The Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference is doing some last-minute shuffling.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic and school districts switching to virtual learning, only four of the 12 member schools in the league — Moniteau, Karns City, Union and Clarion — will start winter sports practices Friday, said KSAC secretary/treasurer and Moniteau athletic director John Stoughton.

The principals and athletic directors in the KSAC held a meeting Thursday morning and decided, because so many member schools would not begin on the first winter sports practice date, to shift the start of the league approved schedule to Jan. 5 and 6 and reduce games against division opponents from two to one in basketball.

The measure was approved unanimously.

The KSAC currently has two six-team divisions — the North and South.

The big reason for the adjustment was to allow teams to qualify for the KSAC championship basketball games.

The league bylaws state that a team has to complete every league game to be eligible for the championship. With 10 division and six crossover league games on the slate, that would have been a tall order for the eight schools that will not begin winter sports practices on time.

The way the KSAC schedule is set up, the first round of division games are played early in the season, followed by the slate of crossover games in the middle and then the second round of division games to close the season.

The Jan. 5 and 6 start dates come at the end of the first round of division games and was a natural place to “start” the season, Stoughton said.

“With the normal amount of games it would have been tough,” Stoughton said, especially since the PIAA mandates that a school must have 15 practices before it can play its first game. “At least there's somewhat less of a restriction, but still an expectation to complete a league schedule.”

The KSAC had hoped to simply postpone the start of the entire season, but Stoughton said the PIAA shot that plan down.

“Per the PIAA, the league does not have the authority to postpone the season for member schools,” Stoughton said.

Instead, Moniteau, Karns City, Union and Clarion will jump right in right away. Other schools will follow as soon as they can get in the required 15 practices.

The KSAC set no restriction on start dates.

Stoughton said the league wanted to make the schedule as flexible as possible so teams could play league games when they could.

With the uncertainty of COVID-19 and schools adjusting on the fly, teams are encouraged to play league games whenever they can.

Member schools may play each other as many times as they want, but only the first game played between the two schools will count as a league game.

It isn't ideal, but it's the best the league can do to ensure a chance of a KSAC championship game.

That game is a popular one and also raises money for the league and scholarship funds.

“It's a huge fundraiser,” Stoughton said. “The proceeds go to scholarship winners — one male and one female at each of the 12 full-time member schools get a $100 scholarship.”