EAST LANSING) – The 2020 Fall sports season will start as scheduled.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced Friday that their member schools will be playing all Fall sports as normal. But there will be contingency concepts for potential interruptions due to the spread of COVID-19.

The MHSAA's Representative Council met virtually with the MHSAA staff on Wednesday to discuss a series of ideas for playing sports beginning in August. The Council will meet again July 29 for further discussion.

The MHSAA is going to move forward with a plan that first calls for all Fall sports to be started and played as scheduled. However, if the situation deems it necessary, the start of some or all Fall sports practices or competitions could be delayed. Currently, high school football practices are scheduled to begin August 10 with all other Fall sports will start practicing August 12.

The next step in the plan calls for lower risk Fall sports that can be played to be completed, with higher-risk risk sports postponed until later in the school year. If all Fall sports must be suspended, they will be rescheduled during a reconfigured calendar that would see Winter sports begin in November followed by the conclusion of Fall and Spring seasons potentially extending into July 2021.

The Council also considered a concept that would swap traditional Fall and Spring sports, but determined that was not a feasible plan.

The MHSAA staff is building COVID related policies for all Fall sports and will make those guidelines and precautions available to member schools as the season approaches.