Oct. 13 update: How each state is handling high school football this fall
Three more states began playing. Others have moved to the postseason.
Here is where the map stands on high school football across the country on Oct. 12. We’ve broken states up into three basic categories: Green (33 states), Yellow (2 states) and Red (15 states, plus the District of Columbia).
Green indicates that the high school football season has started in some section of that state. Deep green (27 states) indicates most, if not all, of the state has begun playing, although some states (Ohio, Kansas, Iowa) have abbreviated or altered their seasons from normal. Medium green states (three states) are playing football in most of the state, but significant pockets of the state still have not started or is being postponed week-to-week. And light green (three states) are states where football is widely divided in play, with at least 15 percent of the state not playing this fall.
Yellow states indicate that football has not started, but there is still a plan for fall prep football in some form.
And red states mean there will be no fall tackle football. Vermont will replace tackle football with 7-on-7 touch this fall. Rhode Island won’t play tackle football, with no plan for a season in the spring. The remainder have a plan to play football in 2021.
Here’s a breakdown about how each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, are handling the high school football season, as updated on Oct. 5. We will update this every week.
ALABAMA: Season has started.
ALASKA: Season has started.
ARIZONA: Season opened on Oct. 1 but districts in and around Phoenix are not slated to open their seasons until Oct. 23.
ARKANSAS: Season has started.
CALIFORNIA: Delayed to 2021.
COLORADO: A total of 218 schools in the state (79 percent of total) opted to open a shortened season on Oct. 9. The rest will play in the spring. A handful of games were canceled in Week 1 because of COVID-19 positive test.
CONNECTICUT: Delayed to 2021.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Delayed to 2021.
FLORIDA: Season has started.
GEORGIA: Season has started.
HAWAII: Delayed to 2021.
IDAHO: Season has started.
ILLINOIS: Delayed to 2021
INDIANA: Season has started
IOWA: Season has started; postseason will begin Oct. 16.
KANSAS: Season has started
KENTUCKY: Season has started.
LOUISIANA: Season has started.
MAINE: Delayed to 2021.
MARYLAND: Reversed earlier decision to move football to 2021 and is now allowing each district to make its own determination. Some have opted to play in the fall, others are discussing the matter and while others remain committed to playing in the spring.
MASSACHUSETTS: Delayed to 2021.
MICHIGAN: Season has started.
MINNESOTA: Season started on Oct. 9, but at least eight games statewide were canceled last week because of COVID-19 procedures.
MISSISSIPPI: Season has started.
MISSOURI: Season has started, but schools in and around St. Louis have not yet started, but officials announced a plan for football to begin to be played.
MONTANA: Season has started.
NEBRASKA: Season has started.
NEVADA: Delayed to 2021.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: Season has started.
NEW JERSEY: Season started on Oct. 1.
NEW MEXICO: Delayed to 2021.
NEW YORK: Delayed to 2021.
NORTH CAROLINA: Delayed to 2021.
NORTH DAKOTA: Season has started.
OHIO: Season has started, postseason started on Oct. 9.
OKLAHOMA: Season has started.
OREGON: Delayed to 2021.
PENNSYLVANIA: State widely divided. Parts of the state opened season on Sept. 11. Other parts will open on Oct. 2. About 15 percent of the state has decided to delay until spring.
RHODE ISLAND: No fall football. Could be moved to 2021.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Season has started.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Season has started.
TENNESSEE: Season has started.
TEXAS: Season has started.
UTAH: Season has started.
VERMONT: Opted to cancel fall tackle football season and replace it with 7-on-7 touch football. Teams will play twice a week between Sept. 25 and Oct. 24.
VIRGINIA: Delayed until 2021.
WASHINGTON: Delayed until 2021.
WEST VIRGINIA: Season started Sept. 4. However, COVID restrictions continues to cancel patches of game each week. This upcoming week 17 games have been scrubbed.
WISCONSIN: Season started on Sept. 25 for some. However, one-third of the state’s teams have opted not to play in the fall and will play next spring.
WYOMING: Season has started.
