By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
School hasn’t started up for local students just yet. (Although it’s getting close, as Otsego’s first day of classes is Monday, Aug. 19.)
But for high school student-athletes who participate in fall sports, the 2024-25 school year got underway on Monday, Aug. 12.
That was the first day of practice under the guidelines set forth by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
According to the MHSAA, nearly 100,000 student-athletes are expected to participate in a fall sport statewide. That includes the most-played sports for both boys and girls: 35,174 football players and 19,119 girls volleyball players competed during the fall 2023 season.
Locally, teams in those sports were joined by competitors in girls and boys cross county, girls golf, boys soccer, girls swim & dive and boys tennis in beginning practice.
Cross country, golf, soccer and tennis teams are allowed to start competition as early as Friday, Aug. 16. Swim & dive and volleyball teams are allowed to start competing on Wednesday, Aug. 21, while varsity football teams can begin games on Thursday, Aug. 29.
Football teams at all levels must have 12 days of preseason practice—over a period of 16 calendar days—prior to playing a regular-season game.
The 2024 fall campaign culminates with postseason tournaments. Locally, that begins with district soccer along with regional girls golf and regional boys tennis the week of Oct. 7, and wraps up with the 11-Player Football Finals on Nov. 29 and 30.
When it comes to the postseason, seedings for volleyball will be determined differently this year.
For the first time, the top two teams in each volleyball district bracket will be seeded based on Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) that take into account a team’s regular-season success and strength of schedule. Those two seeded teams will be determined the Sunday prior to the final week of the regular season and placed on opposite sides of their district brackets.
Boys soccer also will see a slight change to its seeding, as the entire bracket will be seeded based on MPR, not just the top two teams as in previous seasons.
The 11-Player Football Finals schedule at Ford Field also will have a slightly different lineup and earlier start times.
On both Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30, the first games of the day will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the final games of both days slated to start at 7 p.m.
On Nov. 29, Division 8 at 9:30 a.m. will be followed by Division 4 at 12:30 p.m., Division 6 at 4 p.m. and Division 2 at 7 p.m. to conclude the day. On Nov. 30, Division 7 kicks off at 9:30 a.m., followed by Division 3 at 12:30 p.m., Division 5 at 4 p.m. and Division 1 at 7 p.m. to finish the weekend.
A few more game-action rules changes will be quickly noticeable to participants and spectators.
- In football, uniforms now must have clear contrast between the colors of the jersey and body of the numbers (excluding the border). For example, white numbers with blue outline on a white jersey are no longer allowed.
The visiting teams must wear white uniforms, and home teams must wear dark jerseys that clearly contrast with white. - In soccer, the eight-goal differential rule remains, but with the addition of a running clock during the first half if the differential reaches eight.
- In volleyball, line judges beginning this fall will switch sides of the court between sets.
Here is a complete list of fall tournament dates for the Lower Peninsula sports:
Cross Country
Regionals – Oct. 25 or 26
Finals – Nov. 2
11-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 27
Pre-Districts – Nov. 1 or 2
District Finals – Nov. 8 or 9
Regional Finals – Nov. 15 or 16
Semifinals – Nov. 23
Finals – Nov. 29-30
8-Player Football
Selection Sunday – Oct. 27
Regional Semifinals – Nov. 1 or 2
Regional Finals – Nov. 8 or 9
Semifinals – Nov. 16
Finals – Nov. 23
Girls Golf
Regionals – Oct. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12
Finals – Oct. 18-19
Boys Soccer
Districts – Oct. 9-19
Regionals – Oct. 22-26
Semifinals – Oct. 30
Finals – Nov. 2
Girls Swimming & Diving
Diving Regionals – Nov. 14
Swimming/Diving Finals – Nov. 22-23
Boys Tennis
Regionals – Oct. 9, 10, 11 or 12
Finals – Oct. 17-19 or 21-22
Girls Volleyball
Districts – Nov. 4-9
Regionals – Nov. 12 & 14
Quarterfinals – Nov. 19
Semifinals – Nov. 21-22
Finals – Nov. 23
