The Montana High School Association executive board passed a motion by Class AA to cancel all nonconference games for fall sports on Thursday in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but plenty of questions remain.

A press release issued by the MHSA lists the competition start date for football and volleyball as Sept. 7. Soccer will start on time as planned.

Glacier football coach Grady Bennett noted that his team will check in Tuesday — practices were scheduled to begin today — with three days of two-a-days starting Wednesday, Aug. 19.

That leaves three weeks of after-school practices ahead of the Wolfpack’s first game.

“We felt that was the best way to go about it,” Bennett said. “I’m not sure what the other AA schools out there are doing.”

Flathead coach Matt Upham has his players reporting Friday with the first practice on Monday.

Last week, Class AA athletic directors voted unanimously for nonconference cancellation and presented the proposal to the MHSA.

The change applies to football, volleyball, soccer and cross country. Golf will hold one-day events only.

A proposal by the AA activities directors to postpone football to the spring was tabled by the board.

“I didn’t think I’d feel this way, but I’m very much in favor of playing in the spring,” said Bennett, whose club is set to open up at home against Helena Capital on Sept. 11. “We’ve already lost two (non-conference) games. My worry is that we start the season, we get in one or two games, kids are in school, and cases start popping up.

“And then we have to cancel and I feel (the season) is canceled we lose it forever.”

Upham didn’t care to weigh in on either prospect.

“I don’t really have a lot of comment on it,” the Braves’ second-year coach said. “I really don’t know what to think — we’ll do what we’re told to do, put our best foot forward and be ready to play football whether it’s in the fall or the spring. We’ll control what we can control.”

Another concern for Bennett and others is the limit of 50 people to an athletic field, handed down from the Governor’s office. Taking into account game officials and two bare-bones coaching staffs, that leaves 18 or so players to a side.

“We’ve got 75 kids on our roster,” Bennett said. “And they all suit up for every varsity game. All of a sudden you have 18 or 19 kids. I worry about that.

“I was hoping there’d be more clarity about the number of 50, and I guess there isn’t. I can’t imagine what that looks like on a Friday night.”

Class A football will eliminate one round of its playoffs and adjust from 12 to 8 teams. Its postseason will start Oct. 30 and end Nov. 14.

Class B, 8-Man and 6-Man schools will also have the option to cancel their nonconference schedules.

Also included in the press release is a face coverings policy approved by the MHSA. Face coverings do not have to be worn during play, but substitutes are required to wear masks when not competing. Coaches and players must wear face coverings regardless of the number of COVID-19 cases in a respective county.