The PIAA Board of Directors voted to begin fall sports Monday with a vote of 25-5. Teams can officially begin practice Monday.

The PIAA meeting Friday was highly anticipated with regards to whether or not fall sports would proceed.

“The PIAA Board of Directors voted this afternoon to permit fall sports to begin on Monday, August 24, based on local school decisions. The Board agrees the decision to compete in athletics should be made locally allowing for each school entity to decide whether to proceed and which sports to sponsor,” the PIAA said in a statement. “As the health and safety of students is paramount in moving forward with athletics, the Board believes that through each member schools’ adherence to their developed school health and safety plans and the PIAA Return to Competition guidelines can continue.”

The PIAA Board of Directors said in its statement that it heard “the thousands of voices of student-athletes, parents, coaches, officials as well as community leaders that have contacted us.”

The PIAA noted that the first scrimmage dates will be Aug. 27 for golf; Aug. 29 for girls tennis, cross country, girls volleyball, field hockey and soccer; and Sept. 5 for football.

The first contest dates are Aug. 27 for golf; Aug. 31 for girls tennis; and Sept. 11 for all other sports.