With the Minnesota State High School League giving the go-ahead for practices for winter sports to start on January 4th and games and competitions on January 14th, the schedules for Austin High School winter sports teams have taken shape.

Thursday, January 14th will be busy for Austin High School sports with boys and girls basketball, boys and girls hockey and boys swimming and diving all getting started that evening.  Boys basketball will open at home against Rochester Mayo, with the varsity tip-off at 7:30 p.m.  The Packers will play Big 9 Conference teams exclusivley, and their 18-game regular season will feature three of their first four games at home versus Mayo on the 14th, Red Wing on Saturday, January 16th and Mankato West on Saturday, January 23rd.  Austin will hit the road for the first time at Faribault on Tuesday, January 19th.

Girls basketball will open the 2020-2021 season on the road on Janaury 14th at Rochester Mayo, and the Packers will also play an exclusive Big 9 Conference schedule with three of their first four games on the road versus Mayo, then at Red Wing on Saturday, January 16th, their home opener versus Faribault on Tuesday, January 19th before hitting the road again to Mankato on Saturday, January 23rd for a game against the West Scarlets.

The Austin Packers boys hockey team will play five of their first six games at Riverside Arena, with their opener on Thursday, January 14th against Owatonna at 7:15 p.m.  The Packers will stay at Riverside for a Saturday, January 16th matinee versus Rochester Mayo at 2:00 p.m., and their first road game will follow on Thursday, January 21st at Mankato West.  Austin will then return home for games against Red Wing on Saturday, January 23rd, Faribault on Thursday, January 28th and Winona on Saturday, January 30th.

Austin Packers girls hockey team will open the 2020-2021 regular season with three of their first four games on the road, starting with Owatonna on Thursday, January 14th at 7:00 p.m. at the Steele County Four Seasons Centre.  The Packers will travel to the Graham Arena Complex in Rochester on Saturday, January 16th for a game versus Rochester Mayo at 7:15 p.m. before coming back to Riverside Arena for their home opener on Thursday, January 21st against Mankato West.   Austin will then return to the road for a matchup with Red Wing on Saturday, January 23rd.

The Austin Packers boys swimming and diving team will open on January 14th with a virtual meet versus Winona at Bud Higgins Pool at 6:00 p.m., and they will also be the home team in a meet against Mankato East on Tuesday, January 19th.  The Packers will also be the home team in a virtual meet versus Faribault on Thursday, January 21st before they will be the visiting team in a virtual meet versus Rochester John Marshall on Tuesday, January 26th.

The Austin Packers wrestling squad will open the 2020-2021 campaign in Rochester on Friday, January 15th in a triagular in Rochester versus the Century Panthers at 5:30 p.m., and then against the Mayo Spartans at 7:30 p.m.  The Packers will be back on the road on Thursday, January 21st for a triagular at Faribault before hosting a triagular on Friday, January 22nd.

The Austin Packers dance team will open their 2020-2021 regular season at home on Saturday, January 16th with a triangular set to start at 11:00 a.m. that morning, and the Packers gymnastics team will start action  on Friday, January 22nd at Faribault at 6:30 p.m.  Austin will then be off until Tuesday, February 2nd when they will open the home portion of their schedule at the YMCA versus Winona at 6:30 p.m. that evening.