Arkansas is going forward with its 2020 high school football and volleyball seasons.
And spectators are part of the plans.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Department of Health gave approval for the state's football, volleyball, cheer and dance team events to begin their regular seasons, the Arkansas Activities Association announced in a statement Friday afternoon. And directives issued by the health department include guidelines to allow fans to attend.
Hutchinson said earlier Friday at a news conference in Little Rock that football and volleyball teams can hold benefit games, or scrimmages, from Monday through Saturday, citing the Arkansas Activities Association's 2020-21 calendar.
Even with his support, Hutchinson stressed in his news conference the importance of following the state's coronavirus guidelines.
"Let's not only start the season this year, but let's work to finish the season," Hutchinson said. "That's what's important. That's going to take everyone's help, to the coaches, the staff, the band leaders, the choir directors. They're all under challenging circumstances to make sure that these students have these opportunities."
Volleyball is scheduled to start its regular season Aug. 24, and football is set to begin Aug. 27.
"It's great for the kids," Lance Taylor, the AAA's executive director, said Friday after the announcement. "This is about the kids and their opportunity to make childhood memories.
"We want them to have every possibility to play their sports and do their activities. I'm thrilled to death for them."
Bridgett Freeman, who led Hackett to their first state volleyball championship last season in Class 2A, was pleased to hear the volleyball season is still a go.
"I'm very excited and very relieved," Freeman said. "I sent out a text message to our girls, and they responded back with lots of enthusiasm."
Joe T. Robinson football Coach Todd Eskola appreciated being able to move forward.
"We're excited," he said. "We're going full-tilt. Our conference [the 4A-7] is full of football-frenzied communities. Everybody is very excited for the football season."
Also on Friday, the health department posted a directive for large outdoor and indoor venue plans for school-sponsored team sports.
The health department will not require schools to submit covid-19 compliance plans as long as the following requirements are met:
• Social distancing is followed, with 6 feet of physical distance from other spectators at all times. Single-household families may sit together, but a 6-foot distance must be kept from all other groups or individuals.
• Face coverings or masks are required for all spectators, except for children younger than 10 years old.
• Entrances, exits, concession stands and restrooms must be marked with cones, X's or other visual cues to promote at least a 6-foot distance.
• Concessions must comply with the health department's current directive regarding resuming restaurant dine-in operations.
• Signs must be posted at all entrances advising the public not to enter if they have a fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell. Also, if someone has had exposure to the virus in the past 14 days, do not enter the venue.
Conway Athletic Director Clint Ashcraft said the school's health department plan that was submitted for its football stadium (John McConnell Stadium) and volleyball arena (Buzz Bolding Arena) have been approved for intrasquad scrimmages. He said Friday that he will look at the health department's updated guidelines and send in Conway's plan to get approved for the benefit games.
Despite the increased workload in attempting to make his athletic facilities safe this summer, Ashcraft was glad to hear the governor and the AAA's news.
"I'm happy for our kids," Ashcraft said. "They get the opportunity to get out there and play."
Schools will be expected to keep capacity at 66% or below, according to the health department guidelines. Eskola said Robinson will have seating in every other row at Charlie George Stadium, and will create family-style pods on the hillside near the venue's track where fans can sit. For the school's gymnasium, Eskola said fans likely will sit in the upper rows of the venue and that the volleyball teams may have to sit in the bleachers near the court to allow for social distancing.
Hutchinson said he hopes the school's staff members, including superintendents and athletic directors, will be able to keep spectators in check at games this fall.
"People get excited in a game," he said. "But we'll want them [school staff] to remind them, 'Hey, spread apart. Keep 6 feet apart. Put on your mask.' Those are the kind of things we can be neighborly about and remind people about, because we do get excited about the games. We all have that responsibility."
Taylor said that football players will be expected to spread out from the 10-yard line to the other 10-yard line, while coaches will be in the box from the 25-yard line to the other 25-yard line.
The governor's high school sports advisory group, led by Arkansas Surgeon General Greg Bledsoe, met with Hutchinson on several occasions since the formation of the group July 31. Taylor, who is a member of the 14-person committee, said the group recommended for Hutchinson to move forward with the 2020 season for football and volleyball.
Football and volleyball, which are considered high-contact sports by the health department, began their fall practice schedule Aug. 3 after holding conditioning and weight room workouts from June 1 to late July. Taylor said that the committee felt that it was time to give those sports the opportunity to play their seasons. Golf, tennis and cross country previously had been approved by the governor to play their seasons as scheduled.
Arkansas is one of 16 states that is planning to start the football season on time, along with border states Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The other states are Alabama, Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Utah held its first high school football game of the season Thursday night.
For Eskola, a second consecutive Class 4A state football championship is what the Senators want to achieve. But he knows that 2020 is unlike any other year he's experienced because of the pandemic.
"You can only control what you can control," Eskola said. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure we're safe."
Taylor had a message to the students who play sports across the state during the governor's news conference.
"When you leave school, continue to wear this [mask], continue to social distance and be smart," Taylor said. "Just like the governor said, we want you to start and we want you to finish your seasons. We believe this is the key."
