The IHSA sent revised guidelines to schools Thursday due to reports of athletes testing positive for COVID-19, including prohibiting contact drills and any physical contact among athletes. The revisions will mean big changes and cancellations for programs that had either already started or had scheduled summer camps in the coming weeks.
The IHSA released a brief statement Thursday afternoon “Due to an increase in positive cases of COVID-19 among high school teams around the state, the Illinois High School Association and Illinois Department of Public Health are jointly collaborating to modify the IHSA’s Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines. The modifications place greater restrictions on coaches and student-athletes in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Important changes include limiting physical contact and an increased usage of masks. The former restricts schools from conducting contests against other schools in most sports, including 7-on-7 in football.”
“The IHSA is working with IDPH to update the guidelines, and will send to its membership, the media, and post on the web as soon as they are approved.”
The Big Ten Conference is planning to eliminate all non-conference games for fall sports due to COVID-19. This plan includes football. The conference is also keeping summer athletic activities voluntary in all sports. Big Ten student-athletes who choose not to participate in intercollegiate athletics at any time during the summer or the 2020-21 academic year due to concerns about the virus will continue to have their scholarship honored and will remain in good standing with their team.
Multiple-outlets report the Pac-12 and ACC could follow suit and play games only within the conference across different sports. The Ivy League has already announced it won’t be having fall athletics this year.
The Cubs and White Sox 2021 schedule is set two weeks ahead of the start of the long-delayed 2020 season. The Cubs will open the season against the Pirates on April 1st at Wrigley Field. Their Interleague slate will feature opponents from the American League Central, with crosstown games against the Sox August 6th through 8th at Wrigley and August 27th and 29th at Guaranteed Rate Field. The South Siders open the season at the Angels on April 1st, with their home opener April 8th against Kansas City. Interleague play for the Sox will be against the National League Central.
The White Sox are coming to Schaumburg. The club chose Boomers Stadium in the northwest suburb to host their remaining player pool players in 2020. The site will serve as a training facility for players not on the Sox active roster but who are eligible to be recalled or have their contract purchased by the team. Schaumburg facility will host workouts, practices and intrasquad games beginning next week. Coaches, trainers and support staff from the Sox player development department will oversee the squad there.
Brent Seabrook is back on the ice with the Blackhawks following several surgeries earlier this season. The Chicago defenseman went under the knife to fix his right shoulder and his right and left hips. He took the ice for voluntary practice yesterday in an effort to return when NHL play resumes on August 1st. With the four-month pause in play due to COVID-19, it opened the door for Seabrook to rejoin the team in time for the Qualifying Round matchup against the Oilers.
Major League Soccer is making changes to its MLS is Back tournament involving the Chicago Fire FC. MLS has updated the format and schedule for the tournament after Nashville withdrew from the competition. The decision comes after five Nashville players tested positive for COVID-19 since arriving in Orlando, Florida, the site of the tournament. The Fire will now join Group B alongside the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps. Chicago was previously scheduled to compete in Group A.
Tiger Woods says he will play in the 2020 Memorial Tournament next week at Muirfield Village in Dublin. Woods posted on Twitter that he would play in the Memorial, marking his return to competitive golf for the first time since February. Woods plays very well on the Jack Nicklaus designed course and has won the tournament five times with his most recent victory coming in 2012. Nicklaus founded the Memorial Tournament in 1976, which this year will honor 18-time tour and two-time Majors winner Nick Price of South Africa.
NASCAR’s Cup Series heads for Kentucky on Sunday. The Quaker State 400 presented by Walmart will take place with Kyle Busch on the pole. Kevin Harvick rolls into Kentucky riding high after a win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Harvick will start third. Jimmie Johnson will be back behind the wheel of the 48 car after missing last week’s race as a result of testing positive for the coronavirus. NASCAR has several scheduled events in August at Daytona.
Post games will have a different look in the NFL this season. According to the NFL Network, players are prohibited from being within six feet of each other after games this season as a result of Covid-19. Jersey exchanges are also off the table after games.