NIAA updates contingency plan for spring sports

The NIAA announced an updated contingency plan for high school spring sports on Friday.

Should schools re-open April 16 as currently scheduled, the NIAA anticipates resuming the spring sports season April 22 with shortened seasons that will lead into seeding for a regional tournament.

Similar to the update issued last week, team sports are currently planned on being split into groupings of three to five schools, beginning April 22.

Individual sports fall under the same parameters laid out in the NIAA’s last contingency plan and state qualification will play out as it would in a normal season.

In the statement, the NIAA also said that these provisions are by no means final and can be changed.

“These are contingency plans and not absolute by any means. Adjustments can and likely will be made,” read the statement. “There may be a need to limit the number of contests in which a school competes in sports which will not be involved with pool play. This is to assure that an excessive intrusion into what will be limited classroom time between the re-opening of schools and the scheduled end of the school year does not occur. “

Realignment committee meeting

The NIAA realignment meeting was originally scheduled for March 13, but was postponed. The meeting will now take place remotely on April 8, 9 or 13.

In the statement the NIAA said that public comment will need to be made to the NIAA “in advance of the meeting.”

The meeting is for the adoption of a recommendation for tournament formats for winter sports in the 3A, 4A and 5A classifications.

Additionally, the NIAA stated that there will be academic eligibility checks when school resumes.

“When school reconvenes, schools will be required to do academic eligibility checks. The schedules for those checks will be determined by when the last check was completed,” read the statement.

The NIAA also postponed its spring Board of Control meeting. The NIAA says it currently anticipates having the meeting in late April.