On Tuesday evening, NYCHoops.net spoke with a Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) official about the state of the upcoming 2020-21 high school basketball season during the Covid-19 pandemic. Silent since March, some unanswered questions were finally addressed.

“The situation is very simple," said CHSAA basketball chairman Paul Gilvary. “New York State has mandated that basketball is considered high risk and not permitted.” Because of this determination by NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, high school basketball is in a holding pattern until it is allowed to take off.

Gilvary was cautiously optimistic saying, ideally if the Governor made the decision in November and lowered the basketball status to low or moderate risk, basketball could resume by Thanksgiving with playoffs beginning in the first Sunday of March. “It’s wait and see.”

Gilvary is also the chairman of Soccer for the CHSAA, a sport which is not considered high risk. While that sport is currently allowed to play, they had to adhere to CHSAA back-to-play guidelines which include social distancing, face masks, a limit of two spectators per player and temperature checks.

While high school basketball is on hold in the CHSAA, open gyms are not, according Gilvary. “Conditioning, weight training and individual workouts are allowed.”

It must be noted that every Catholic school is allowed to have its own mandates and restrictions. Additionally, Gilvary acknowledged that the sport’s current restrictions does not prevent student-athletes from participating in off-site tournaments.

New York State guidance for winter high school sports expected in November