Tammie Newman, Public Relations Director / www.schsl.org 803.798.0120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Columbia, SC- Due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Matthew across a large area of the state, the South Carolina High School League has announced changes to the 2016-17 fall sports calendar.
“The immediate concern is the safety of our coaches, student athletes and their families. Our primary sense of urgency is for them to be able to focus on their personal well-being and decision making for the next few days while bracing for the predicted weather conditions,” states Jerome Singleton, SCHSL Commissioner.
Football Update:
The SCHSL has extended the regular season for football to add a Week 11. All games (varsity and sub-varsity) originally scheduled for this week (Oct. 3rd – 7th), that have been postponed due to evacuations and/or weather may be moved to the week of October 31st - November 4th. Regular scheduled games for weeks 8, 9 and 10 will remain as scheduled. Additionally, the football playoffs for all classifications will now begin on November 11th, and the State Championships will now be scheduled for December 9th and 10th.
NOTE: Teams are still limited to their maximum number of contests for the regular season.
Volleyball Update:
The Volleyball playoffs in all classifications will begin on October 20th. Schools have until October 18th to finish their regular season and make up any games that are postponed due to evacuations and/or weather. Reminder: Region matches take priority over non-region matches and tournaments. Region qualifiers are due to the league office on October 19th by 9:00 am.
The Volleyball playoff dates will be as follows:
1st Rd 2nd Rd 3rd Rd 4th Rd State Finals
Class A, AA, AAA 10/20 10/24 10/26 10/31 11/5
Class AAAAA, AAAA 10/20 10/25 10/27 11/1 11/5
*In the event of a playoff contest being postponed due to weather, schools must use the next day to make the playoff game up.
Girls Tennis Update:
The Girls tennis playoffs in AAAAA, AAAA and AAA will begin on October 20th. Schools have until October 18th to finish their regular season and make up any games that are postponed due to evacuations and/or weather. Reminder: Region matches take priority over non-region matches and tournaments. Region qualifiers are due to the league office on October 19th by 9:00 am.
The Girls tennis playoffs in AA will remain as scheduled. Schools are to still report their qualifiers October 20th.
1st Rd 2nd Rd 3rd Rd 4th Rd State Finals
Class AA 10/24 10/26 10/31 n/a 11/5
Class AAAAA, AAAA, AAA 10/20 10/24 10/26 10/31 11/5
*In the event of a playoff contest being postponed due to weather, schools must use the next day to make the playoff game up.
Girls Golf, Competitive Cheer, and Cross Country Update:
There are no changes to the sports season calendar for these sports. They will remain as scheduled.
** The League Office will continue to monitor the storm and make any adjustments as necessary**
“After meeting with staff this morning, we have determined the above schedule changes are in the best interest of the statewide athletic programs and the safety and wellbeing of students, fans and staff. Taking into account the advice from emergency preparedness professionals and government officials, our contingency plan works in the best interest of everyone involved in SCHSL events. Please work with your schools and continue to support the student athletes who remain steadfast and eager to compete. We are prepared to make adjustments as we evaluate the aftermath of the storm,” states Singleton.
Stay tuned to your local school and district websites for announcements as they will be providing the local updates for students and the community at large. Thank you in advance for your patience as we ready ourselves for the start of seasonal changes and inclement weather conditions.
The SCHSL Office will be operating under normal business hours and eager to serve you. Please contact us with any questions at 803.798.0120 or .