CIF commissioner points to ‘positive step in the right direction’ as sports training resumes

CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod provided some encouragement to principals and athletic directors Tuesday as a number of squads throughout Orange County, including football teams, resumed or started athletic camps.

CIF officials have a revised plan in place which starts most fall sports in December 2020 and football in January 2021. Local and state health officials need to give final approval for the seasons to occur. High school sports were scheduled to begin in August, but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wigod, in an interview with OC Sports Zone in July, asked parents to take a unified front to help with the return of high school sports.

“As August leaves and September begins, there have hopefully been some developments moving us forward in the effort to resume our sports programs,” Wigod said in his statement which was shared with the media on Tuesday. “Member schools are now conducting conditioning workouts on their campuses following the appropriate health and safety guidelines recommended by state and local health authorities.

“As these workouts continue to take place at more and more of our member schools, and prove to be done successfully, that is certainly a positive step in the right direction. I want to thank our principals, athletic directors and coaches for their ongoing commitment in guiding our student-athletes through these challenging times in a healthy and safe way. We must continue to vigorously follow the advice of our health professionals as we navigate through the critical weeks and months ahead as things hopefully open up even more.

“You have no doubt heard that there are some states around our nation who have begun their fall seasons of sport, including allowing spectators in the stands. I have been asked if that makes us in the Southern Section and California feel we are being left behind. Quite the contrary, as I believe the lessons learned from the experiences in other states can be applied to the time period we have available to us prior to the beginning of our 2020-2021 sports calendars and will provide valuable information to us for what lies ahead.” 

Wigod also provided an update on broadcast rights for CIF events.

“Now that our 2020-2021 sports calendars are in place, we have been actively working on securing broadcast rights agreements from various entities that wish to showcase our outstanding product on television and through livestreaming platforms,” he said.

“Demand has never been higher, and we expect to have several entities confirmed soon. A reminder, per CIF Southern Section Blue Book Rule 149, the revenue from each of these broadcast rights agreements is shared directly with member schools.”

Wigod said that any group wishing to broadcast video content of any varsity event should be directed to CIF officials.

Wigod also provided an updated on transfer numbers in the CIF. In July 2020, there were 66 compared to 258 in July 2019, a decrease of 74.42 percent. In August 2020, there were 168 transfers compared to 1,673 in August 2019, a decrease of 89.96 percent, the report noted.

“Obviously, a marked contrast between the two years and we will continue to monitor the ongoing situation related to transfer numbers,” Wigod said.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com