Ohio School Sports Likely To Move Forward This Fall

COLUMBUS, OH — Ohio school sports will likely proceed in the fall, Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday.

"We want young people to have a season," the governor said during a news conference.

While he didn't announced all details of the yet-to-be-released plan for fall sports, DeWine said he would likely limit fans at games. He would also leave decisions about moving forward with seasons to schools and families.

Some fans would have to listen to or watch the game at home, DeWine said.

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"The ability of a school to stay open and the ability of your children's ability to play sports is directly dependent on what's going on in that community," DeWine said. "We all have to be in this together."

The governor is working with the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) to "get this right," DeWine said. He intends to release more information and guidance for the fall sports season on Tuesday.

The decision to likely allow fall sports to move forward comes on the heels of the Big Ten conference announcing it would postpone all fall sports — including Ohio State football — until the spring, at the earliest.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association has promised changes to the upcoming football season, including a truncated scheduled. All teams would now make the playoffs, which would begin Oct. 9 and conclude Nov. 21.

"To both ensure we can offer students the opportunity to participate in education-based athletes but do so with their best interests in mind, we believe this modified plan offers a positive solution by addressing many of the concerns of our member schools," said Jeff Cassella, president of the OHSAA Board of Directors and athletic administrator at Mentor High School.