By Dave Belcher
Moapa Valley Progress
The Nevada Interscholastic Athletic Association (NIAA) has some ideas and scenarios in the case they are required to cut school athletic budgets statewide. Right now the procedure is left in the hands of the 19 different school districts. Some districts may cut as much as 25 percent of athletic budgets.
It was a couple years ago the NIAA was asked to help in the cutting and as a result they combined leagues in the north with the 2A and 3A playing a combined regular season schedule to cut down on travel. The southern 3A started playing 4A schools from Vegas to help cut travel expenses. This result is creating realignment with in the 3A and 4A. The NIAA also cut games from regular seasons to help in the money saving effort. The NIAA has not been asked to step in and cut anything else across the state. But NIAA officials have given some ideas for cuts if they are asked to do so.
One of these is returning all-state championship games to high school venues. The 4A plays the Football championship at Sam Boyd Stadium or Mackay Stadium in Reno every other year. The Basketball tournaments are played at Lawlor Event Center in Reno or the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. These venues charge fees for the usage. If these tournaments where played at high schools no usage fees would apply.
Another option would be to give more than one state championship per classification. A state champion in the north and one in the south ending the north versus south tournaments. Another option discusses is to do without a state championship altogether. (Just let parks and rec take it over?)
Another plan would be a pay to play. Student athletes (or should we say their parents) would be required to pay fees to play their sport. This is already done for dance and cheerleading at Moapa Valley high school costing students upwards of $675 to participate.
Of course, the down side of this is would be the exclusion of many students from playing due to the high cost. Students pay $50 in most sports now to help lower the cost for the program. These students are also pounding on doors, sitting in front of stores selling t-shirts, hoodies, Pirate cards, cookie dough, brothers, sisters, car washes, banners to hang on a fence for advertising. Anything they can to help lower the cost.
No final decision will be made until after the state legislature and governor is finished hashing out the budget next month. But significant changes in high school sports could very well be on the way.
