Yang Rohr Files Legislation to Support Gender Equity in High School Athletics Following IHSA Changes

NAPERVILLE, Ill. – In the wake of the surprise shortening of the Illinois girls’ flag football regular high school season, state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr has introduced legislation requiring the statewide athletic association to conduct an equity impact review when changes are proposed that exacerbate inequities between comparable girls and boys sports teams.

“The student athlete landscape has evolved for the better in the fifty years since Title IX passed, and we cannot move backwards from those advancements,” said Yang Rohr. “Young women shouldn’t be losing playing time, especially when their participation rates are the fastest growing in the nation. We need to start holding statewide athletic associations accountable when they strip away these opportunities.”

For the 2026-27 school year, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) extended the length of the boys tackle football pre-season while simultaneously shortening the girls flag football regular season by the same amount of time. This decision by the IHSA highlights the gender inequities that can be prevalent in high school athletics.

Yang Rohr’s House Bill 5799 would require statewide athletic association like IHSA to conduct an equity impact review when changes:

• Reduce opportunities for a girls sport without making similar reductions in a comparable boys sport,
• Cause the length of the regular sports season or the length of the full sports season to differ by more than one week for comparable sports offered to both sexes;or
• Result in the nature and extent of the interscholastic sport offered to not accommodate the interests and abilities of both sexes to a similar degree.

Once the impact review is completed, it must be made available for public comment. They must also provide their impact review to the Illinois State Board of Education, who may issue findings on whether the program is in compliance with the Illinois Administrative Code Sex Equity section and Title IX regulations.

For more information, please contact info@repyangrohr.com.