The S.C. High School League has decided on sites, kickoff times and attendance guidelines for the league's five football state championship games.
The SCHSL executive committee also decided Wednesday on start dates for spring sports, including baseball and softball.
The state championship football games will be held at Benedict College and at Spring Valley High School, both in the Columbia area. COVID-19 restrictions will limit attendance to about 1,850 spectators at the Class AA and AAA title games at Spring Valley, and to about 2,000 spectators for the Class A, AAAA and AAAAA title games at Benedict College, both in the Columbia area.
Kickoff times will be at 5 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Spring Valley, and at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4, 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Benedict. The SCHSL plans to announce early next week which classification will play in which slot.
Oceanside Collegiate is the only Charleston-area team remaining in the playoffs. The Landsharks will host Camden on Friday night in the second round of the Class AAA playoffs at Johnson Hagood Stadium. If OCA advances to the state championship game, that contest would be played at Spring Valley.
"Which classification will be in which spot, we're still working on that," SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said. "We've got staff going out to each venue to see the logistics we need to take care of.
"We looked at several high schools and some colleges for the games, but it came down to this being the most central area. And logistically, we could accomplish what we needed to."
The competitive cheer state finals are set for Dec. 19 at the Florence Civic Center.
The SCHSL is now embarking on its winter sports season, which includes wrestling and basketball. With Colonial Life Arena in Columbia not available for the state championship games in basketball next spring, Singleton said the Florence Civic Center has offered to host the games.
"In order to practice social distancing and a limited gathering, and to clean the facilities, we are going to have to spread those games out over multiple days," Singleton said. "It may take us four days to get it done instead of two. And the semifinals may have to be played at the site of one of the schools that are competing."
The executive committee set a first practice date of Feb. 1 for all spring sports: Lacrosse, soccer, boys tennis and golf, track and field, baseball and softball.
The start of the regular season for baseball and softball was moved back to March 15 to give teams more time to get throwing arms ready for the season.
"We moved the spring sports back just a little bit and extended the opportunities for baseball and softball to work on pitching, because we moved the first day of competition back a little bit," Singleton said.
As in the fall and winter sports, playoff brackets will be reduced to 16 teams in soccer, baseball, softball and tennis.
The executive committee also approved the new Fountain Inn High School for at-large membership starting in 2021-22.
High school basketball is set to begin play on Nov. 30, and wrestling on Dec. 14.
"Wrestling and basketball are probably going to be our most challenging season as far as spreading the virus," Singleton said. "We've got to practice social distancing, limited gatherings and the wearing of the masks, at school and away from school. We've been fortunate so far, to get our contests played.
"The fall sports had a season. We want to give the winter sports every opportunity to have one, and hopefully that will carry over to spring sports. But because we are inside and the virus is so virulent inside, we have to remind people that if we do it safely, we have a great opportunity to have these seasons."
