The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) ruled on Thursday, March 6, 2025, that Kaneland High School in Maple Park allowed an ineligible student-athlete to participate in its last seven boys basketball contests of the season, including a Class 3A Sectional Semifinal win on March 5.
IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson issued a ruling that the school would forfeit those seven contests and would not be allowed to participate in its IHSA Class 3A Sectional Championship game on March 7. Additionally, the IHSA placed the school on probation and requested a corrective action plan.
The Kaneland administration appealed the ruling to the IHSA Board of Directors on the morning of March 7, where the Board amended the initial ruling. As a result of the Board’s ruling, the Kaneland boys basketball team will be allowed to play in its Sectional Championship on March 7 at Rochelle High School and can continue to advance in the State Series, sans the ineligible student-athlete.
“The Board believes that IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson followed proper protocol when issuing his initial ruling,” said Dan Tully, the Principal at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles and the President of the IHSA Board of Directors. “New information came to light during the appeal hearing that led the IHSA Board to allow the team to continue to participate in the State Series. The Board acknowledges that failures by the Kaneland administration in seeking an eligibility ruling exacerbated this situation. We have directed the IHSA staff to work with the school to improve their processes moving forward, while also reevaluating the IHSA’s internal processes to identify ways to streamline the eligibility ruling process for all member schools.”
The Board upheld the student-athlete’s ineligibility, the probationary status, and the requirement of Kaneland to submit a corrective action plan.
