The 2020 fall sports season begins today with preseason practices, and later this month, it will mark the first time competition and practices will be held with school in session since the 2020 State Boys Basketball tournament in March.

This comes off of the heels of a baseball and softball season that saw well over 90 percent of teams finish the summer on the field. However, some teams in the area, including Knoxville baseball and Oskaloosa softball, were among those who had their season halted due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Chris Cuellar with the Iowa High School Athletic Association says overall, the summer seasons in the state were successful, but when it comes to fall, there will be different challenges, especially as football involves contact between foes every play and volleyball is played indoors.

He says when it comes to isolation protocols and how to handle positive tests, it will be again largely left to county health departments, school districts, and possibly conferences and football districts based on guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health– and the biggest changes have come for football thus far, which an overhaul of the first few weeks of the season and the addition of all teams qualifying for the postseason.

Cuellar says the IHSAA and IGHSAU strongly encourage everyone involved with high school sports to take protocols enacted at each school seriously and to keep everyone as safe as possible. Athletes from football, volleyball, cross country, and girls swimming are all scheduled to compete this fall.

Click here for guidelines from the IHSAA, and here for guidance from the IGHSAU here.