid-November.
This year football, the league’s most popular boys’ sport by participation, is now expected to finish on Thanksgiving weekend. Volleyball, the most popular girls’ sport, wraps up Dec. 12. In most years volleyball concludes in early November.
On March 13 the high school league shut down the girls’ basketball state tournament with two days left to play. It also stopped boys’ basketball section finals and canceled the state tournament. Spring sports were subsequently canceled as well.
Check back later for updates on this story.
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Minnesota winter prep sports approved to play with later starts, shorter seasons - Minneapolis Star Tribune
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