Prairie State Wire

An overwhelming majority of Illinois’ parents are in favor of lifting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s ban of football and volleyball this fall.

The findings are the result of a poll conducted by Prairie State Wire that was promoted via Facebook to parents 13-17 year-old children in Illinois Sept. 23-30.

In response to “Do you support Pritzker in his Illinois high school sports ban?” 92.8 percent, or only 578 out of 623 respondents, are in favor of lifting the ban on football and volleyball in Illinois.

A crowd of more than 1,000 prep football supporters held a September rally aimed at Pritzker.

Pritzker announced the ban on high school football and volleyball this fall.

Both sports are currently being played in 34 states, including Illinois neighbors Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky, Michigan and Ohio.

Parents, student athletes and coaches have rallied across the state in favor of reopening all sports for the fall. 

Earlier in the season East St. Louis High School Head Football Coach Daren Sunkett called Pritzker a “human virus” holding student athletes back.

Meanwhile public schools right across the state border in St. Louis recently announced they would resume all fall sports, including football and volleyball.

Illinois coaching icon Ken Leonard, who serves as the athletic director for sacred Heart Griffin in Springfield, has been instrumental in bring coaches, athletes and parents together across the state.

“Why is it safe for their kids to play and it’s not safe for us?” Leonard said. “And do we not trust as adults to make good decisions?”

Many of the state’s top recruits opted to leave for the fall rather than be subjected to the Pritzker’s whims.

Pritzker announced the continuation of the fall sports ban on the day the Big Ten Conference announced it would allow football season this fall. The Big Ten includes the University of Illinois and Northwestern University in Chicago.

The Illinois High School Association was denied in their request to resume sports scheduling for the fall.

DuPage District Judge Paul Fullerton recently ruled against a group of parents who failed a class action lawsuit against the IHSA.

See a graph of the results below: