Basketball teams across the state can head back to the gyms beginning Monday in preparation for a season that will begin early in the new year. During a special called session of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Board of Control Thursday morning, board members voted to go ahead with plans they had set in motion at their November meeting. Those plans were to begin basketball practice Monday, December 14, with the season then to begin Monday, January 4.
The decision to move ahead with that plan did not move ahead without lengthy discussion. Several board members expressed concern about allowing teams to begin practice with the state continuing to deal with high numbers in terms of COVID-19 cases. The final vote to move on with the plan was 12-5.
The KHSAA Board of Control vote, however, does not mean that all schools will get started Monday. The Board of Control vote puts the decision or whether or not to start back in the hands of local school districts. With most of the state’s counties currently in the “red” status, it would not be surprising to see several districts elect not to start basketball on that timetable.
In addition to the vote to move ahead with the start of basketball season, the Board of Control, in big part due to scheduling issues at Rupp Arena, voted to delay the boys’ and girls’ state tournaments until March 29 through April 8th. The vote was 14-3. That was the second option voted on during the meeting, as the Board narrowly rejected a motion to move the state tournaments to the end of April and beginning of May. The move very nearly took place, as the measure was rejected by one vote, at 9-8.
The first vote was a rejection of the recommendation from Commissioner Julian Tackett, who stated his belief that a later date for the state tournaments gives them a better chance for success.
With the current plan, district tournament would start the week of March 15, and regional tournaments the week of March 22.
Watch the entire meeting by clicking below.
