IDPH increases outdoor capacity for IHSA sports - WSIL TV

(WSIL/IHSA MEDIA RELATIONS) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is increasing the outdoor fan capacity at sporting events.

The Illinois High School Assoc. (IHSA) posted on Facebook Monday that the IDPH is allowing 20% capacity for outdoor sports, up from 50 people total.

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This only applies to schools in regions in Phase 4, which includes Region 5.

This does not change capacity for indoor sports at this time.

The IHSA Board of Directors met for its regularly scheduled meeting and in addition to discussing the increase of the fans, another topic of conversation was a state tournament for the spring. The Board approved a recommendation to approve dates and parameters for an IHSA State Series in traditional spring sports that include Badminton, Baseball, Softball, Bass Fishing, Boy Gymnastics, Boys Tennis, Boys Volleyball, Girls Soccer, Journalism, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Track & Field, and Boys & Girls Water Polo. All tournaments are currently expected to conduct all rounds of competition, including a State Final. Boys Volleyball and Boys & Girls Lacrosse cannot conduct State Finals under current IDPH mitigations, however, the Board approved plans to host State Finals in both sports in hopes that mitigation changes will allow for it by that time. State Final qualifiers in some individual sports may be modified to better meet gathering mitigations. The State Series guidelines will be posted online and shared with coaches and school personnel later this week.

The Board approved a recommendation to approve guidance for IHSA sports that include Baseball, Boys Gymnastics, Boys Tennis, Football, Boys & Girls Lacrosse, Boys & Girls Soccer, Softball, Boys & Girls Track & Field, Boys & Girls Volleyball, and Boys & Girls Water Polo. The sport-by-sport mitigation guidelines follow all IDPH All-Sports Policy Guidelines and will be posted online and shared with coaches and school personnel later this week.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson:
“We are eager to inform our coaches of the mitigation guidance so they can better prepare for their upcoming seasons and we plan to get detailed information out to them soon. However, this decision came with some trepidation from the IHSA Board of Directors. There are several instances where the current IDPH mitigations give us pause. The Board wants to move forward for the overall good of IHSA student-athletes, however, they ask that we remain diligent in our staff efforts to have IDPH reconsider certain mitigation guidelines. The IHSA has been a national leader in risk mitigation throughout our 100-plus year history and have adapted our scope to include safety against COVID-19. It is imperative that the expertise from our Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and staff must be heeded.”