The Fulton County school board announced Thursday that it would push back the start of the high school football season to Sept. 14, joining a growing list of GHSA schools that have made similar moves this week.
Fulton’s decision came of the heels of a Thursday digital meeting among many metro Atlanta superintendents, who had hoped to form a consensus on high school football starting dates. The GHSA announced Wednesday that it would keep the announced Sept. 4 weekend for football openers, but Robin Hines, the GHSA’s executive director, said that date could change in coming days.
The GHSA also confirmed Thursday that Our Lady of Mercy became the 12th GHSA program to cancel its football season this fall. In addition to the programs that have called off their fall seasons completely, several have delayed their seasons. Savannah-Chatham County Schools announced earlier this week that it was going to start its football season no earlier than Oct. 1. Dougherty County and nearby Calhoun County also made moves.
The list of schools opting out of playing this fall now consists of Heritage-Conyers, Rockdale County, Doughtery, Monroe, Westover, Salem, Riverside Military, Calhoun County, Stewart County, Twiggs County, Our Lady of Mercy and Pinecrest Academy.
Steven Craft, athletic director for Fulton County Schools, said in a news release that all fall sports competitions in the county will be suspended until the week of Sept. 14. Softball, volleyball, cross country, football, cheerleading, and marching band are the affected sports. Craft said the Fulton County district “will continue to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 moving forward and make a determination for the reminder of the season” by Sept. 14.
Craft said that the teams affected may continue to practice and work on conditioning during the interim.
“The district will continue to place the safety of the students and staff first while remaining committed to offer a fall season for our student-athletes,” Craft said.
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