The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has requested that members of the Maine South High School administration and football coaching staff appear at the Association’s Board meeting on Monday, December 13, 2010.

Maine South will be asked to address issues that occurred during the semifinal and state final rounds of the 2010 IHSA Football Playoffs. The issues center around the creation and distribution of counterfeit sideline passes, the presence of alumni on the sidelines and incidents at the state finals with security/local police over the removal of some of the individuals in possession of the fake passes. The Association also expressed concerns over the conduct of the school’s student body at the semifinal contest hosted by Loyola Academy.

“It is unfortunate to have what should be a time of celebration marred by the unethical actions of individuals associated with the school’s football program,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “As we told members of the Maine South administration on a conference call this morning, we take these abuses very seriously. Not only do these actions present significant safety issues, but some could potentially provide a competitive advantage, which may warrant sanctions. We have asked them to conduct an internal investigation prior to the December Board meeting.”

Maine South will be asked to disclose the results of its investigation and a plan to prevent similar future transgressions at the December Board meeting. At that point, sanctions against the school and program levied by Hickman or the IHSA Board will be considered.