The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors met in special session Wednesday and has defied Governor J.B. Pritzger by voting to carry on with the winter boys and girls basketball seasons as scheduled. The move comes one day after the Illinois Department of Public Health had moved basketball from a medium risk sport to high risk, prohibiting games. However in a statement, the IHSA said it chose to follow it’s own Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommendations and allow practices to begin on Monday November 16th. Games can begin on Monday November 30th within a COVID-19 region or within a school’s conference. As part of the IHSA mitigation plan, masks will be worn by all players, coaches and officials during play and additional media timeouts will occur in the middle of each quarter. The IHSA will adhere to the current cap of 50 people at an indoor event. That includes players, coaches, officials, trainers, operations people and administrators. That restriction virtually rules out spectators. The IHSA added that it will be the decision of each school district as to whether their basketball programs will participate. Also at the session, the board voted to move wrestling to the summer starting in April and approved the guidance for lower risk sports such as cheerleading and dance to begin on November 16th.