The possible heat-related deaths of two high school football players in August aren’t likely to spark a later start to the football season, a top state official said Wednesday.
Ralph Swearngin, executive director of the Georgia High School Association, told the State Board of Education that a one- or two-week delay might be considered if there were evidence it could help.
But that wouldn’t mean more than a 1- to 2-degree break in temperature, Swearngin said.
And it could mean that schools would be playing fewer games and bringing in less revenue, he said.
His statement came in response to a state board member’s question about a possible change in the football season’s start date.
High school football players from Locust Grove and Fitzgerald died. Previously, there had not been any heat-related deaths of high school football players in Georgia in five years.
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