There won’t be any IHSA state tournaments this fall, but athletes in golf, cross-country, girls’ tennis and girls’ swimming and diving won’t be completely left out in the cold as it pertains to playoff action.

The IHSA Board of Directors during its Monday meeting approved “a single round of regional geographic competition” for kids in the aforementioned sports, described as such in an IHSA press release.

This is slated to take place during the week of Oct. 19-25, the final week of the revised fall season.

The IHSA’s press release indicates officials expect “a majority of the events … to be held on Saturday, October 24.”

No state series were guaranteed when the board altered its 2020-21 calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest board decision falls between outright canceling playoff matchups and permitting state tournaments — essentially allowing a regional or sectional showcase, depending on the sport.

“The health and safety or the student-athletes, their coaches and their school communities has been our priority from the start of the pandemic,” IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said in a statement. “Throughout the spring and summer, we looked for ways to reengage student-athletes with their peers and coaches, and our membership has shared countless positive experiences from that initial ‘return to play’ period.”

As of Monday, teams in all four current fall sports were allowed to contest events against opponents within their athletic conference or EMS region, the latter an Illinois Department of Public Health designation for “Restore Illinois” plan boundaries.

The IHSA’s press release indicates dates, awards and other elements of these one-week postseason series will be determined “in the coming weeks.” Additionally, the IHSA for the first time since 2004-05 will mandate a $100 entry fee for any team or individual entering a fall sports playoff event.

“The past few months have seen a significant reduction of the IHSA’s income,” Anderson said in a statement, noting the COVID-related loss of 2020 state boys’ basketball and the entire spring state series calendar. “An overwhelming number of school administrators supported the fees in recent surveys. Not charging entry fees has been a point of pride for the IHSA.”

No decisions were announced regarding potential state series within the IHSA’s 2020-21 winter, spring and summer sports.

Another item discussed at Monday’s board meeting was hosting duties for the 2021-25 state softball tournaments.

The under-construction Rantoul Family Sports Complex was among five bidders, but Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Complex ultimately won out over a group that included Rantoul’s facility and East Peoria’s Eastside Centre, the incumbent host since 2001.

Colin Likas is the preps coordinator at The News-Gazette. He can be reached at clikas@news-gazette.com, or on Twitter at @clikasNG.