COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio High School Athletic Association is working on multiple scenarios for the upcoming high school football season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We need information from the governor's office to settle on answers and we really don't know when we will receive that," OHSAA football administrator Beau Rugg told WCPO on Monday afternoon. "(OHSAA executive director) Jerry (Snodgrass) communicates often, almost daily, with the lieutenant governor (Jon Husted), so we are at the table and in the discussion. I believe the next couple of weeks will be very telling."
Rugg did not offer details on the scenarios.
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Turpin coach Kent McCullough, who is the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association Region 16 board director, told WCPO on Monday afternoon the association met virtually with Rugg on June 12.
McCullough said previous discussions have included scenarios where there would be a full regular season (up to 10 games) or half a regular season (five games), along with the postseason in both instances.
"I think the process is kind of day by day, week by week," McCullough said. "As things spike, it's all over the place. So I don't think anyone really has an answer just yet."
While the OHSAA continues internal discussions, nothing had changed as of Tuesday morning with any fall sports schedules.
Aug. 1 is the official start date for fall sports practice around the state. Football is able to start its season Aug. 24.
OHSAA senior director of communications Tim Stried confirmed the education-based athletics governing body has not made any changes to the official start dates for fall sports practices, scrimmages and games.
This is the second straight week voluntary contact practice has been allowed for all sports after Lt. Gov. Jon Husted made the announcement June 18.
Some Cincinnati-area schools have publicly or internally reported positive COVID-19 cases, which have impacted football or athletic conditioning overall.
Intrasquad practices and open gyms are permitted at the same school site for contact sports based upon the school or district rules.
It doesn't include opportunities for two opposing schools competing in a seven-on-seven football workout yet.
OHSAA executive director Jerry Snodgrass responded to a tweet Sunday afternoon saying fall sports were scheduled to move forward as of this past weekend but acknowledged the "uncertainty and unknowns of the future."
As of June 28 at 12:58 p.m., fall sports are scheduled to move forward. Also highlights the uncertainly and unknowns of the future. https://t.co/NGfencCtmD
— Jerry Snodgrass (@Jerry_Snodgrass) June 28, 2020
Snodgrass told member schools in a memo June 12 the organization remains optimistic the fall sports schedule will start on time.
