The New York State Public High School Athletic Association announced Wednesday that the football, volleyball and competitive cheer fall seasons will be postponed until Monday, March 1.

Low and moderate risk fall sports, meanwhile, are still authorized to begin practices on Monday, Sept. 21.

The revised season for those sports will be known as “Fall Sports Season II” and may officially begin practices on March 1, potentially playing through end of April.

As a result of fall high risk sports being moved, the start date for the spring sports season has been adjusted to Monday, April 19. The original start date was Monday, March 15.

“We’ve spent two days speaking with nearly 500 athletic directors across the state and it’s clear that administering high-risk fall sports during the COVID-19 pandemic presents a significant challenge for our member schools,” NYSPHSAA executive director Dr. Robert Zayas said in a release. “These are unprecedented times and unfortunately, difficult decisions will have to be made to address this ongoing crisis. We continue to stay committed to providing support to our member schools and quality participation experiences for the students we serve.”

“The NYSPHSAA officers have determined it would be unrealistic to host football, volleyball and competitive cheer seasons this fall,” NYSPHSAA President Julie Bergman said in a statement. “This continues to be the most challenging situation educators have ever addressed. I, along with my fellow officers, believe the participation experiences for football, volleyball and competitive cheer athletes will be more beneficial in the spring than in the fall.”

Contact reporter Marquel Slaughter at 315-792-4963 or follow him on Twitter @OD_Slaughter.