Moving football to February, NCHSAA makes changes to athletic calendar

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)–The landscape of high school sports will be changing in the State of North Carolina this year due to the coronavirus.

“It was an impossible situation for the high school athletic association and I think they’re making the right call here,”says West Brunswick High School football coach Brett Hickman.

High School coaches across the state are left reacting tonight after the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released their revised calendar. The new schedule includes changes like moving football from the fall to February, the new athletic year will now begin on November 4th.

NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker says this plan gives every student-athlete the opportunity to compete during a difficult time.

“We believe this provides us the most realistic chance of providing interscholastic athletic opportunities for our students this year,”said Tucker, “At the same time we are balancing the challenges of a new academic setting.”

The 2020 athletic year begins with volleyball and cross country in early November. The year will wrap up in the summer of 2021 with wrestling, baseball, track and field, and girls tennis. Athletic directors across the Cape Fear say now with a plan in place, they will begin to layout the logistics to make it all happen.

“I will have a meeting with my coaches and we will discuss what we’re going to do moving forward,”says Ashley High School Athletic Director Kelly Lewis. “We’ve got to re-shift and re-think what we’re going to do. So, having a dead period next week is going to allow us to get that process in place.”

Coaches and administrators shared the same message on Wednesday when talking about the states decision. They say they’re glad these kids now have something to look forward to, while getting the opportunity to play the sports they love.

“We are trying to give every kid an opportunity to get back to some normalcy,”said Hickman. “I think this school year is going to be different, you know this athletic year is going to be different. In the end let’s do what’s right for the young people.”

Below, is the full athletic schedule from the NCHSAA for the 2020-2021 calendar year.