CIF officials discussing possible scenarios for football and other fall sports

Segerstrom’s football team takes the field for a game last August. The Jaguars are scheduled to open the season Friday, Aug. 21 at home vs. Compton. (File photo courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone)

CIF commissioner Rob Wigod issued a letter Wednesday to Orange County principals and athletic directors that indicated he and his staff are looking at possible scenrarios for the fall sports season but that they are committed to holding championships.

The coronavirus crisis forced the CIF state office and the CIF Southern Section and others throughout the state to cancel playoffs for spring sports.

Most school districts are closed throughout the end of the school year and athletes have been advised to maintain social distancing and work out at home if possible or with small groups.

Football is scheduled to open on Friday, Aug. 21 but those could only happen if Gov. Gavin Newsom lifts stay at home orders which are currently in place. Wigod did not say whether there could be a delay in the start for fall sports, including football, but said there is some flexibility.

Here’s the letter from Wigod, which was also distributed to the media:

 “Our staff and I are already working on potential scenarios for the start of fall sports. Obviously, none of us know exactly when we will be able to resume athletic activities, but with schools closed for the remainder of the school year, that date is probably going to be after the end of the school year. If that date is June 15, or July 1, that means one thing. If that date is Aug. 1, Sept. 1, Sept. 15, etc., it could mean quite another.

“One thing to keep in mind is the situation for the fall is completely different than this spring. We started spring sports, had to stop, and continued to look for a way to conduct our championships as time continued to pass with the end of the school year quickly approaching. In the fall, we will await the date schools will reopen and adjust calendars appropriately for when sports can safely begin.

“There will be more flexibility for us in the fall that we did not have in the spring, as we can adjust calendars within a larger time frame and there will be many different options that can be explored. Just know that we are totally committed to doing everything we can to be able to go forward with fall sports championships. “

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

RELATED: CIF cancels spring sports playoffs: