MSHSL votes to move football, volleyball to the spring, all other fall sports go on as planned

Football season will run from March 15-May 15

August 4, 2020

Site Staff,

ST PAUL, MN — The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) decides to take a mixed approach with the return of fall sports moving both football and volleyball moving to spring.

In a zoom meeting, MSHSL board members voted 13-5 on a spring football season. A 12-6 vote went against a fall season.

Football is considered to be high risk for coronavirus transmission by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Other members noted that moving football to spring also impacts several other activities, including band, cheer, spring dance, and other spring sports, particularly for multi-sport athletes meaning spring sports could start at later dates.

A spring football season is expected to take place from March 15 to May 15 2021, however, comes with a reduction in the number of games and weeks played. Time will tell if fans would be allowed at those games.

MSHSL officials voted Tuesday to proceed with girls tennis, soccer, cross country and girls swimming and diving with limitations starting Aug. 17.

The sports would return with a 20 percent reduction in weeks, and 30 percent reduction in competitions.

No more than three teams can be involved in cross country meets, and no more than two teams can be involved in tennis and swimming, with no more than two events per week.

A vote of allowed individual sports to continue this fall, including cross country, girls tennis, girls swimming and diving.

Minnesota is taking a district-by-district approach to returning to the classroom for fall, with individual districts deciding whether to hold class in person, via distance learning, or by using a hybrid model. Very similar to North Dakota’s decision.