Senate committee will consider prep sports bill

Thursday, April 1, 1999 | 2:08 a.m.

Scheduled for Senate Human Resources and Facilities review Friday, the bill will make the California schools ineligible for Nevada championships although they could participate during the regular season.

"There's no other school in the nation that has won state championships in a state other than its own except in Nevada," said Jeff Knutson, a football coach from Moapa Valley High, near Las Vegas. "It's not right for a Nevada school to have to go to California to win a Nevada state championship.

"I don't see it as a negative action. There are eight other states that do this and work fine like this."

South Tahoe High Athletic Director Frank Kovac disagrees.

"It would be pointless for us to compete but not be eligible for state championship," Kovac said.

Kovac said the five California schools - South Tahoe, North Tahoe, Tahoe-Truckee, Needles and Coleville - compete in Nevada athletics for convenience and safety purposes. If the Tahoe schools are forced to compete in their own state, the teams would have to face winter travel hazards.

"We'll be competing with teams in Sacramento and Placerville and having to travel over Highway 50 in the winter, when it's snowing," Kovac said.

According to Kovac, South Tahoe High has been a member of Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association since it was invited to join in 1982. Since then, there have been three attempts to remove California schools from state competition. The NIAA rejected all three.