CIF declines to cancel the spring sports season

With high schools closed, sports competitions halted and practices canceled indefinitely because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 10 commissioners of the California Interscholastic Federation held a teleconference Tuesday with CIF executive director Ron Nocetti and other officials trying to come up with recommendations on the future of the spring sports season.

No decision was made on whether to cancel the season or when to resume.

According to the statement: “Today the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state office and the 10 section commissioners held their annual scheduled spring meeting. The agenda included a discussion concerning the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 CIF
spring sports season.

“While the time may come when we have to cancel post-season events, today is not that day. In anticipation of further guidance and directives issued by federal, state and local government agencies regarding COVID-19, the CIF has not determined the future of
spring sports events at this time and intends to reconvene with the 10 Section Commissioners on April 3 to revisit this issue.

“Pending that time, sections will continue to confer with their local leadership and the state CIF will continue to monitor any
directives and recommendations issued from the above entities. The CIF will continue to work with our schools and school districts with the health and well-being of student-athletes and school communities as our priority.
Additionally, the originally scheduled April 3, 2020, CIF Federated Council meeting has been postponed and will be rescheduled no earlier than May 8, 2020 and will be held via teleconference.”

The Southern Section announced it was closing its offices in Los Alamitos through March 27 and was postponing an important Council meeting scheduled for March 31 that included a vote on whether to approve a new football playoff format. The Council is made of representatives from each league in the Southern Section. A plan to hold the meeting by remote means is being put together.