Kerr Report Q&A: What We Learned From Wednesday Illinois High School Association Meeting
Sports still on pause as IHSA awaits public health approval, end of month hard deadline
When the calendar flipped to January, there was hope for clarity with the sports calendar in 2020-21.
As the days dwindle to squeeze in all the sidelined Illinois youth sports, time is of the essence.
Wednesday, the Illinois High School Association’s Board of Education met to discuss the resumption of sports.
What did we learn? Questions answered:
WILL THERE BE SPORTS FOR THE REMAINING MONTHS OF 2020-21?
Yes. The good news is nothing was cancelled. Several sports were approved—Boys & Girls Bowling, Cheerleading, Dance, Girls Gymnastics and Boys Swimming & Diving—once Governor Pritzker gives the go ahead for regional mitigation reduction. Contact days for other sports are also expected to be allowable pending public health approval.
WHAT ABOUT FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL?
We still don’t know. Hoops has been on pause since Nov. 20, although it never really started. The 2020 football season got moved to spring 2021, which based on the current IHSA calendar, is set to start Feb. 15. Wednesday’s meeting provided no clarity to when either of these two sports will resume, except to say the board plans ‘bring forward viable scheduling options for a special Board meeting Jan. 27.’ Great. Just what everyone wants. Instead of decisions, more news about more meetings.
DOES TODAY’S STATEMENT MAKE IT MORE/LESS LIKELY THERE WILL BE FOOTBALL AND/OR BASKETBALL?
The longer the IHSA goes without outright cancelling seasons, I think the more likely there will be seasons in some form. The virus remains the biggest hindrance, or at least how Gov. Pritzker and his public health officials measure its impact. Pritzker’s justification for locking down sports is the rise in cases/hospitalization rates. Those are trending down, according to the IDPH, much better than during the pre-Thanksgiving peak. Another previous obstacle: remote learning. But more school districts are opening up doors this month to in-person learning. So the reasons previously cited are no longer valid.
CAN FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL STILL PLAY FULL SCHEDULES?
Doubtful, even if both get the go ahead to play. Most football teams in the area that belong to conferences have put tentative schedules together. One prominent Catholic League team published it on Twitter:
If a seven-game conference-only schedule beginning in March 2021 (similar to what most Power 5 colleges did in 2020) is the scenario, the question is this: how do you fit in a postseason? A traditional five-week postseason would take until mid-April. That leads into the ‘summer’ season, scheduled to begin April 23. So that could work considering only the two teams that meet in the championship game would play that long.
What about the potential overlap with football and basketball?
The only way to solve that problem is to move basketball to the ‘summer’ season (April-June). While a traditional 30-game plus season is unlikely, teams could play an almost full conference schedule and selective regional and rivalry games. A state series beginning in early-to-mid June would give enough time for a true (regionals/sectionals/supers/state tournament) postseason.
The most sizable impediment? It remains Pritzker and public health officials. Until he removes the ‘high-risk’ label for football and basketball, there is no high school competition.
I didn’t say ‘all’ competition.
THE IHSA DID MEET EARLIER IN JANUARY WITH THE IDPH AND MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE. DID THAT HAVE ANY IMPACT?
Yes, on Jan. 7, officials from the IHSA did have a virtual meeting with representatives of the Governor’s office and the IDPH. Deputy Governor Jesse Ruiz and Dr. Ezike were in attendance. This was newsworthy because previously there had been no dialogue. Attempts at meetings were rebuffed by the Governor’s office. One important talking point at that meeting from one source I’ve talked to is the unintended consequence of not approving sports—the fleeing of athletes to travel teams. This is already going on all over Illinois as other states have much less restrictive policies on sports. Although Illinois’ expected reduction of mitigations in some regions on Jan. 15 will allow for more group participation, it will further encourage kids and families to stick with their travel teams and forget about high school. That’s why Craig Anderson, IHSA Executive Director, said this in Wednesday’s statement:
We believe that school-based athletic participation is better regulated, making it the safest participation option for our students, and more data continues to emerge supporting that stance.
The IHSA is concerned that the longer it takes for school-sponsored sports is be approved, more kids will opt-out of high school. And they are correct about the data. There remains no evidence of the virus spreading between athletes while participating in sports. The IHSA maintains athletes are likely to be safer in a ‘bubble’-like environment when just going to school and playing sports for high school team. If Pritzker and IDPH continue to be concerned about young people’s ‘health and safety’, how can they think traveling out of state for tournaments is better for the people of Illinois? It’s a sound argument for the IHSA and its board to make with public health officials.
SO WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN JAN. 27?
The day on the calendar tells the story. All ‘spring’ season sports are scheduled to start Feb. 15. Yes, coaches and athletic directors have had plenty of time to put together practice plans/schedules. But they need ramp up time. It’s cold in February. Indoor gym space is limited. Outdoor fields (for football and boys soccer, the only outdoor ‘spring’ sports) could be snowed over and unplayable. There are logistics to manage and work out.
So on Jan. 27, the IHSA needs to make a decision. Either move forward with spring sports, postpone it to ‘summer’ or cancel them all together. Basketball should be moved to the ‘summer’ and all other sports systems all clear. If Pritzker/public health officials have not given an approval to ‘medium risk’ for football or hoops, allowing for games to be played, that is out of their hands. But one thing must be certain on Jan. 27.
No more statements about meetings that have no resolution. Make a decision.
Time is running out. The athletes of this state deserve an answer.