FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2007


FHSAA commissioner proposes adjustments to fall sports seasons, authorizes schools to resume scheduling

GAINESVILLE –  FHSAA Commissioner John A. Stewart today announced he will recommend to the FHSAA Board of Directors that the seasons for all fall sports be adjusted slightly to mirror the later school starting date effective with the upcoming 2007-08 school year. Stewart also authorized schools to resume athletic scheduling for the 2007-08 school year in accordance with the proposed plan.

The proposal, which will be voted on by the Board of Directors at its March 25-26 meeting, ensures that no interscholastic contests of any kind will be played prior to the first permissible day of classes in public schools.

"We are very confident that the Board of Directors will approve the proposed revisions, because they address the later starting date of school with the least amount of damage to our fall sports seasons," Stewart said. "With that in mind, I am authorizing all schools to resume their scheduling for the 2007-08 season within the parameters of the proposed plan."

Under the proposal, with one exception, the fall seasons will begin and end one week later than this year. Bowling, however, in order to avoid conflicts with the Thanksgiving holidays and state finals events in other sports, will begin and end two weeks earlier. Bowling currently has the latest starting date of any fall sport.

Swimming & diving and girls volleyball will be most impacted by the proposed revisions.

Swimming & diving will lose one week of preseason practice in the 2007 season only. This is because the probable host of the FHSAA Finals cannot accommodate the event one week later than originally advertised in 2007. The event will shift one week later in 2008 and the week of preseason practice will be restored.

Girls volleyball, however, will permanently lose the one extra week of regular season play that it was given in 2006. This is to ensure that preseason classics in the sport are not played until the first week of school.

In football, the FHSAA Office will work with schools that are in the second year of two-year contracts with out-of-state schools to adjust their district schedules off district playing weeks as necessary to honor their contractual commitments.

No changes are being proposed to the winter and spring seasons.

"District superintendents and principals have repeatedly requested that we do everything in our power to eliminate any conflict between our winter playoffs and FCAT testing dates," Stewart said. "Last year, we moved our winter playoffs one week earlier, which limited the conflict to the boys basketball finals. Next year, the Department of Education is moving the FCAT one week later, which will finally eliminate all conflict. If we, in turn, move the winter season one week later we will be recreating the conflict again. That is something we simply should not do."

Here are the important dates by sport under the proposed plan:

Bowling
[Note: The entire season shifts 2 weeks earlier to avoid conflicts with Thanksgiving holidays and other FHSAA Finals events.]
1st practice – Week 7 (Aug. 13)
1st contest – Week 9 (Aug. 27)
Last contest – Week 17 (Oct. 27)
District tournaments – Week 18 (Oct. 29-30)
FHSAA Finals – Week 19 (Nov. 6-7)

Cross Country
1st practice – Week 7 (Aug. 13)
1st contest – Week 11 (Sept. 10)
Last contest – Week 17 (Oct. 27)
District meets – Week 18 (Oct. 29-Nov. 3)
Regional meets – Week 19 (Nov. 9-10)
FHSAA Finals – Week 20 (Nov. 17)

Football
[Note: The FHSAA Office will work with schools that are in the second year of 2-year contracts with out-of-state opponents to adjust district playing dates within their respective dates so that those contracts can be honored.]
1st practice – Week 6 (Aug. 6)
Preseason classics – Week 8 (Aug. 23-25)
1st contest – Week 9 (Aug. 28)
2007 district playing dates (in sequence) – Nov. 2, Oct. 19, Oct. 5, Sept. 21, Oct. 26, Oct. 12, Sept. 28, Sept. 14, Sept. 7, Aug. 31
2008 district playing dates (in sequence) – Nov. 7, Oct. 24, Oct. 10, Sept. 26, Oct. 31, Oct. 17, Oct. 3, Sept. 19, Sept. 12, Sept. 5
Last district contest – Week 18 (Nov. 3)
District tiebreakers – Week 19 (Nov. 5)
Last contest – Week 19 (Nov. 10)
Regional tournaments (Class 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) – Weeks 20, 21 (Nov. 16, 23)
Regional tournaments (Class 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) – Weeks 20, 21, 22 (Nov. 16, 23, 30)
State semifinal games (Class 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) – Week 22 (Nov. 30)
State semifinal games (Class 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) – Week 23 (Dec. 7)
FHSAA Finals (Class 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B) – Week 23 (Dec. 7-8)
FHSAA Finals (Class 3A, 4A, 5A, 6A) – Week 24 (Dec. 14-15)

Golf
1st practice – Week 6 (Aug. 6)
1st contest – Week 9 (Aug. 27)
Last contest – Week 15 (Oct. 13)
District tournaments – Week 16 (Oct. 15-16)
Regional tournaments – Week 17 (Oct. 22-23)
FHSAA Finals – Week 18 (Oct. 30-31)

Fall Soccer
1st practice – Week 6 (Aug. 6)
1st contest – Week 9 (Aug. 27)
Last district contest – Week 15 (Oct. 13)
Last contest – Week 16 (Oct. 20)
District tournaments – Week 17 (Oct. 22-27)
FHSAA Finals – Week 18 (Oct. 30, Nov. 2-3)

Swimming & Diving
[**Note: The 2007 state series dates for swimming & diving cannot be moved 1 week later due to constraints by the prospective host of the FHSAA Finals. Preseason practice rather than the regular season will be shortened by 1 week for 2007 only. The state series dates will be 1 week later and the 1 week of practice will be restored in 2008.]
1st practice – Week 6 (Aug. 6)
1st contest – Week 8 (Aug. 20)**
Last contest – Week 15 (Oct. 13)**
District meets – Week 16 (Oct. 15-20)**
Regional meets – Week 17 (Oct. 25-27)**
FHSAA Finals – Week 18 (Nov. 1-3)**

Girls Volleyball
[**Note: Practice is extended by 1 week and 1 week of regular season is lost to ensure that preseason classics are not played prior to the first day of classes.]
1st practice – Week 6 (Aug. 6)
Preseason classic – Week 8 (Aug. 20-25)**
1st contest – Week 9 (Aug. 28)**
Last district contest – Week 15 (Oct. 13)
Last contest – Week 16 (Oct. 20)
District tournaments – Week 17 (Oct. 22-26)
Regional tournaments – Weeks 18, 19 (Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 6, 10)
FHSAA Finals – Week 20 (Nov. 14-17)


About the FHSAA
The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 750 middle and senior public and private high schools. More information is available at www.fhsaa.org.

Contacts:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org