Michigan High School Athletic Association released a press release on Saturday, Dec. 26 with an update for concluding postseason tournaments for football, volleyball and girls swimming &diving.
The tournaments will be completed during January, as the MHSAA continues to follow all emergency orders from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS).
Football teams began two days of outdoor, non-contact conditioning and drills, wearing helmets and shoulder pads with physical distancing, on Monday, Dec. 28, in advance of the first round of testing Dec. 30 as part of an MDHHS rapid testing pilot program. Schools will test players, coaches and other team personnel, with full-contact practice then allowed after a first round of negative results. The testing program will utilize BinaxNOW antigen tests, which produce results within 15 minutes.
Clarkston Everest Collegiate Varsity Football will play their regional final game on Saturday, Jan. 9. The rest of the schedule for 11-Player teams is semifinals on Saturday, Jan. 16 and finals during the weekend of Jan. 22-23.
MHSAA’s press release from Dec. 29 shared information for volleyball and Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming and Diving to finish their fall tournaments. Clarkston Varsity Volleyball and qualifiers from Clarkston Girls Swimming and Diving may restart their postseason on Monday, Jan. 4. As with football, participants in both sports must take part in a rapid testing pilot program.
Volleyball will pick up with Quarterfinals on Jan. 12, followed by Semifinals on Jan. 14-15 and Finals on Jan. 16. Semifinals and Finals will be played at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.
Clarkston divers will have finals on Friday, Jan. 15.
Spectators will not be allowed at competitions for either sport. Spectators also are not being allowed at Football Playoff games, which are scheduled to begin again Jan. 9.
The MHSAA Representative Council met on Dec. 23 and approved an adjusted regular-season calendar for indoor Winter sports. Under current MDHHS orders winter sports may restart their seasons Saturday, Jan. 16, after being paused on Nov. 18 to decrease the spread of COVID-19.
Girls and boys alpine skiing, with all activity taking place outdoors, was allowed by MDHHS to resume its season Dec. 21 and remains underway.
If the MDHHS pause ends, indoor practices may begin again Jan. 16, with first competitions Jan. 22 for basketball, bowling, ice hockey and swimming & diving. Competitive cheer, gymnastics and wrestling may begin first competitions on Jan. 25.
The Representative Council also approved one-year changes to competition limits in ice hockey and wrestling. In hockey, teams may play two games on one non-school day on two dates this season – with four games total during those two weeks when this opportunity is utilized.
Wrestling teams are allowed two dates of competition per week this season, with competition limited to four teams at a site with three matches per student per day of competition.
The Representative Council also approved changes to the Winter tournament schedule pushing championships in most sports back to allow for regular seasons to be extended due to the late start. Following are the updated dates:
Boys and Girls Basketball:
Girls Districts – March 8, 10 and 12; Boys Districts – March 9, 11 and 13
Girls Regionals – March 16 and 18; Boys Regionals – March 17 and 19
Girls QF, Semifinals and Finals – March 22 (QF), March 24 (Semifinals) and March 26 (Finals)
Boys QF, Semifinals and Finals – March 23 (QF), March 25 (Semifinals ) and March 27 (Finals)
Bowling:
Regionals – March 19-20
Finals – March 26-27
Competitive Cheer:
Districts – March 5-6
Regionals – March 13
Finals – March 19-20
Gymnastics:
Regionals – March 20
Finals – March 26-27
Ice Hockey:
Regionals – March 15-20
Finals – March 25-27
Boys Swimming & Diving :
Boys Dive Regionals – March 18
Boys Finals – March 26-27
Wrestling:
District Week – March 1
Regional Week – March 8
Team Finals – March 19-20
Individual Finals – March 26-27

Currently, the start dates of Spring sports are not affected. If current orders further delay activity beyond Jan. 16, the MHSAA staff and Representative Council will devise updated plans that address both Winter and Spring sports. If current orders are amended to allow activity to begin earlier, the first days of practice and competition will be moved up accordingly.