CT High School Football Possible Early Next Year: Lamont

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont opened up the possibility of having a high school football season early next year. There has been some bipartisan pushback to salvage a fall season. The state Department of Public Health recommended to the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference that football is a high-risk activity and therefore should be avoided this fall.

“I for one personally love football,” he said at his Tuesday news conference. “I played football a little bit, I know how important it is to families I know how important it is to kids I also know we want to do things safely.”

Lamont at one point suggested that the football and baseball seasons be swapped, but that didn't happen.

Ultimately the decision on whether to play football is being left to state-level athletic leagues. New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have also said no to fall football. The CIAC said in a statement that giving the green light for full contact fall football would place superintendents and local boards of education in a difficult situation of going against DPH recommendations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorizes football as a higher risk athletic activity due to close contact between players.

“Three weeks ago they were saying you are opening up schools too soon,” Lamont said. “I wish there were more parents fighting to get the schools open as a real priority but most of the energy is around football, which is… somewhat understandable.”

DPH suggested the possibility of a seven on seven versions of football, according to the Hartford Courant.

The DPH commissioner and other state officials have been threatened over their recommendation.

The state Senate Republican Caucus wrote a letter to DPH asking for more information about how they came to their recommendation and what metrics would need to be met in order to have a football season.

House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin) who is Berlin High School’s football coach said he was disappointed in the decision to cancel football, but the threats have to stop.

“I’ve been made aware that many threats have been sent to the DPH Commissioner and other state officials. Just like many players, coaches and parents, I too am upset about high school football being canceled,” he said in a Facebook post. “I also spoke my piece about how I believe the Commissioner of Public Health got this wrong. Despite our feelings, we cannot tolerate threatening people! What the heck happened to disagreeing and even being mad without this nonsense.”

Beyond that there are other logistical challenges, said Lamont’s Chief of Staff Paul Mounds. Around 41 percent of school districts are having hybrid classes for the foreseeable future, which meant they believed it was too risky to have a full classroom. The administration’s main message has been that getting back to school is the main focus.

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