The IHSA approved a revised schedule for winter and spring sports, which is posted below.

A few main points from this evening’s press conference and earlier press release:

• There won’t be any state championship series for football, basketball, volleyball or boys soccer.

• Crowds, who must wear masks and remains socially distant, will be limited to 50.

• IHSA wants to hold state championships in other sports, but perhaps not if it appears likely spectators would be restricted. But IHSA executive director Craig Anderson says they will continue to monitor health risks and state guidelines as the seasons get closer.

“The Board wants to do everything in their power to prevent spring sports from going two consecutive years with no postseason IHSA play,” Anderson said. “There are obviously no guarantees, as risk levels by sport and local region mitigation statuses will factor significantly. Postseason could mean being limited to a Regional or Sectional level of competition, but we have not ruled out the idea of playing a full state tournament in these traditional spring sports if possible. The overwhelming feedback we have heard from athletic directors and coaches was that returning to play in all sports should be the main goal.”

• Athletes, coaches and team personnel must wear masks for all games and adhere to social distancing.

• The IHSA board ruled that students who play in sports in non-traditional seasons, such as football, boys soccer, girls volleyball, can simultaneously participate on high school and non-school teams.

• The board also ruled that basketball players will need to cease non-school team participation within seven days of their first high school game.

• Players won’t be required to be tested for COVID. “Schools are obviously welcome (to do so) if they have the resources to do it,” Anderson said. “We wouldn’t discourage it.”

• Players can participate in basketball and football at the same time.

• If teams are hit hard by COVID, athletic directors can reschedule with impacted opponents and not cancel these games. “Our schools are going to have to be flexible,” Anderson said.

• All sports must hold practice on seven different days prior to playing a game. Winter sports can begin practices as of today, IHSA said, depending on when the school’s region reached the appropriate mitigation status.

SportIDPH RiskPractices StartPractice Dates
Before Games		State SeriesEnd Date
Boys/Girls BasketballHigherASAP7 datesNo State SeriesMarch 13
Boys Swimming & DivingLowerASAP7 datesNo State SeriesMarch 13
DanceLowerASAP7 datesVirtual (2/27 & 3/6)March 13
CheerleadingLowerASAP7 datesVirtual (3/6 & 3/12)March 13
Boys/Girls BowlingLowerASAP7 datesNo State SeriesMarch 13
Girls GymnasticsLowerASAP7 datesNo State SeriesMarch 13
BadmintonLowerASAP7 datesTBDApril 3
Boys SoccerModerateMarch 17 datesNo State SeriesApril 17
FootballHigherMarch 31st Game March 19No State SeriesApril 24
Girls VolleyballModerateMarch 87 datesNo State SeriesApril 24
Boys GymnasticsLowerMarch 157 datesTBDMay 22
Boys/Girls Water PoloModerateMarch 157 datesTBDMay 29
BaseballLowerApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
Boys/Girls LacrosseHigherApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
Girls SoccerModerateApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
SoftballLowerApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
Boys TennisLowerApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
Boys/Girls Track & FieldLowerApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
Boys VolleyballModerateApril 57 datesTBDJune 19
WrestlingHigherApril 197 datesNo State SeriesJune 12