The Illinois High School Association announced Wednesday that high school sports may resume practices immediately and games may start as early as next week. However, exactly when games will start in Chicago has yet to be determined. Games may not resume until Chicago moves into “Phase 4” of COVID restrictions.
Even in areas of the State already in Phase 4, basketball games may not start until teams complete seven days of practice. Under previously released Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines, practices could have started last week. Games will not start in Chicago until the State of Illinois moves Region 11 (Chicago) moves out of “tier 1” and into Phase 4. The move to Phase 4 depends upon a number of factors related to infection rate and hospitalization rate.
Games are limited to schools within the same state “region” established for COVID purposes. The City of Chicago is one such region. Suburban Cook County is another. The new IHSA plan allows for games between teams of the same region and teams within the same conference regardless of region.
While all CPS teams are obviously in the same region and can play one another, a CPS school would not be allowed to play a suburban team. In contrast, the Chicago Catholic League has city and suburban schools. Catholic League teams will be allowed to play each other but not public schools in another region. For instance, St. Ignatius (Chicago) could play Loyola Academy (Wilmette) but not Evanston.
The exact number of basketball games allowed by the IHSA is not limited, just the date by which the season must end, March 13. “The number of basketball games is a local decision,” IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson said in Wednesday’s press conference. Schools and conferences will be allowed to set the number of games played. Anderson said that the number of games will have to be weighed against other academic and health related considerations.
The Chicago Catholic League released its schedule of mens basketball games. The 15-game season will start on Monday, February 8th and then the following Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays until March 12th. Each team will be 7 games within their division and 8 “crossover” games against teams from the other division. The CCL has a rule that only home fans will be allowed to attend games.
Lane Tech Athletic Director and head men’s basketball coach Nick LoGalbo is not optimistic that games at Lane Tech will start anytime soon. “No matter the IHSA does, for us, everything is dependent on [CPS],” LoGalbo said. LoGalbo does not know what CPS will approve or when the approval will be forthcoming.
Nevertheless, CPS athletic directors are working on a schedule to play teams within each division in order to be ready. “We are looking at playing two to three games a week within each division,” LoGalbo said. “Plus some non-conference games.”
Current IDPH rules limit spectators at public indoor events to 50 people. The IHSA’s interpretation of the 50-person limit excludes players and school staff. It is unclear how schools will handle admitting spectators.
As for spectators at games, LoGalbo was not optimistic. “CPS may not allow spectators at all. Bank on nobody.” Lane is working on a plan to stream all games on the Internet.
Lane Tech womens basketball head coach Megan Molloy did not have much information about the plan going forward. “I have been meeting with my team over Google classroom and Google meets but that is about it,” Molloy said.
“Getting started again is going to be challenging. It is going to be hard. I am just going to tell my team that we are going to have to make the most of what we can do; we’ll have to take advantage of the time we have. That will be a good thing,” Molloy said.
The scheduling of back-to-back games varsity and sophomore games will be problematic. IDPH rules require the proper cleaning of the facility between such games. We may not see sophomore games immediately followed by varsity games.
Interestingly, health department rules require players must wear masks during games. Game rules will be modified slightly to provide one minute long socially distanced “mask breaks” when players can take off their masks and get a drink of water. There will be one such break during each quarter of the game.
High school football teams can begin practicing March 3rd. Games can begin March 19th and the season runs until April 24th. That leaves enough time for six games. There will be no state playoffs.
Athletes will be allowed to play multiple sports but the transition for playing basketball to football will require some extra football practice time for football players going right from basketball to football. Such players will need to participate in a couple practices in helmets and pads before being eligible to play in games.
The Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic League collaboration for football released its schedule. Each team will play 6 games, 3 against the other division teams and three crossovers. DePaul Prep will play Carmel Catholic, Marion Catholic and St. Joseph at home and Leo, Providence Catholic and Joliet Catholic on the road.
Traditional spring sports such as baseball, softball, lacrosse, girl soccer, etc., will begin practices on April 5th with the season ending on June 19th. Those sports will be afforded longer seasons because of the loss of last terms entire season.
The IHSA will not be mandating any COVID testing of athletes. “We have received no information from the Department of Public Health that would require [testing] of our students to be engaged in either practice of competition. While schools are obviously welcome to have testing if they have resources to do it,” Anderson said.
Lane Tech’s Sean Molloy (middle) rebounding in last season’s game against Oak Park-River Forest.