The Illinois High School Association announced its start dates for sports for the remainder of the school year on Wednesday afternoon.
Boys’ and girls’ basketball, bowling, boys’ swimming, dance and cheerleading squads can begin their practices as soon as possible, with a requirement of seven practice dates before games can begin. The final date of the basketball season and other winter sports is March 13th.
The much-anticipated start of football and volleyball will be in March. Football teams will be allowed to play their first games on March 19th, with volleyball teams also being allowed to start around that time. The final day for the second wave of sports seasons is April 22nd.
Finally, traditional spring sports teams such as baseball, softball and track and field events will be allowed to start their practices on April 5th, with their first games beginning seven days later. Spring sports seasons will be extended, with the final season date being June 19th. However, that date does include a state tournament, although a specific schedule will be announced at a later date. There will not be a state tournament for the higher-risk fall and winter sports, but cheerleading and dance teams will compete in a virtual state series.
Illinois is one of a few states in the country that have delayed their high school sports seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lower-risk fall sports were allowed, but all sports have been paused since November.
