Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse City School District has decided to postpone its fall sports season until the spring because of coronavirus concerns, the district announced Thursday.

Last week, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association updated its return to play guidelines, which offered leagues and schools the opportunity to move sports to different seasons or times of the year.

The decision affects sports considered low-risk by the NYSPHSAA, including soccer, tennis, cross country, golf, gymnastics, swimming and field hockey.

“We recognize that sports are an integral part of our district and that this impacts our student athletes, coaches and families but with the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 we feel this is the best choice at this time,” said district director of communications Michael Henesey. “Even with low and moderate risk sports there are still too many unknowns, risks and variables that make it difficult to play sports right now.”

Corcoran, Nottingham, Henninger, Institute of Technology and PSLA at Fowler will aim to begin its fall sports season on March 1, the official start of the “fall sports season II,” which includes high-risk sports like football, volleyball and cheerleading.

While safety is a key component of the decision, the financial element was factored in as well according to Nottingham athletic director Al Hicks.

“For example, we have one soccer coach (at Fowler) and how does he check kids in, take temperatures and monitor the other kids in practice?” Hicks said. “How do we keep the places clean? Do we hire more custodians? It’s just a lot of different little things that make a big difference.”

Transportation was also a topic of discussion during the district’s meeting on Thursday. All 20,000 students in the city school district are learning remotely until Oct. 2.

In-person learning will tentatively start Oct. 5 for families that chose a hybrid schedule.

The district plays in the Salt City Athletic Conference, which along with the Onondaga High School League recently elected to move girls swimming and diving to the fall sports season II due to limited or no access to a swim facility for practices and meets.

Fulton’s school board announced Tuesday that it would cancel fall sports because of coronavirus concerns, which sparked a student-led protest on Thursday.

“It is our full intention to play all of our fall sports this coming spring in the fall two season so that our student athletes will not miss out on their respective seasons,” Henesey said.

MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Fulton students walk out of school to protest fall sports cancelation (video)

Section III leagues move girls swimming and diving to ‘fall sports season II’

12 schools from Section III’s Frontier League bow out of fall high school sports

New York HS sports boss: choices to play or not reflect district variables

Fulton city school board decides not to allow kids to play any sports this fall

Contact Mike Curtis anytime at mcurtis@syracuse.com or find him on Twitter at @MikeACurtis2.