The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference gave its official go-ahead on Thursday for the fall high school sports season to proceed as scheduled.

Football, which hasn't played a full season since 2019, began two weeks of conditioning on Thursday while cross country, field hockey, soccer, swimming and volleyball will begin preseason practice on Thursday, Aug. 26.

The regular season for all sports begins on Thursday, Sept. 9, and the CIAC plans for postseason state championship events in all sports.

As part of a five-page "fall sports guidance" sent to member schools and the media, the CIAC emphasized its plan remains "fluid and in a perpetual state of evaluation," adding "COVID health metrics and data in Connecticut will continue to be closely monitored and the appropriateness of holding youth sport and/or interscholastic athletic contests can change at any time.

"The CIAC will continue to consult with our stakeholders and will adjust offerings as appropriate should the health metrics direct that action. ... As such, the CIAC will provide the best sport experiences possible to its member schools."

The CIAC, due to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases, reinstituted its 2020 mask regulations for volleyball and swimming. Volleyball athletes, coaches and officials, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear masks while playing and on the sidelines. Ditto for swimming athletes, coaches and officials, although athletes can remove their masks when entering the pool.

Cross country, field hockey, football and soccer athletes, coaches and officials will not be required to wear masks during practices and competition, but will for any indoor practices, weight room or film sessions.

The biggest change from 2020, when an abbreviated, regional season didn't begin until Oct. 1 (with no state tournaments), is the policy regarding COVID-19. In 2020, one positive test would force a program into a 10-day quarantine.

That won't be the case now, but vaccination status will be a determining factor for individual athletes and possibly entire programs.

"Vaccination of all eligible athletes, coaches, and officials is currently the most important mitigation strategy we have available for preventing COVID-19 outbreaks," the CIAC said in its release. "The more athletes, coaches, officials, and supporting family members who are vaccinated, the more likely teams will be able to avoid repeated quarantines and testing of participants, to keep practicing and playing throughout the scheduled season."

The CIAC is encouraging — but not mandating — athletes and coaches be vaccinated. It is also recommending that all unvaccinated athletes and coaches test weekly.

The CIAC did, however, offer one caveat: athletes and coaches who are vaccinated will not have to quarantine if exposed to a COVID-positive case.

The following is the CIAC's protocol if someone comes in close contact with a COVID-positive athlete or coach:

• Vaccinated athletes or coaches do not have to quarantine provided they remain asymptomatic. They must wear a mask until receiving a negative test taken 3-5 days from the date of contact, although they can opt to wear a mask for 14 days without a test.

• Unvaccinated athletes or coaches must quarantine for 10 days, but can return with a negative test between days 7 and 10 or quarantine for 14 days without a test.

• Vaccinated and unvaccinated students with symptoms after close contact must quarantine for 10 days with with a negative test between days 7 and 10 or 14 days without a test.