*IF* IHSA was to move to Spring
- Thread starter FBCoach8
- Start date
Southern states like New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Florida, etc. can get away with playing in the spring. Not sure how that would be possible in states like Illinois. Can't imagine practicing until mid March, if we start play by mid April you are looking at a 6 week season at best. My guess is they will shoot for a 7 game season in the fall, possibly a mid-late September start and playoffs would go into early December
Start in late Feb/Early March, 3 weeks of practice and the first game is at the end of that 3rd week. End the season in Mid-May and start playoffs. Adjust as needed.
Obviously some facilities will be better prepared than others. You may have to go indoors, you may have to practice at odd times in the gym with gym shoes instead of cleats, maybe even do tackling drills on wrestling mats, but it can be done.
I hope the parent of every baseball, track, lacrosse, girls' soccer player, boys' volleyball in the state is writing an email to the IHSA today demanding the spring and fall seasons are not swapped.
I think it works out better for baseball players, but may I ask why you hope that?
The answer all depends on if they are flipping fall and spring or if they are jamming three seasons into the spring semester.
if the former, they will just use the usual spring sports calendar where the practices begin the last week of February.
I believe the latter to be more likely, which would mean all three seasons would be abbreviated and you’d probably be looking at a few weeks to practice, a month of contests, and maybe a month of postseason. But they would have to minimize overlap of sports so you’d get no more than 4 weeks of regular season.
I want to see a football season this year very badly. Everyone on this board does. But the prevailing winds don't make that appear to be a sure thing, obviously. Maybe a 50/50 proposition for fall sports, at best?
With that being the case, it would be monumentally unfair to swap the spring and fall sports seasons. How can anyone justify thrusting the same kids that just lost their baseball, track, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer seasons into the path of the train again during the fall? Just so there can be a football season in the 2020-2021 school year.
It just.....wouldn't be fair. It would not be right.
Last edited:
Most of those kids are training right now if not playing already on Club teams. The weather in the fall is typically better than the weather in the Spring for baseball (later into the season may prove difficult, I admit). Those same baseball players that may play football wouldn't have to make a decision in the Spring (if football is shifted), however many baseball players will just go to their travel team and begin playing earlier than previous years. Football is the only sport that doesn't have a club season, so HS is really their only option.
So who cares if kids’ high school seasons get cancelled two years in a row, because club teams are available?
Yea that's the rub. It's very doubtful anything happens this fall. So we tell spring sports you are the fall, and then they get cancelled again. 2 seasons gone. Anderson at IHSA said they are aware of this possiblity and want to avoid it.
As a high school football fan, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that to kids
They are playing now and contact is the issue with football. I'd be fine with everything staying as is and just moving football if they have to. There is also the issue of a second wave hitting later this year and possibly wiping out the Spring again.
If this happens, I will need to rethink some things, we turned down the opportunity of 4 different prep schools the last year out of state, because my son still wants to play two sports and likes the school he is at. I was like fine if that's what you want then that is what we will do. 3 of then allow a PG year so if it comes to that at least I only pay one year instead of 2 or three and he has the chance for more game film. But he plays two contact sports so even if they flip it is not looking good so kind of kicking myself in the head
I am sure you would be fine, but football doesn't operate in a vacuum. You also can not do a straight sport swap if it is about contact as there already is volleyball and soccer being played in the spring.
The IHSA is not just gonna move football and tell the schools to figure everything else out. There is no multi million dollar tv contract and football is at best a slight money maker for some schools and a net loss for most places. Unless you are getting kids to pay 12k. Then it really matters to play.
I get that there’s a lot of obstacles and issues, I really do. I would love to see something put in motion and like others have said put some fears to rest and have some peace. I’m sure yesterday wasn’t the first time they considered needing this plan. Of course easier said than done and my frustration is showing.
It should have 100% chance. But it will have 0% if the decision is not up to parents, kids, and schools.
Based off all the baseball games and AAU basketball that I am see being played is that ice hockey probably stands the best chance for sports in HS this fall since it not sanctioned by IHSA, unless the schools say no.
And this is where the Chicago Park District, the state, and the Chicago Bears made a fatal error.
They could have spent enough money to build a stadium with a roof over it. Iowa plays the semis and finals in the Uni Dome.
But no. We have can’t let Soldier Field go.
Dumb. Just dumb.
They could have spent enough money to build a stadium with a roof over it. Iowa plays the semis and finals in the Uni Dome.
But no. We have can’t let Soldier Field go.
Dumb. Just dumb.
The old saying of follow the money comes into play here. It’s obviously true the schools don’t have a multi million dollar contract but what they do have is the IHSA kicking back millions of dollars in revenue to them each year. What is generally not known is that the IHSA derives the vast majority of its revenue from
tournament ticket sales. That’s why come playoff time, tix go up a $1 and then up $2 in subsequent rounds. The revenue for 2018 was just north of $5 million. Over $3 million was from the basketball and football playoffs. Since cancelling the basketball tournament In March and losing $2 million followed by Covid 19, they cannot afford under any circumstance to forego the football tournament. They can eliminate some regular season games, but not the playoffs. There will be football this year. If not in the fall, then for certain in the spring. Also, the Ivy’s are pondering spring ball and College of Dupage just announced the same.
https://www.ihsa.org/documents/forms/Financial Statements June 30, 2019 and 2018.pdf
It seems as though a spring season is certainly on the table as an option. One question is whether seniors opt out if they are a planning to play in college, D1 or otherwise. Tough to go from a spring football season, right into a college summer camp. On the other hand, tough to pass up a last fling with your buddies. Hopefully it will not come to this
Crossed my mind as well but they’ll do it....most are going to be redshirted anyway or receive limited playing time their freshman year. They’re young, they recover quick.
I wouldn’t kick your self in the head too hard, this is world wide, unless the prep school is in Montana every state is in the same boat right now about playing
I'm just not for spring football. I think they need to play this fall. Let's at least make a commitment to play the first 3 games in the fall, see how it goes and make adjustments from there if necessary.
Saw in the paper what New Jersey is doing and what the writer thought might be possible for Illinois. Not a fan of smaller playoffs but I would rather have 6 regular season games and miss the playoffs vs. no games in the fall or the chaos that will ensue by moving the sports to the spring.