UIL suspends spring season indefinitely, hopes to complete all state championships
The UIL on Sunday said the status for the resumption of activities has been suspended indefinitely due to the still-growing coronavirus pandemic, however, it is the body’s intention to complete state championships for all sports.
Members of the University Interscholastic League and the Medical Advisory Committee met on Sunday morning via video teleconference to address the growing safety and health concerns as the numbers of Texans succumbing to the COVID-19 disease continue to mount. The conference was available to anyone via live stream through the UIL MAC Webpage and the UIL YouTube page.
Gov. Greg Abbott has closed schools until April 30 and they will not re-open prior to May 4. As, and of now, the UIL has suspended all activity indefinitely.
“Our original message out was that we were suspended March 30,” said UIL Deputy Director, Dr. Jamey Harrison. “It became evident in just a few days that it wasn’t going to work so responding to the available information related to school closures, we suspended all activities with games not beginning any earlier than May 4. Then in the governor’s press conference, he closed schools through April 30 and to re-open on May 4, so we are suspended until we have more information.”
And games will not begin immediately once school does return. “What we’ve committed to is, if we start school back, schools will need to have the opportunity to allow students to reacclimate,” Dr. Harrison said. “We don’t know what those students have been doing in terms of physical activity during this part of the suspended school time so we know we’ll provide an acclimatization period of some sort. Until we get more information about when school may or may not be in session, it’s difficult for us to make any sort of final plans.”
On a bright note, Dr. Harrison said has plans to complete those state tournaments, including those that were suspended in the middle of the event last month. “It’s our goal to complete this tournament [boys basketball] at some point in the future. It’s our intention to complete our other state championships.”
On March 12, the morning after the NBA suspended its season, the UIL suspended play on Day 1 of the boys basketball state tournament in San Antonio.
“We do have plans that would allow us to complete all of our state championship activities for this academic year should that opportunity present itself,” Dr. Harrison said. “We will communicate very quickly with schools what those plans include, what all the various deadlines are associated with that plan would be, but at the moment, all UIL activities are suspended and that includes practices, rehearsals and workouts at least in person.”
The UIL has allowed coaching and instruction remotely.
“We are allowing coaches, sponsors and band directors to provide instruction through video means just like this meeting today,” Dr. Harrison said. “So they do have the opportunity to communicate with students and provide instruction, but not on an in-person basis. We will continue to stay in touch with the state legislature, governor, commissioner of education and all those various entities that come to bear on decisions about school closure. We’re ready to pivot this way or that once we have more information from those agencies.”
When asked if there was a possibility of schools returning in the summer, Dr. Harrison said, “I suppose there’s a possibility of it. I don’t anticipate that. This school closure is different than any other school closure we’ve experienced in the past in that they’re really not closed. They’re physically closed, but they’re continuing to deliver instruction. Kids are still going to school, just not at school. They’re at home through a variety of remote models.
“Having attended almost every conference call from the commissioner, holding statewide meetings with every superintendent on a daily basis, I don’t anticipate make-up time necessarily in the summer.” he said. “Schools are fulfilling obligations remotely. Biggest question is if schools will go back to the regularly scheduled academic year and there is growing skepticism that will happen right now.”
UIL Executive Director Dr. Charles Breithaupt sent out a message via Twitter on March 26, thanking the state’s superintendents, coaches, players and parents for their support and patience.
The boys and girls soccer seasons were down to the final two weeks before starting the playoffs, which were set to begin on March 26 with bi-district games. The softball playoffs were originally set for May 2 with baseball starting on May 9.
Other affected events included regional golf (April 20-23), regional track (April 24-25) and regional tennis (April 27-28), the powerlifting state tournament, high school spring football and football 7-on-7.
The Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) follows the UIL in hopes to return to practice on May 4.
The Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) announced on Friday that it has canceled the spring season.
This story was originally published April 5, 2020 at 11:07 AM.
