4 Southern states moving to delay football regular season

While Georgia left its regular-season football schedule alone this week, choosing instead to cancel scrimmage games, four other Southern states made moves to delay their regular seasons.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association’s executive director, Eddie Bonine, sent a memo to member schools stating that football games wouldn’t start until Oct. 8, according to The Advocate of Baton Rouge. The season had been scheduled to begin Aug. 24. The Louisiana association hasn’t announced a move officially.

In Florida, a committee of athletic directors is recommending delaying the season until December, according to the Orlando Sun-Sentinel. The Florida High School Athletic Association had given its athletic directors advisory committee three options to vote on as a recommendation. Florida previously had postponed its season openers one week to Aug. 27.

In North Carolina, Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday extended his state’s reopening plan until Sept. 11. In response, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association the released a statement saying it would delay the start of sports into September.

South Carolina on Wednesday delayed football three weeks, making the first games the week of Sept. 25.

Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee are the only Southern states still on their original schedule with games slated to begin the week of Aug. 21.

Meanwhile, Delaware and Hawaii on Thursday became the 11th and 12th states to move their football seasons to the winter or spring. And Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf recommended Monday that no high school sports should be played until 2021, though his advice is not binding.

Georgia executive director Robin Hines announced Thursday that preseason scrimmage games would be canceled the weeks of Aug. 21 and Aug. 28. The regular season, which last month was postponed two weeks, is slated to begin the week of Sept. 4.

Here are the weeks or dates of first games in Southern states, according to MaxPreps:

Alabama - Aug. 21

Arkansas - Aug. 23

Florida - Aug. 27 (originally Aug. 20)

Georgia - Sept. 4 (originally Aug. 20)

Kentucky - Sept. 11 (originally Aug. 20)

Louisiana - Oct. 8 (originally Sept. 4)

Mississippi - Sept. 4 (originally Aug. 28)

North Carolina – September, no date set (originally Aug. 20)

South Carolina - Sept. 25 (originally Aug. 20)

Tennessee - Aug. 20

Virginia - March 1 (originally Aug. 28)