Colonial League athletic directors and principals met virtually Tuesday morning to discuss plans for the upcoming winter sports season. The primary issues were to decide whether to delay the start of the league schedule, how many league games to play and whether spectators would be allowed to watch games in person. The discussions were prompted by the recent spike in coronavirus cases throughout the Lehigh Valley area.

After some debate on the schedule, the league decided by a 7-6 vote to delay the start of the league schedule until January 11. Northwestern Lehigh, Notre Dame, Palisades, Palmerton, Pen Argyl and Salisbury all voted to begin the schedule on time, which would have been as soon as this weekend in some cases. Last week, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference voted to move the start of league games back to January 15.

Northwestern Lehigh athletic director made a motion to allow teams who were comfortable playing league games before the January 11 date to play their league games in December, as scheduled. Zimmerman’s concern is that with the possible addition of games needing to be postponed because of bad weather, the schedule late in the season could become too packed with games. He also argued that it’s impossible to predict where coronavirus cases will be later in the winter and that now may be the best time to play league games, at least between consenting schools.

“We’re going to play these games one way or another as a league or a nonleague game and I would like them to count toward the league standings so that I am not boxed in and forced to make up league games in a short period of time at the end of the season,” said Zimmerman.

The plan drew interest from some of the principals in the meeting who were concerned with the possibility of having student-athletes play as many as four games in a week amid normal school work and finals. After the debate, the league voted 8-5 against allowing consenting schools to play league games before January 11, with Notre Dame, Palisades, Palmerton and Pen Argyl joining Northwestern Lehigh in voting for the agreement.

“I have a full schedule with a lot of independent games,” said Zimmerman. “I will do what I have to do. I would have personally liked to play league games before January 11. We talk about the guidance and the guidance is also telling you to space out your competitions and now we’re not going to be doing that by playing every other day.

“I would have rather had the schedule as it was with games spaced out. It’s no different than when I have to reschedule games due to snow. I try to go to the next available date because I am going to be pushed to get them in at the end.”

To help avoid some congestion of games, the league also voted 11-2 to reduce the basketball schedule from 12 league games to 10 and the wrestling schedule from 11 matches down to eight. Only Northwestern and Pen Argyl objected. Because of the uneven number of schools in the league, some schools may finish with 11 league games. The league also voted unanimously to include the top eight teams in the playoffs rather than the normal six in basketball.

As for spectators, both the Lehigh Valley Health Network and St. Luke’s Health Network, who advise schools on medical issues, advised the league against having spectators at indoor games this season. With that advice, the league voted 8-5 to not allow fans at games this season with two exceptions: first, parents of senior players may be in attendance for senior night festivities and parents of players close to reaching a milestone such as 1,000-points in basketball or 100-wins in wrestling, will be allowed to attend the event where that milestone is likely to be reached.

The league will reconsider the spectator restriction should the Pennsylvania Department of Health, local governing bodies or the advising health networks change their position on spectators being allowed at games. Most schools are attempting to livestream games so that family and fans can watch online.