EPC votes to delay fall sports. Football to begin competition Oct 2

Tagged under: District 11, News

Billy Splain | August 4, 2020

August 4, 2020

EPC Tiered Delay Plan Press Release To: All Interested Media Outlets From: Nathan Davidson, President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Fred Harris, Vice President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference

On Tuesday, August 4th , 2020 The Board of Principals of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference voted (18-0 ) to support a tiered delay and mitigation plan for fall athletic schedules within the league. In response to the current Covid-19 Pandemic the EPC recommends that we utilize the following philosophy as our compass for the navigation of the eventual and gradual re-opening of interscholastic athletic competition.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference believes that athletic competition is an integral part of the educational process and therefore recommends the following approach as we enter the tiered phases of re-opening our athletic programs within our conference. We are committed to safely promoting competition locally and in accordance with member schools return to school and athletic safety plans. The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference will follow all mandates handed down from the State of Pennsylvania and the PIAA, while respecting the individual decisions that are made by our member schools at the direction of their administration. The following plan outlines a tiered delay for fall sports which affords our schools the opportunity to open safely and permits student athletes to continue to participate and compete in their respective sports.

Delayed Start of Fall Season

This proposal promotes a delayed and uniform start date for all fall sports programs:

Fall EPC Schedule Competition Start Dates

• o 8/20/2020 – First competition date for Golf.
• o 8/24/2020 – First competition date for Tennis.
• o 9/4/2020 – First competition date for Cross Country.
• o 9/25/2020 – First competition date for Field Hockey, Soccer, Girls Volleyball.
• o 10/2/2020 – First competition date for Football.

Mitigation Through Creative Scheduling and Alignment

The athletic directors of the EPC have creatively re-aligned the conference’s division with mitigation in mind. Member schools have been assigned to divisions which are determined by county whenever possible. This method assists in the mitigation of potential infection by maintaining local competition for the fall EPC season.

Divisional Alignment

● Three Divisions by County

o Lehigh: Allen, CCHS, Dieruff, Emmaus, Parkland, Whitehall

o Monroe: ES North, ES South, Pleasant Valley, PM East, PM West, Stroudsburg

o Northampton: BECAHI, Easton, Freedom, Liberty, Nazareth, Northampton

Number of League Contests

• ● Cross Country: 5 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Field Hockey: 10 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Football: 5 Total – Weeks 1-5 in county division
• ● Golf: 10 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Soccer Boys: 10 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Soccer Girls: 10 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Tennis: 10 Total – In county division only, home and away
• ● Volleyball Girls: 11 Total – (10 In county division only, home and away) 11th game will be seeded accordingly.

Updated EPC Schedules

The Athletic Directors will develop updated schedules for all sports and release them to the public as soon as they are vetted and approved

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