IHSA Defies Pritzker, Basketball Set To Start On Time

BLOOMINGTON, IL — Just one day after Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the upcoming high school basketball season would be put on hold due to rising coronavirus cases in the state, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors voted Wednesday to proceed with the season as originally scheduled. Pritzker, with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health, moved basketball from the "medium risk" category to "higher risk" in its winter safety guidelines for recreational sports, essentially pausing the start of play next month.

"The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors made the decision today to continue with the IHSA basketball season as scheduled in 2020-21," the IHSA Board said in a statement. "In August, the Board slated basketball to take place from November to February based on the Illinois Department of Public Health assigning a medium risk level to the sport. The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee offered additional mitigations, such as masks during play and social distancing on benches, that the SMAC believed would allow basketball to be played safely."

The IHSA said it will adhere to SMAC mitigations regarding basketball, which contradict the guidelines set by Pritzker on Tuesday. High school basketball practices are set to begin Nov. 16, with games starting on Nov. 30.

"What I would say is that we’re listening to is the guidance from national orgs, physicians that treat kids, the experts in sports medicine," Pritzker said Wednesday in response to the IHSA's decision. "What I would suggest is that if there's a difference of opinion, I prefer to err on the side of health and safety. And I think that’s where we have intended for all of our guidance to fall."

The Board also voted to move the sport of wrestling from the winter season to the summer, which will run from April 19 to June 26, 2021.

Winter Sports Put On Hold, Not Canceled, Amid Pandemic: Pritzker

During a Wednesday press conference with media, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson was pressed about any possible litigation that may arise from defying mitigation standards set by the state.

"It's a big deal to say to government officials and health departments that we are going to go a different direction from how you are advising," said Anderson, who had met with statewide athletic directors earlier in the day. "I have no idea how that is going to play out for us."

Acknowledging things vary by school, the IHSA said it expects decisions will be made by school districts in the state on a case to case basis with some who remain in remote learning possibly not able to start the winter sports season on time.

Carmen I. Ayala, state superintendent of education for the Illinois State Board of Education, was alarmed by the IHSA's decision to not follow public health guidance.

"Defying the state's public health guidance opens schools up to liability and other ramifications that may negatively impact school communities," Ayala said in a letter released Wednesday night.

As a part of the mitigation plan with regard to basketball, the IHSA said masks will be worn by all players, coaches, and officials during play. Boys and girls basketball teams will follow team limitations allowing a maximum of 31 games. It will become a local school decision to determine if a school will allow their basketball teams to participate following the guidelines developed by the SMAC.

"We can't ignore what is happening around us — because without action, this could look worse than anything we saw in the spring," Pritzker said Tuesday. "It's with that in mind that today, my administration is releasing our updated guidance for youth and adult recreational sports in Illinois ahead of the winter season. As with sports in the fall, nothing is 'cancelled,' just put on hold until we're through the thick of this pandemic. "

The Board approved the IHSA's winter sport guidance for all low risk sports, which includes boys swimming and diving, cheerleading, dance, boys and girls bowling and girls gymnastics. These sports will be conducted from Nov. 16, 2020 to Feb. 13, 2021. The mitigating guidance for each sport will be posted on the IHSA's COVID-19 Resource page on Oct. 29. The IHSA Board will review spectator and group gatherings for all winter sports at a future meeting in November.

It remains to be seen what happens between now and the first date of games at the end of November. For now, the IHSA Board is confident it made the right decision.

"The Board remains considerate of rising COVID-19 cases in Illinois and understand the importance of adhering to safety guidelines for the good of all citizens," the statement from the IHSA said. "However, the Board has not been presented any causal evidence that rising COVID-19 cases make basketball more dangerous to play by the IDPH or any other health organization nationally or internationally. On the contrary, the IHSA has been looking to bordering states who have sponsored both medium risk and high risk sports in the fall that have noted a low incident rate of COVID-19 spread."

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