UIL lifts ban of live streaming of Texas high school football games

By Mitch Stephens Aug 13, 2020, 12:15pm

COVID fan restrictions moves state governing body to allow contests viewed live via all mediums.

For at least one season, Friday Night Lights can be seen on a smartphone near you. The University Interscholastic League, the governing body of public schools in Texas, announced Thursday it will lift a ban temporarily on live telecasts and streaming of football games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an attempt to comply with social distancing guidelines and fan restrictions, the organization wants to make games easily to see for those who can't get to games.


The UIL defines telecasts as "any live or tape-delayed video footage of a contest in its entirety that can be transmitted through television, Internet Web stream, Webcast, video podcast, smartphone apps, tablet computer apps, closed-circuit channels, weather cameras or other medium."

The UIL announced July 21 that fall activities for the state's two largest classifications, 6A and 5A, will be pushed back five weeks. The start of practice went from Aug. 3 to Sept. 7, and games are slated to begin Sept. 24-26. The football playoffs in those classifications originally slated for Nov. 12, now begin on Dec. 3, and title games, originally scheduled Dec. 16-19 at AT&T Stadium, now will take place sometime in Jan.

Class 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A will continue as scheduled having started practices Aug. 3 and games set to kick off Aug. 27-29.

The lifting of the ban is for the 2020 football season only and could go back into place should the pandemic be controlled, allowing parents and fans to attend games without restrictions.
Action like this 2019 game between Lone Star and Lancaster may be captured and shown live via a smartphone in 2020.
Action like this 2019 game between Lone Star and Lancaster may be captured and shown live via a smartphone in 2020.
Photo by Mike Augustin