Michigan fall sports can resume on Monday, high school football playoffs restart Jan. 2

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan high schools can resume practice on Monday, Jan. 21, when the current epidemic order ends. This includes high school football, girls volleyball, and girls swimming & diving.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is allowed to resume practice as part of a pilot rapid testing program that's designed to gain insight and collect more data regarding the spread of COVID-19.

All high school sports were ordered to be postponed during the COVID-19 pause instituted in mid-November that also closed high schools, casinos, movie theaters, and indoor dining. On Friday, the state announced many of those places, including high schools, will be allowed to reopen with capacity restrictions and other limitations. 

According to the MHSAA, football playoffs will resume on Saturday, Jan. 2, with regional finals for 11-player teams and Semifinals for 8-player teams. 

The 8-player championship games in both divisions and all 11-player Semifinals will be played the following Saturday, Jan. 9. The football season will conclude with the 11-Player Finals in all divisions the weekend of Jan. 15-16. All Semifinals in both 11 and 8-player will be played at home sites.

Championship sites have not been finalized yet.

The Girls Volleyball Tournament will begin again with Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Semifinals and Finals will be played Jan. 7-9 at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

The Girls Swimming & Diving Finals with return with its three Lower Peninsula Finals competed during the weekend of Jan. 15-16 with one division at each of three locations. Diving would be completed Jan. 15, with swimming the following day.

All previous safety protocols regarding masks and limited capacity will be in place. No spectators will be allowed at fall tournament events.

Indoor winter sports that are not part of the pilot testing program are still on pause until at least Jan. 16, when the new epidemic order ends. 

Spring 2021 sports are expected to begin on time and play complete seasons during their traditional dates in May and June.