IHSA releases 2020-21 athletic dates: move football, volleyball and boys soccer to spring

The IHSA has announced the boys/girls golf, girls tennis, boys/girls cross country and girls swimming and diving can continue for the fall 2020 season while football, volleyball and boys soccer have been moved to the spring. 

“This plan, like nearly every aspect of our current lives, remains fluid,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “Changes may come, and if they do, we will be agile while putting safety and students first. It was important that we provide a framework today for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and officials to begin preparing for the 2020-21 school year.”

Fall sports may begin to practice on Aug. 10 as previously scheduled. 

Per Governor Pritzker’s announcement on Wednesday, fall sports will begin with competition limited to conference opponents and other schools in the same general geographical area.

The fall season will end on Oct. 24.

Winter sports, boys/girls basketball, wrestling, boys swimming and diving, cheerleading, dance, boys/girls bowling and girls gymnastics will have a season that runs Nov. 16 through Feb. 13.

Spring season, Feb. 15 through May 1, will included football, boys soccer, girls’ volleyball, girls badminton, boys gymnastics and boys/girls water polo. 

Sports that traditionally run in the spring months will begin on May 3. Those include baseball, softball, boys/girls track and field, girls soccer, boys volleyball, boys/girls lacrosse and boys tennis. The summer season will end on June 26. 

“I applaud our Board of Directors for choosing a model that allows every student-athlete the opportunity for a modified season,” said Anderson. 

“The Board believes this plan offers the most realistic chance for student-athletes to participate in interscholastic sports while balancing the challenges of a new academic setting and IDPH Guidelines,” said Erie High School Principal and IHSA Board President Tim McConnell. “We are an education-based athletic association, and school has to come first. By delaying the majority of the team sports in the fall, it will allow our schools and students the chance to acclimate to what will be, for many, a totally new educational experience. We will do our best to try to give every student-athlete the opportunity for a season this school year.”

State Series tournament decisions will be made on a sport-by-sport basis as each season progresses, but providing postseason opportunities remains a priority of the Board. This could potentially include culminating State Series Tournaments after Regional or Sectional rounds, or seeking other non-traditional means to conduct events.

“I understand that today’s announcement will be met with mixed emotions,” said Anderson. “Our staff and Board have heard from thousands of people over the past few weeks with ideas, opinions, and proposals on how we should proceed. We respect and understand their passion, because we share in it. It is a great reminder that if we want high school sports to return to normal, we all need to do our part to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”

The Board also extended the current Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines, which will allow sports slated to be played in the winter, spring and summer seasons to allow an additional 20 days of contact for schools between September 7 and October 31 following IDPH Phase 4 Guidelines.

The Board also verified that IHSA by-laws do not prevent schools who are conducting remote learning from participating in IHSA sports and activities.  Participation will remain a local school and district decision, regardless of the learning plan a high school is utilizing.

The Board discussed IHSA activities for the 2020-21 school year but did not take any action. The IHSA’s activity offerings include Bass Fishing, Chess, Debate, Drama & Group Interpretation, Individual Events, Journalism, Music & Scholastic Bowl.

“We believe we can still offer many of our activities via virtual contests,” said Anderson. “The Board has asked our staff to investigate those possibilities, and we will report back soon on if and how each can be held.”