Washington pushes back high school winter sports season

RENTON, Wash. — The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Executive Board has voted to amend the current high school season schedule for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year, opting to delay the start of WIAA Season 2 (basketball, wrestling and gymnastics) to Feb. 1 and shorten each WIAA season to seven weeks in length.

WIAA Season 2 is now scheduled to begin with practices on Feb. 1 (Jan. 25 for gymnastics) and end with a regional culminating event on March 20. WIAA Season 3, which consists of traditional fall sports, is now scheduled to begin on March 15 (March 8 for football) and end on May 1. WIAA Season 4, which consists of traditional spring sports, will begin with practices on April 26 and conclude on June 12.

The decision comes in light of surging COVID-19 cases around the state, putting in jeopardy the ability to begin WIAA Season 2 which was originally scheduled to begin on Dec. 28.

Washington's winter sports season normally begins in early December.

North Idaho teams had to adjust their fall sports schedules when Washington moved its fall sports to the spring. North Idaho schools often compete against Washington schools in basketball and wrestling mostly in December, but those schedules, too, had to be adjusted. And the scheduled start of spring sports in Washington in 2021 is shortly before North Idaho teams participate in their state-qualifying events.

While the Executive Board approved the framework for each WIAA season, flexibility remains at the local level due to the protocols approved at the Nov. 2 meeting. If less than 50 percent of schools in a classification are able to compete in a sport, in accordance with Department of Health Guidelines, the Executive Board will make an adjustment to the scheduled season in order to allow the chance for greater participation.

Gonzaga and Tennessee to meet in Indianapolis on Dec. 2

Top-ranked Gonzaga will play No. 12/14 Tennessee in Indianapolis on Dec. 2. The seventh all-time meeting between the programs will be in the 2020 Jimmy V Classic.

ESPN will produce and broadcast the game on ESPN at 4 p.m. PST. The game will be played in the Bankers Life Field House, the same location the Zags play No. 2/1 Baylor on Dec. 5.

Baylor and No. 8/10 Illinois will follow in Game 2 of the Jimmy V Classic at 7 p.m. PST. There will be no spectators in attendance at either of the events.

Gonzaga has won four of the six matchups against Tennessee all-time. This will be the sixth meeting between the programs on a neutral court. The Volunteers snapped a four-game losing streak to GU in the last meeting. Tennessee, ranked seventh at the time, upset then No. 1 Gonzaga in Phoenix on Dec. 19, 2018, 76-73.

The teams have met twice in the Battle in Seattle. The Volunteers won the first matchup between the teams, 82-72, in the 2007 Battle in Seattle.

The Tennessee game is another marquee matchup on the Zags' schedule this season.

Gonzaga opens against Kansas on Nov. 26 and Auburn on Nov. 27, both in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The Zags will play No. 2 Baylor in Indianapolis on Dec. 5, and face Iowa, another preseason top-five team, Dec. 19 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Vandal women's games

canceled due to COVID

The Idaho women's basketball game against Lewis-Clark State, scheduled for Nov. 25 has been canceled due to limited roster numbers in conjunction with COVID-19 testing.

Idaho's game at Oregon State, scheduled for Nov. 29 has also been canceled.

Idaho is scheduled to open the season at home against Sacramento State on Dec. 3.

Zags graduating at a 98 percent success rate

INDIANAPOLIS — Gonzaga student-athletes are graduating at a rate of 98 percent according to the latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers released by the NCAA, including 10 GU teams that achieved a 100 percent graduation rate.

Overall, GU's 98 percent graduation rate is tied for the second-best in the nation. Columbia, Dartmouth, Evansville, Harvard, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Loyola Chicago, Samford and Yale all had a 99 percent graduation rate. GU is tied with eight others at 98 percent, including Duke, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Princeton, Seton Hall, and others.

“The dedication and effort put forth by our student-athletes to earn their degrees continues to be impressive,” Gonzaga athletic director Mike Roth said. “Our student-athletes have achieved at a high level in the classroom, in competition and in the community. The Gonzaga faculty, coaches and academic support staff have done a great job of supporting our student-athletes and helping them be successful.”

For comparison, the Federal Graduation Rate is 69 percent and the NCAA GSR average is 90 percent, while the West Coast Conference average is at 91 percent. Gonzaga has the highest GSR in the league, followed by Loyola Marymount at 95 percent.

Ten Gonzaga squads achieved perfect 100-percent GSR scores, including women's basketball for the fifth straight year and men's basketball for the fourth straight year. GU women's cross country and track and field and women's golf each had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the 16th straight year, while men's cross country and track and field (13 straight), men's tennis (12 straight), men's soccer (11 straight), women's soccer (10 straight, 12th time overall), and men's golf (nine straight) all extended their impressive streaks of 100-percent GSR scores. Women's rowing had a perfect 100-percent GSR for the ninth time in program history.

Eleven of GU's 13 countable programs finished above the national average in their respective sports. Nine of those teams finished at least five percentage points better.