High school football will be played in Michigan this fall.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order today allowing for the resumption of all fall high school sports across the state, even in portions of lower Michigan that remain under stricter COVID-19 guidelines than the Upper Peninsula.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association Representative Council immediately voted to pick up the football season on the weekend of September 18th and 19th. The earlier plan to move the football season to the spring of 2021 has been scrapped.
Teams will play six regular-season games, beginning with week four on their schedules. All teams in 11-player and eight-player divisions will make the playoffs. The playoffs will be extended to accommodate the extra schools, with the eight-player division finals on the weekend of November 27th, and the 11-player finals the weekend of December 4th.
Safety guidelines will remain in place to protect players during practices and contests. The number of people allowed to attend games will be strictly limited. Schools are not required to participate, if they don’t feel it’s safe for players.
All other fall tournaments will take place as originally scheduled, including volleyball. The volleyball season has begun in the Upper Peninsula, but had not started in southern and central lower Michigan.