New playoff format could be coming to Nevada high school football
The saga of Nevada high school football realignment is one step closer to being over.
Rules and regulations for a proposal that would reduce the number of football state championship games and introduce a rating system to determine who would qualify for the postseason were approved at a meeting Monday in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association gave preliminary approval to a realignment proposal to create an Open Division state championship for the top 5A football teams.
A rating system that combines a team’s MaxPreps rankings, NIAA rubric points and Harbin points would be used to determine postseason teams in the Open Division and for the 5A and 4A Southern Region playoffs. The NIAA will use an average of where each team is ranked in all three systems to determine the eight Open Division teams.
The proposal is still pending final approval from the NIAA Board of Control. The next board meeting is Jan. 14 and 15 in Reno. If the proposal is approved, it will go into effect for the next three school years beginning in 2025.
The proposal passed with a 13-7 vote Monday, with several Northern 5A/4A board representatives voting against it. Under the proposal, 4A, which has been a Southern-only classification for football, would have Northern and Southern teams.
“I think all voices were heard,” NIAA executive director Tim Jackson said. “I think all plans were listened to very diligently by all members of the committee. I think the proposal they’ll bring to the board is something that the board can look at and make a determination of moving forward if this is where they want to go.”
The top eight 5A teams in an NIAA rating system would qualify for the Open Division state title. Northern and Southern teams would be eligible for the Open Division.
Jackson said a committee could be used to seed the top eight teams for the Open Division to consider travel for Northern schools.
“With the consideration for transportation and cost of moving student bodies across the state to play games, I think those things can be looked at,” Jackson said. “We left that wide open. There are still some other logistics that need to be worked out, but I think they’ve got the framework of a pretty good system ready.”
The next eight highest-ranked 5A Southern schools in the NIAA’s system and the remaining 5A Northern teams would play for the 5A title. The eight highest-ranked 4A Southern teams and the top four 4A Northern teams in the standings would play for the 4A title. 5A and 4A teams will play in a regional playoff with the Northern and Southern champions playing for the state title.
5A would be made up of 18 Southern teams and six Northern teams. 4A would include 19 Southern teams and six Northern teams. The proposal would have three leagues for the Southern Region, based primarily on geography.
“I don’t think any plan is perfect,” Jackson said. “If there was a perfect plan, we’d already be using it. I think that this addresses some of the major concerns that were brought back by the board and the schools in the state of Nevada.”
Harbin points are a system in which teams earn points for beating an opponent and earn secondary points based on how many wins their defeated opponents have.
At a September meeting, the Board of Control rejected the Realignment Committee’s original proposal of the current format. The Board of Control said to create rules and regulations that would reduce the number of state championship games.
Under the current system, 5A, the top classification, is split into three divisions and there are seven total state championship games.
Also at the meeting, the board approved realignment proposals for the other fall sports — cross country, tennis, soccer, girls volleyball and girls golf — and placement of 2A and 1A schools in all sports.
5A girls golf, which has been a Southern-only classification, will include Northern teams. The top classification of Northern teams has played in 4A the last two seasons.
Shadow Ridge’s girls soccer team had its appeal to remain in 5A and not drop to 4A approved. Arbor View’s appeal to keep its boys and girls tennis teams in 5A was also approved by the board.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.