KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Knox County Schools will be putting fall contact sports "on hold" for the time being, according to an email sent on Thursday.
The district told members that a meeting will take place on Friday to put together guidelines for programs across the county, according to an email shared with 10News.
"We met with the Superintendent and the (Knox County Health Department) today and we had good discussions. We are meeting with the KCS Athletic Advisory Committee tomorrow," the email read.
In a statement, a Knox County spokesperson offered further clarification.
"The intent of the communication was to update schools on where we are as we work on developing additional health and safety guidelines for the start of fall sports. We did discuss this with the Health Department today and we plan to have a meeting with the Athletic Advisory Committee tomorrow. Our hope is to also get further clarification regarding the TSSAA guidelines and to create a plan that is consistent across all our schools and that puts safety first."
On Tuesday, Governor Bill Lee announced he will sign an executive order allowing contact sports to begin in the state, under the condition they follow the TSSAA regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We appreciate being able to work with Gov. Lee and his staff on this,” said TSSAA Executive Director Bernard Childress. “I am pleased that we were able to develop some very specific guidelines for every sport that will allow our kids to get out on their fields and fully participate in football and girls’ soccer this fall.”