The IHSA plans to meet with IDPH and Gov. JB Pritzker’s office prior to January to determine a timeline for 2021 sports, a press release from the IHSA said Monday.
Another IHSA board meeting will be held before the New Year to finalize plans.
The board, which met on Dec. 14, said contact days for out-of-season IHSA sports (2020-21 fall, spring, & summer sports) will be allowed as soon as the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Governor Pritzker’s office lift Tier 3 mitigations.
Contact days will be restricted to six hours per student-athlete per sport each week, and can include practices, drills, and intra-squad scrimmages allowable under IDPH guidance. Competition against any other high school, conducted in-state or out-of-state, is prohibited, though.
“The Board felt that it was important for the physical and mental health of our student-athletes to resume contacts days for all out-of-season sports as soon IDPH deems it safe,” IHSA Director Craig Anderson said. “Winter sports are not included, as we anticipate all low-risk winter sports will be able to begin their seasons at the same time. Basketball remains the outlier in the equation. We hope to be able to conduct basketball during the winter season, but if we cannot, basketball will be provided the same contact day opportunity as we determine where the basketball seasons fits best in the remainder of the school year.”
