IHSA Board of Directors Updates Sanctioning Policy

BLOOMINGTON – The IHSA Board of Directors met for their regularly scheduled meeting at the IHSA office in Bloomington on Monday, February 12, 2018, where the Board announced a significant change to the IHSA Sanctioning Policy (Policy 8).

The Board added new language to Policy 8 that prohibits IHSA schools from hosting events/tournaments that include junior high teams, as well as non-high school teams (i.e, a high school team that is not a member of its state high school association). Per the Policy 8 change, the IHSA will no longer approve sanctioning for its member schools to host events which feature non-high school teams.

The new Policy 8 language reads: “In order for an event to receive sanctioning in Illinois all invited and participating schools in the event must be member schools of their high school state association or approved for competition by their respective high school state association. If any listed school does not receive approval the event will be denied by the IHSA. Any non-high school team cannot be involved in any respect with a sanctioned event.”

“We believe this policy update makes a strong statement about the importance of education-based athletics at the high school level,” said Anderson. “The growing integration of junior high games within high school events has the potential to create, or at very least create the perception of, issues with the IHSA’s recruitment by-laws. We believe it is in the best interest of both groups to maintain separate events.”

Previously, an IHSA school could host a sanctioned tournament or event with a non-high school team (junior high or high schools that are not members of their state high school associations) as long as the competing IHSA schools did not play against those teams.

“To not have this policy seems counterintuitive,” said Anderson. “High school sports are built on community and we believe our schools should compete against, and alongside, like-minded teams. We want the events our schools host to be built on those merits, not on barnstorming all-star teams comprised from players throughout a state or from around the country.”

ACTION ITEMS

1. The Board voted to approve Huddle/GoFan as the official digital ticketing partner of IHSA State Series and State Championship events.

2. The Board approved a recommendation to set its meetings dates for the 2018-19 school year:
August 20, 2018
September 10, 2018
October 10, 2018
December 10, 2018
January 9, 2019
February 11, 2019
March 16, 2019
April 16, 2019
June 10, 2019

ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

1. The Board approved the consent items from the Advisory Committees in the following sports & activities: Boys/Girls Cross Country, Football, Boys/Girls Golf, Boys/Girls Tennis, Boys/Girls Volleyball, Sportsmanship.

Consent items are recommendations that received approval from the sport/activity advisory committee, the Athletic Administrators Advisory Committee and the IHSA staff.

Non-consent items are recommendations from sport or activity committees that did not receive a majority vote from the Athletic Advisory Committee or IHSA staff.

No Non-consent item was/were approved.

Some consent items of note include:
Cross Country
1. State Series roster size increased from 12 to 14 runners.

Boys Volleyball
1. Friday State Final schedule match times adjusted to Match 1: 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM.

APPEALS & ELIGIBILITY RULINGS
No appeals

DISCUSSION ITEMS

At each meeting of the Board of Directors, there are certain items the Board discusses, but upon which no action is taken. The following is a report of those items from the February 12, 2018, agenda:
1. The Board discussed the Legislative Commission voting from the 2017 meetings.

2. The Board discussed Head Strong Concussion Insurance. The IHSA will work to present the concussion insurance program options to member schools.

3. The Executive Director informed the Board that two schools have been suspended from membership for failure to attend an IHSA Town Hall meeting this year or any of the subsequent make-up meetings. Chicago (ACE Tech Charter) and Chicago (Young Women’s Leadership) have been suspended until January 18, 2019.

4. IHSA staff members will participate in the Polar Plunge to benefit Special Olympics on February 24.