On July 31, the Maine Department of Education designated all counties in Maine as “green” meaning the risk of COVID-19 is low. The return to sports will likely now be decided by superintendents in each district.

According to the Maine Principals Association, as it stands now, the fall sports season will be modified. The start of fall practices has been pushed from August 17 to September 8, and will last only two weeks instead of three. Countable games will begin no sooner than September 18, and the plan is to have modified playoffs as well.

“To get back to school (is) the number one priority,” said Gorham AD Tim Spear to the Portland Press Herald. “This gives us a date to start looking at schedules, to have a real good plan at each school on how you’re monitoring kids and how you’re going to do your screening. And it gives us time to educate our coaches.”