IHSA February Board of Directors Meeting Recap

[February 08, 2022] 

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting, which included both virtual and in-person attendance, on Monday, February 7, 2022, where the Board approved three action items and reviewed Term & Condition recommendations for a variety of fall sports.

ACTION ITEMS

1. The Board approved a recommendation from the IHSA esports Advisory Committee to adjust the early rounds of Rocket League be played in a best of three format to ease with the administration of state series tournaments. The committee recommended that when six teams remain in the sectional and state final tournaments, the remainder of the competition be played in a best of five format. Playing an entire tournament in a best of five format would have the potential to create a significantly long day, particularly given the number of entries expected in each sectional tournament.

2. The Board approved a recommendation from the IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee to update the IHSA’s COVID-19 Return to Play Procedures. The IHSA COVID-19 Return to Play Procedures are a best-practice document designed to help IHSA schools navigate returning to activities for their student athletes, however, schools’ are able to use their own local policies.

The updated IHSA Return to Play Procedures can be found here.

3. The Board approved a recommendation to approve the Board of Directors meeting dates for the 2022-23 school year on the following dates:

-Monday, August 22, 2022
-Monday, September 12, 2022
-Wednesday, October 12, 2022
-Wednesday, December 7, 2022
-Wednesday, January 11, 2023
-Monday, February 6, 2023
-Saturday, March 11, 2023
-Tuesday, April 11, 2023
-Monday, June 12, 2023

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Minutes from all Advisory Committees can be viewed by clicking here.

1. The Board approved the consent items, from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities and groups: Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Tennis, Volleyball, Football, Athletes with Disabilities.
 

Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff. Consent items can be viewed by clicking here.

Some consent items of note:

Boys Lacrosse
1. Sectional Quarterfinal games may begin on Wednesday of Week 46.

Girls Volleyball
1. Earliest Regional start time moved from 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

One non-consent item was approved:
Football
1. The Board approved 1-32 playoff seeding in the Class 1A through Class 6A playoffs. Class 7A and Class 8A were previously seeded 1-32.

APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS

1. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Arlington Heights (St. Viator). The student was ruled ineligible for non-compliance with IHSA By-law 3.040 and its sub-sections.

2. The Board sustained the Executive Director’s ruling on a student from Aurora (A. Christian). The student was not granted a fifth year of eligibility.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken, or that action may not be required. The following is a report of those items from the February 7, 2022, agenda:

1. The IHSA Board of Directors discussed the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) issued by the 7th Judicial Circuit Court on February 4, 2022. The Board discussed its applicability for IHSA State Series events and given the fluidity of the situation, is consulting its legal counsel, while also monitoring the appeal proceedings on the initial ruling. The IHSA will communicate how State Series events should be handled relative to this ruling in the next 24 to 48 hours. Regular-season contest mitigations shall continue to be determined by the host school.

2. The Board of Directors discussed the future of 8-man football and an IHSA playoff for the sport. The IHSA Football Advisory Committee recommended that the IHSA begin an 8-man football playoff and state championship in 2023. The Board is generally supportive of that idea, but did not officially act on it. The Board has requested more details from the advisory committee and IHSA staff on an IHSA 8-man football state series prior to any action, including playoff qualifier numbers, a playoff schedule, number of classes, and school enrollment limitations for participating in 8-man.

3. The IHSA will be represented at IDEAcon to promote the IHSA esports State Series.

4. The Executive Director has been appointed to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors for Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET).

[Matt Troha
Illinois High School Association
Assistant Executive Director]