High school football start date remains September 4, for now

The Georgia High School Football Association announced on Wednesday that the start date for football games remains the week of Sept. 4 but that date could change.

“Our plan as of today is to move forward with the September 4 date for opening football season, as directed by the Board of Trustees,” the GHSA noted on its website. “However, it is possible that the start date of September 4 could change based on COVID-19 data.”

The season was originally scheduled to begin the week of Aug. 21, but the GHSA pushed that back by two weeks on July 20.

“As numbers dictate over the next two weeks, a decision will be forthcoming with regard to the football start date,” the website stated.

Several schools and districts have already announced altered plans for their high school football teams this season. Rockdale County postponed fall sports for its three high schools including Salem High, Heritage High and Rockdale County High. Twiggs, Stewart and Calhoun County have also postponed their high school football seasons. Dougherty County and Decatur High School announced they won’t start until Oct. 2.

The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System pushed back the start of high school football for its schools to Oct. 1 and will limit schools to playing intra-district schools only. Those teams will forfeit all region games against out-of-district opponents. They haven’t made a determination about the state playoffs yet.

The GHSA indicated that there’s still a possibility of postponement, depending on the data and advice of the medical professionals.

“The GHSA staff has contingency plans to cover all start and restart scenarios,” the website stated.

Cox Media Group