• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Ohio High School Football Trudges Along Through Pandemic

  • While Ohio State and the Big Ten navigated a season postponement and restart, high school football teams in Ohio have forged ahead.
  • The pandemic has affected Ohio high school football and FBS football rather similarly, from financial burdens to scheduling conundrums.
ohio-high-school-football-covid
GEOFF BLANKENSHIP FOR THE ENQUIRER

While Ohio State’s football stadium has remained dark so far this year, the Friday night lights have shone bright at high school stadiums across Ohio. High schools statewide have forged ahead with a season while the Big Ten postponed, and teams like the La Salle Lancers are entering round three of their 2020 season playoffs on the same weekend the Big Ten kicks off. 

The pandemic has affected Ohio high school football and FBS football rather similarly, as both face financial burdens regarding safety equipment and enhanced precautions, as well as frequent outbreaks impacting games. And from mask mandates for coaches to a ban on tailgating and modified schedules, even the games will look alike.

But Ohio high schools have been playing football for more than two months, giving La Salle the opportunity to defend their 2019 Division II championship title. “Our football games and schedule have changed dramatically from normal seasons,” wrote Brian Meyer, La Salle’s athletic director, in an email to Front Office Sports at the beginning of the season. 

In fact, Ohio is one of the few states where high school, college, and NFL teams will play this fall. Other states, like California and North Carolina, have punted on fall high school football. Ohio is also one of the states currently seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases.

High schools are continuing to play during the outbreak, while Ohio State and the Big Ten begin their season. 

Charting a football season required a summer filled with intense discussions between state and local officials and the Ohio High School Athletic Association, a central governing body for high school sports, said Beau Rugg, the OHSAA’s senior director of officiating and sport management.

On Aug. 18, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that high school sports competition would be allowed this fall, and the organizations began to collaborate on how to get a season going.

“The key thing was, what can we do to make these environments as safe as possible, and hopefully safer than the environments students would be going to if they weren’t playing sports,” Rugg said. “There were a lot of moving parts right up until the end.”

Unlike college and professional sports, Ohio high school football players have no testing mandate. However, the OHSAA and local health authorities set a slew of safety guidelines: coaches must wear masks at all times, players can’t share towels or clothing, and the sidelines have been expanded to allow for social distancing. If possible, schools also provide separate designated areas for officials.

Big Ten Reverses Decision, Will Resume Football Season in October

The Big Ten had originally postponed its season on Aug. 11. due…
September 16, 2020

And though there’s no testing, players must sit out if they’ve tested positive or have come into contact with a positive case. Coaches, athletes, and spectators also complete symptoms checks. Like in the Big Ten, high school athletes may only return from quarantine if they’ve undergone cardiac screening.

In the stands, marching bands and pep bands only perform at their own home games, and signage promoting social distancing peppers stadiums across the state. 

Unlike the Big Ten, which won’t host general admission fans, Ohio’s high schools host up to 15% of their usual fan stadium capacity — though those fans must wear masks and keep six feet of distance throughout games.

Rugg noted how impressed he was at the beginning of the season with how quickly and successfully schools he visited had implemented safety guidelines. 

But the measures haven’t completely prevented outbreaks among teams or been universally followed by all schools. Multiple teams have had to cancel games due to outbreaks, according to local reports. And each week, the OHSAA sends observers to games to check whether schools are complying with guidelines — an update on Oct. 8 said observers found widespread flouting of the masking and social distancing rules across all fall sports.

“If improvements are not made, we may not be able to continue with our seasons because the coronavirus is going to spread due to our administrators, coaches and student-athletes not following the mandates required by the Governor,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in the document. “I can’t stress enough to everyone involved in our sports programs that we all must do our part!” 

every-fbs-conference-covid

Every FBS Conference Currently Playing Has Seen COVID Outbreaks

Despite safety protocols, outbreaks continue to impact FBS.
October 16, 2020

And unforeseen circumstances, like weather delays, pose problems for following safety guidelines even if schools are trying to comply, Rugg said. 

Off the field, athletes are encouraged not to attend social gatherings like parties — similar to those in college, where some football outbreaks have been traced to out-of-sport activities. “It is hard to tell young men to keep their friends away, but I hope they understand that this small sacrifice could be the difference in completing the season or having it cut short,” Meyer said.

Just like in college athletic departments, popular high school football teams in Ohio make money from local sponsorships and ticket sales. But the lack of fans at games — and extra cost associated with safety guidelines — have proved difficult both for individual programs and the OHSAA. 

The cost of playing football this season mirrored that of many FBS football teams. Meyer said he would normally sell tickets for sold-out crowds of 6,000 fans, and now can’t have more than 900. He’s spent more than $2,500 on banners and signage to promote safety and additional equipment, like touchless water distribution. 

The OHSAA also makes 80% of its championship tournament revenue off ticket sales, which will be drastically cut this year, Rugg said. Though he added that state funds have shouldered the cost of the inspector program. 

For both college and high school football, games will go on. On Oct. 23, La Salle will face off against Stebbins High School and continue on the road to defending their title. “We keep emphasizing to the kids what they need to do to protect themselves and their teammates so we can complete our season,” Meyer said in a recent update, but added that the season was “going well” so far.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

College Football’s Costly Start for Virginia Tech, UCLA: Coaches Out

UCLA and Virginia Tech fire their coaches while Notre Dame slumps badly.
Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back AK Dear (0) tries to outrun Wisconsin Badgers cornerback Ricardo Hallman (2) during the second half at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Despite Vote Delay, SCORE Act Negotiations Continue on Capitol Hill

Political ad campaigns during college football Saturdays continue as well.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) looks to pass during the first quarter against the New Mexico Lobos at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA-Tennessee QB Trade Has Been Painful So Far

Iamaleava abruptly left Tennessee for UCLA this past offseason.
Sep 12, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; New Mexico Lobos quarterback Jack Layne (2) reacts after his team scored a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl.
September 15, 2025

UCLA Paid New Mexico $1.2 Million for Friday’s Loss: Payout Game Tracker

The Bruins weren’t the only Power-4 school to lose a buy game and fire their coach.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.
September 11, 2025

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.