NIAA realignment decision waits on budget hearing results

By Jared Harmon

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2008 | 11:50 p.m.

The future of the 3A Southern League was discussed Friday during the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association's Board of Control meeting in Reno.

The NIAA, which governs high school sports in Nevada, discussed the possibilities of realigning certain Las Vegas-area schools because the league will be down to three members by fall 2009.

NIAA Executive Director Ed Bonine said a number of solutions have been discussed, but the NIAA is in what he called "wait-and-see mode" as it waits for the results of the Legislative Commission's Budget Subcommittee Hearing that began on Tuesday.

Bonine said budgetary concerns will likely limit the options the board can consider regarding realignment because of travel costs.

"We have to wait and see how this budget thing shakes out before we dive in and make any rushed decisions," Bonine said. After Pahrump Valley was moved to 4A classification this year because of its increased enrollment, Faith Lutheran will follow next year to leave Boulder City, Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley highs in the 3A.

NIAA regulations define 3A schools as containing between 461 and 1,200 students with 1,201 and more moving to class 4A. Southern Nevada will have 33 4A schools next school year.

The board reviews realignment every four years and isn't scheduled to do so again until 2011, with changes implemented for fall 2012. But Bonine said that will not be soon enough to tackle the problems that face Southern League schools.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures," he said. "It might fly in the face of regulations, but I think we're going to have to look at realignment sooner rather than later and maybe as soon as the 2009-2010 school year."

The NIAA should have enough information to make realignment a discussion item at its March meeting with the possibility of making it an action item at the June meeting or earlier if an emergency meeting is needed to put things in motion.

Ray Mathis, the Clark County School District's executive director of instructional support and activities, said the solution will not be as easy as bumping one or two schools up or down in classification. The budget crunch in the recent economic downturn have put a renewed focus on the costs of travel and could impact the number of games played per season or even the possibility of playing a state championship game.

Mathis said the NIAA and the district are already exploring some options, including asking some class 4A schools who have struggled competitively to move down to the 3A, merging the 2A and 3A class or even realigning based on geographic area rather than school size.

But with time winding down Boulder City Athletic Director Regina Quintero is already planning for a three-team league and struggling to find opponents to fill out a schedule. Moapa Valley and Virgin Valley would provide only two games on a football schedule that normally holds nine games and four on a basketball schedule which normally holds as many as 30.

Mathis said the district will work to help fill those schedules no matter how the realignment issue works out.

"We're still going to do it on our own, but if we have any blanks, we can send it to Ray Mathis for help to get those games filled," Quintero said. "We're not sure how much input we'll have picking and choosing which teams we play, but we'll want it to be good competition for us and for them."

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].

Jared Harmon can be reached at 990-8922 or [email protected].