Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano saw his football team’s season postponed due to COVID-19. On Thursday, he released a video message of encouragement to thousands of high school student-athletes across the state so that their upcoming fall season avoids a similar outcome.

“You gotta live by the ‘Three Ws,’” said Schiano in a video shot from the Brown Family football locker room. “One, wear your mask. Number two, wash your hands. And number three, watch your distance.”

The video, which was tweeted by the NJSIAA on Thursday morning is part of the organization’s #NJSIAAReturnToPlay and #MaskUpNJSIAA initiatives.

As part of the effort, members of the NJSIAA’s Senior Student Ambassador program have also produced videos encouraging others to “wear a mask so we can all wear our uniforms this fall.”

Monday, Sept. 14 marks the official start of the preseason for football, cross country, soccer, field hockey and girls tennis. Due to concerns over indoor gatherings, girls volleyball and gymnastics have been pushed back until February.

In an Aug. 25 statement, NJSIAA Chief Operating Officer Colleen Maguire said, “there have been no known outbreaks precipitated by on-field athletics in New Jersey. Roughly half of the NJSIAA’s 435 member schools participated in the organization’s three-phase Return to Play program, which went from July 13 through Aug. 28 and was developed by the NJSIAA Medical Advisory Task Force.

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Nearly all of those members schools are set to compete this fall season. The regular season for tennis is set for Sept. 28, with soccer, cross country and field hockey on Oct. 1. Opening day for football is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Schiano, who graduated from Ramapo High School, started his coaching career as an assistant at the Bergen County school in 1988. The former Tampa Buccaneers head coach was hired for his second stint as the head coach at Rutgers on Dec. 3. His teams went 68-67 during his first stint at Rutgers from 2001-11.

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Jason Bernstein may be reached at jbernstein@njadvancemedia.com.