D308 Delays Basketball Season Amid Coronavirus Surge

OSWEGO – The Oswego School District 308 has decided to not allow students to participate in basketball, although the Illinois High School Association last week said schools could do so starting Nov. 16. Oswego East's athletic department made the announcement on Twitter Friday.

The Illinois Department of Public Health placed interscholastic high school basketball in the "high risk" category for participation. The IHSA said practices may begin on Nov. 16, however Gov. J.B. Pritzker immediately countered that school districts could face significant legal liability if they allowed high school basketball to be played this winter.

"OHS, along with the other districts in the Southwest Prairie Conference, will abide by the state recommendations regarding basketball competition," Oswego Athletic Director Darren Howard said in a letter to basketball parents and players, the Kendall County Record reported. "As a conference, basketball practice will begin two weeks prior to any scheduled contests, whether before a delayed winter start or a start date later in the school year."

Practices were scheduled to start Nov. 16, with contests beginning on Nov. 30.

In a recent survey IHSA sent out to member schools, the majority of the responses indicated that the administrators were either not planning on playing basketball on Nov. 16, or were unsure about it.

The IHSA will meet again on Nov. 19, and has said that it has invited Pritzker and the IDPH to participate in the meeting.