Eye On Sports: Update On NIAA Realignment

By Dave Belcher

Moapa Valley Progress

Moapa Valley is making the move to the 4A after one more year in the 3A. That’s right, but don’t let the title fool you. The Nevada Interscholastic Athletics Association (NIAA) and the Clark County School District have listed the schools who will participate in the new realignment for the 2012-2013 seasons. This new league will be called the 4A division II and replace the southern 3A.

On June 23 in Reno the NIAA board of control voted to allow the change in the south. State championships will be only a southern championship with only southern schools participating. This will end the traditional north versus south contest for the true state champion for the league unless the north is willing to follow and create its own 4A Division II league. If not, then the 3A state champion will come from the remaining 3A northern schools.

This vote has officially eliminated the southern 3A beginning with the 2012-13 fall seasons.

The north is trying to decide if it wants to follow the lead of the south or stay status quo. By staying as is the northern 4A can join either the current 4A division I or participate with the new 4A division II in the state championships. It’s their choice as a league.

That means power house McQueen could be playing Moapa for state. If the north decides to follow the south then Hug and Wooster (Wooster is currently playing in the 3A as an independent in football) will most likely become part of division II with the northern 3A.

Wooster by the way fired their head football coach this past winter because he supported the move to the 3A where the administration and other Wooster coaches didn’t want to go.

Damonte Ranch and Galena may also join depending upon whether or not more schools will be wanted in the mix. Fallon showed just how inspiring the move can be by dominating the spring sports and winning 4 of the 5 state championships.

The southern 4A Division II league will be divided into two regions; named the sunrise and the sunset.

The name 4A division II appears to be a feel good league for the 4A. The schools who would drop didn’t want to be lowered in class therefore to help themselves feel good “Division II” was added.

The teams who have been dropped from the 4A league did not earn enough points in the southern Nevada rubric format.

In the east or Sunrise region is Desert Pines with 18 points, Chaparral with 4 points, Sunrise Mountain who has 2 points. It will also have the three current 3A schools Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley with Vo-Tech jumping in. The latter four schools mentioned will receive automatic bids into this league and will not accumulate any points for the realignment process every two years.

In the west or Sunset region is Western with 9 points, Cheyenne with 6 points, Clark with 4 points, and Mohave with 2 points. Faith Lutheran and Pahrump will be given automatic bids into this region.

Before this league even begins there is already an inconsistency. Spring Valley has 12 points but was placed in the Division I league instead of Desert Pines who scored 18 points according to the Nevada Preps website. This could lead to problems in the future with future schools because a possible special circumstance appears to have been made.

In a recent meeting with southern Nevada coaches there was some argument as to why there is a qualifying enrollment number which gives the schools under 1200 students the automatic bid for Division II. These smaller schools don’t belong with the 4A and it’s questionable that even the weaker 4A schools should be combined with the 3A. Yes, it is possible for these smaller schools to dominate without moving up to division I. It’s not right that a school of 560 should compete with a school of 2000. So why punish the smaller schools for being successful especially when it is their league anyway that some of the larger schools are joining.

Moapa next year is projected to have 560 students enrolled. This is close to the lowest in the 3A if it isn’t the lowest enrollment. The Pirates are closer to the 2A enrollment of 470 then they are to the 1200. Is it right to bump Moapa up because they scored enough points to do so.

How’s this, Bishop Gorman is around 900 students and clearly in the 3A enrollment numbers. They scored 439 points over the two years points were accumulated. That is twice the amount of any other school in the 4A. Gorman attracts the better talent and needs to stay in the 4A division I.

What to do?

First, the Nevada rubric needs to be used statewide instead of just southern Nevada. It appears that the NIAA likes giving the two ends of the state their own power to decide in what they want to do. It really doesn’t want to make a clear ruling on the realignment problem as the governing body it is. Maybe making the fifth league is what they really want. Just a few years ago the Vegas schools wanted their own 5A league not competing with the north. Maybe this is a way to accomplish that same idea.

Imagine how it will set when a northern state champion and a southern state champion are crowned in each sport. Does anyone even care if there is two state champions in the same league? Maybe they’ll just disguise it with fancy names like the southern 4A Division II and the northern 3A. Maybe it will make the adults feel better.

It’s time to draw the line and make the consistent decision throughout the State. “N” in the NIAA means Nevada; the whole state. Develop an organization that has the guts to enforce a plan throughout the state then let the kids play and learn what sports can teach. Not everyone will ever be happy with the plan. The rubric has strengths. Just make it consistent for everyone.

Remember, it’s the education that matters. Sports do teach and there is some fun that goes with it. Something worth having is something worth working for.