BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed Sen. Melissa Hurtado’s Senate Bill 486, which aimed at making all California championship high school football games be played on equal fields Saturday, due to ongoing efforts set to go into effect later in the year.
In a letter addressed to the Members of the California State Senate, Gov. Newsom said,
“The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has already begun taking steps to hold state football championship games for all divisions at comparable neutral locations as called for in this bill. Once fully implemented later this year, these changes will provide equal opportunities for all participating schools, regardless of their division or financial resources. Therefore, this bill is unnecessary. For this reason, I cannot sign this bill.”
In October, the CIF said the 2023 State Football Championship Bowl Games would be held at three host venues, for all 15 divisions, on Dec. 8 and Dec, 9. Championship sites include El Camino College in Torrance, Pasadena City College and Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
SB-486 was created months after Shafter High School lost a championship game on a muddy field last season at Orland High School in Northern California.
Shafter high school’s head coach vocalized his thoughts about playing conditions after their defeat.
“It is a shame on the CIF that they allow a state championship game to be played on a field like this when you got Division 1 and 2 teams playing on turf,” said Coach Pierucci in December 2022. “You guys in the CIF should know better than this bull crap.”
