In conjunction with its Athletic Council, County Athletic Directors, Safety Committee and Suffolk
County Executive Board, Section XI will be postponing all sports until January 4 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the reasons for this decision are the potential for increased positive cases of COVID-19,
the health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, officials and staff members, a reduced
number of spectators, a lack of locker room and facility use, increased costs in transportation
and security for school districts and equity among all school districts.
Section XI’s Athletic Council voted unanimously this week to postpone the fall season and
condense all three seasons – fall, winter, spring – from January through June. Section XI will run
three complete seasons for the varsity, junior varsity and modified levels. These seasons will
allow for all teams to play an adapted season with a culminating championship event.
“While this was a difficult decision, we feel it was the best move for the health and safety of
everyone involved,” said Section XI Executive Director Tom Combs. “We still have a lot of hard
work ahead in planning and executing on the three seasons across six months in 2021, but we
look forward to the challenge and collaboration with our member schools and providing an
impactful experience for our student-athletes and coaches.”
The seasons will run as follows:
Varsity and JV
Season 1 (Winter), January 4- February 27
Season 2 (Fall), March 1- May 1
Season 3 (Spring), April 26- June 19
Modified sports
Season 1 (Winter), January 4- February 6
Season 2 (Late Winter), February 8- Mar 20
Season 3 (Fall), March 22- May 8
Season 4 (Spring), May 10- June 12
Section XI will continue to provide information on health and safety in accordance to rules and
regulations provided by the New York State Public Health Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA).
Along with the NYSPHSAA, we continue to gather information pertaining to COVID-19 and are
committed to maximizing the interscholastic athletic opportunities for students across our county