With the COVID-19 pandemic still ongoing, the IHSA has canceled all spring state tournaments.
The IHSA made the announcement following a video conference call between the IHSA’s board of directors on Tuesday. On Friday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that all Illinois high schools would not reopen for the remainder of the school year, instead completing the year remotely.
“We support the decision by Gov. Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education, and given the logistics, we simply felt we could not conduct state tournaments that meet the expectations of our member schools this spring,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a press release. “As disappointing as it may be for students, it is the right decision for their health and safety, as well as for the health and safety of the general public, as we cope with this unprecedented pandemic.”
The IHSA previously canceled the remainder of the boys basketball state tournament in March. Girls basketball and the other winter sports had completed, but boys basketball was halted with the Class 1A and 2A tournaments down to the final four teams and the Class 3A and 4A tournaments in sectionals.
There remains the possibility that schools could hold games for spring sports games in the summer. While the IHSA won’t hold state tournaments, it’s up to schools and conferences to determine whether to hold events later in the calendar.
“The possibility of playing a spring sport game this summer is about closure,” Anderson said. “If we are able to offer this opportunity, no student-athlete would be restricted by having already practiced or competed with a non-school team.”
Summer contact is suspended for now as well, although further guidelines will be put in place at a later date.