ILLINOIS, USA — Sports seasons will look a lot different for Illinois high schools this upcoming year. On Wednesday, the Illinois State High School Association announced some seasons would be moved in reaction to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Football, boys soccer and girls volleyball will move from the fall to the spring.
Boys and girls golf, girls tennis boys and girls cross country, and girls swimming and diving are slated to still take place in the fall.
Boys and girls basketball, wrestling, cheerleading, dance, boys and girls bowling and girls gymnastics are slated to take place in the winter.
According to the schedule put out by the IHSA, the sports deemed a "higher" risk were moved back in the calendar.
“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.”
Here is how the calendar shapes up when it comes to seasons:
Fall: August 10 to October 24
Winter: November 16 to February 13
Spring: February 15 to May 1
Summer: May 3 to June 26
You can read the full release from the IHSA by clicking here.
Earlier on Wednesday, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced new restrictions for recreational sports. You can find those guidelines here.
On Wednesday, Illinois reported 1,393 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 18 additional deaths. The state is reporting a total of 175,124 cases and 7,462 deaths across 102 counties.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released.
