CHAMPAIGN - The Illinois High School Association banned several members of the media, including most photographers from the Pantagraph, from taking pictures on the field during state championship football games Friday at Memorial Stadium.

Photographers were informed at the media entry gate that they would not be allowed on the field.

Pantagraph.com sports editor Joel Fellers was told by IHSA officials that the newspaper had violated the association's policy regarding the sale of images from state tournament events.

The Illinois Press Association earlier this month withdrew legal action against the IHSA after an apparent agreement was reached to allow access to the state championship events.

However, the IHSA contended that it holds rights to images taken at state series events it sanctions and opposed the sale of those images by newspapers and other media.

Illinois Press Association attorney Don Craven said the newspaper association would not tolerate another organization's attempt to control a media outlet's photographs.

"They (the IHSA) want to use the market that community newspapers have built over the last decades on high school sports and use it for their own benefit," Craven said. "The thought of anybody controlling the use of a newspaper's photographs - other than the newspapers themselves - is not something that Illinois newspapers are willing to put up with."

Anthony Holman, the IHSA's assistant executive director, said Friday that media outlets were notified that they were not in compliance with the organization's policy, gave them time to reply and did not hear back.

"Our policy has not changed," Holman said. "What has changed is the more aggressive selling of photos by media organizations online. We don't have a problem with you giving them away or doing (online) photo galleries."

The IHSA denied access to those newspapers that refused to sign an agreement stating that they would not sell images taken at IHSA events.

"While the Illinois Press Association has indicated its willingness to compromise on this matter, its actions have spoken much louder than its words," IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman said in a statement on the association's Web site. "We asked the IPA to have its members refrain from selling photos of our events while we continued to work to resolve this issue. We presented the IPA with a proposal nearly two weeks ago and they have yet to respond."

Among the other newspapers not allowed on the field Friday were the Arlington Heights-based Daily Herald, the Crystal Lake-based Northwest Herald, State Journal-Register in Springfield and the Peoria Journal Star.

"The IPA sued us. We've never sent a cease-and-desist order to any recognized media outlet before," Holman said. "When they pushed the issue it encouraged us to take action."

Pantagraph photographers were at the stadium to cover the Class 4A championship game between Bloomington's Central Catholic High School and Addison Driscoll at 7 p.m.