Pritzker: Sports Can Return
Gov. Pritzker and public health officials in Illinois finally move towards #ReturnToPlay
(Photo Credit: AP News)
Friday, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Heath did the opposite of what’s been done since July of 2020.
Rather than close, they opened the door for sports to return in Illinois, specifically football and basketball.
In a stunning turn of events, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health and Pritzker’s most vocal public health servant, said at a Friday press conference that all regions in Illinois that hit Phase 4 of Covid mitigations can play sports.
“All sports will be allowed to play at interconference region or league levels” in Phase 4, according to Dr. Ezike.
Football is scheduled to begin February 15, labeled a ‘spring’ sport by the IHSA.
On basketball, Dr. Ezike said “if your region is in Phase 4, you can play basketball—have a game or practice.”
Her comments came after a Friday morning meeting between the IDPH and the Illinois High School Association.
All regions in Illinois are at least in Tier 2 as of Friday, with suburban Cook County and Chicago expected to reach Tier 1 by the weekend. Phase 4 is the next roll back after Tier 1.
Basketball has no start date, but as with football, the comment from Dr. Ezike opens the door for the return of football and basketball, and for games to be played.
The IDPH updated its website Friday afternoon and adjusted Levels of Play for high-risk sports in Phase 4 to allow for 'intra-conference' games.
Football and basketball are classified as high-risk sports by the IDPH.
There are still many questions to be answered, such as scheduling and logistics. Football, for example, has never played a season in the winter and spring months. Basketball remains listed as a ‘winter’ sport, a season that was supposed to begin last November. A January 27th meeting by the IHSA board of directors is expected to set the schedule for the remainder of the school year.
Many of Chicagoland’s most populous regions, including Lake, DuPage and Kane Counties, are in still in Tier 2. For high-risk sports like football and basketball, no practices or games are allowed. In order for live contact and scrimmages to take place, regions must first reach Tier 1, then Phase 4 for competition.
Regardless of any existing uncertainly, the news that games are closer to a reality was met with relief and exuberance by Chicagoland football and basketball coaches.
“More areas are trending towards Phase 4 or in Phase 4/Tier 1. Our kids are thrilled and we are going to work our butts off in our community to do what we’ve been doing,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron, Jr. said. “Things are trending in an unbelievable direction. I’d be shocked if football season doesn’t start Feb. 15 and games aren’t hit when regions hit the marks.”
Over the past week, a heightened social media campaign was led by athletes advocating for the return of sports. In the past few days, multiple state representatives publicly spoke out in favor of return to play, asking Gov. Pritzker to reverse restrictions on youth sports.
While its impossible to know how much of the messaging led to today’s announcement by the IDPH, there is enough anecdotal evidence to safely conclude the cumulative nature of the campaign was a factor in some form.
“I believe it had some impact,” Carmel Catholic girls basketball coach Ben Berg said. “It’s one thing for coaches and other leaders to speak up but for kids to speak up and put a face with a name and a story that’s a whole different thing.”