No Sports In 2020: Nassau Section VIII Upholds Its Decision

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — The governing body that oversees Nassau County high school sports has upheld its decision to postpone all fall sports to 2021.

The Nassau County Section VIII Superintendents Board, a five-member body that made the original decision, met with the Executive Committee and Athletic Council on Thursday to discuss the situation. Both the Executive Committee and the Athletic Council agreed to delay all sports. The decision was announced on the Section VIII website by Executive Director Patrick Pizzarelli.

Under the plan, the fall, winter and spring sport seasons will all be played between January and June in condensed seasons.

The condensed seasons would be:

• Winter sports, Jan. 4 - March 13: Girls and boys basketball, girls and boys bowling, gymnastics, girls and boys ice hockey, girls and boys indoor track and field, girls and boys swimming, boys swimming, and possibly wrestling and competitive cheerleading.
• Fall sports, March 1 - May 8: Football, girls and boys cross country, field hockey, girls and boys soccer, girls swimming, girls and boys volleyball, and unified bowling.
• Spring sports, April 5 - June 12: Baseball, softball, girls and boys golf, girls and boys lacrosse, girls and boys tennis, girls and boys outdoor track and field, and unified basketball.

Section VIII said it will release the actual season start date next week.

The plan to cancel all sports for 2020 was first announced in late August, and was met with swift backlash from parents and local politicians. Section VIII said it would reexamine the decision and make an announcement before the delayed start of the fall season Sept. 21.

In reaction to the decision, the Massapequa School District sued Section VIII, claiming that the decision by the Superintendent's Board to cancel the fall season went against the organization's charter. The case is still pending.

The state delayed the start of the fall sports season to Sept. 21. But last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that football, volleyball and competitive cheerleading — which are deemed high-risk sports — would be delayed until 2021 statewide.