No Resolution On CT High School Football After Lengthy Meeting

HARTFORD, CT — Top officials of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) met with officials from the state Department of Public Health (DPH) and representatives of Gov. Ned Lamont's office for more than two and a half hours Friday morning in an attempt to reach common ground regarding the recent decision to prohibit the playing of full contact, 11-versus-11 high school football this fall.

The meeting, suggested but not attended by the governor, came on the heels of a student-organized rally Wednesday at the state Capitol, where more than a thousand players, coaches, parents and supporters gathered to plead for a reversal of last week's decision by athletic officials to pull the plug on "normal" football competition this fall.

The decision, made after repeated consultations with the DPH, was based on football being deemed "high risk" in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The DPH suggested several alternatives, including playing games with seven players per side.

Friday's gathering ended with no immediate resolution, but CIAC executive director Glenn Lungarini said he "was extremely pleased" with the meeting. He said the CIAC "presented some additional strategies to reduce the risk" of spreading the coronavirus.

The DPH will evaluate the proposal and respond by early next week, Lungarini said.

Should the decision be reversed and football is allowed to be played, "several schools have expressed they would be out," Lungarini said.

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