OSHKOSH – One day after nearby athletic programs kicked off fall practice and Oshkosh Area School District teams stayed home, the district finally moved its fall sports season to the spring Tuesday afternoon.

The affected sports at Oshkosh West and Oshkosh North high schools are football, girls and boys volleyball, girls tennis, girls swimming and diving, boys soccer, and girls and boys cross country.

The decision comes after three of the Oshkosh high schools’ Fox Valley Association rivals in Appleton also had their seasons moved to spring.

RELATED: Appleton public schools move fall sports to alternate season in spring

“We fully understand that this decision is a major disappointment for our student-athletes and families who were preparing for their upcoming fall sports season,” the school district said in a release. “However, we also firmly believe that it is the right decision at this time.

“Our local decision was made based on the current state of COVID-19 in OASD boundaries and Winnebago County and after evaluating our athletics reopening plan and seeking to minimize the risk to our students, families, and staff while community spread remains in the High category and the COVID-19 positivity rate continue to trend upward.”

Contact Jerell Rushin at 920-279-4974 or jrushin@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jerellrushin_.