‘Exceeded its authority’: NIAA could be forced to change football realignment
Another change could be coming in the seemingly never-ending saga of Nevada high school football realignment.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association will discuss and possibly make changes to its new football realignment plan that was approved at the end of last season at its winter Board of Control Meetings on Tuesday (9 a.m.) and Wednesday (8:30 a.m.) in Reno.
A change could be in store because of letters from the Archdiocese of Las Vegas claiming that the NIAA board appears to “have violated multiple state and federal laws in relation to the action(s) taken before, during and after the meeting of the NIAA Board of Control on Nov. 19, 2025,” according to a letter from the Archdiocese Legal Counsel included in the NIAA packet.
The meeting will be streamed on the NIAA’s YouTube page. There are multiple discussion items related to football realignment in the meeting packet posted on the NIAA site.
That includes a discussion, “review and possible action to rescind the action taken by the Board of Control on the proposal for football realignment for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 4A/5A/Open 5A Southern Nevada football alignment proposal.”
‘Created credibility issues’
The board voted at an emergency board meeting Nov. 19 to scrap the HRM points rating system, which had determined which teams made the playoffs in 2025 and create a 10-team Open Division made up of Southern Nevada teams for the top classification.
That would leave the 10 teams in the Open Division — Bishop Gorman, Liberty, Arbor View, Foothill, Shadow Ridge, Las Vegas High, Desert Oasis, Desert Pines, Green Valley and Faith Lutheran — with nine league games and the opportunity to play just one nonleague game.
The proposal came from Clark County School District principals who said at the November meeting that the HRM system “created credibility issues” after the NIAA had to make multiple revisions to the final rankings and playoff brackets because of an issue with MaxPreps’ rankings and an unreported forfeited game.
At the November meeting, the board first voted to rescind the decision on the original alignment with the HRM system from a January 2025 meeting, then voted to approve the new proposal from CCSD principals.
Gorman reiterated at the meeting that it would play in the 10-team Open Division and not as an independent. The reduction of out-of-state games would significantly limit the Gaels’ national presence and eliminate any chance at a national championship.
Claims of violations
However, the letters from the Archdiocese’s Legal Counsel, as part of an investigation into the matter, said that the actions taken by the board at the meeting “exceeded its authority under the Nevada administrative code.”
A letter from Nov. 30 reads: “These violations include, without limitation, violation of Nevada’s Open Meeting Laws, due process violations, violations of First Amendment protections under both the Nevada and United States Constitutions; interference with existing agreements, and violation of the prospective economic advantage of BGHS.”
Another letter from Dec. 18 says: “The board blatantly violated Nevada law when it collusively predetermined and voted at a specially called meeting to impose an unlawful midcycle realignment — designed to prevent Bishop Gorman High School (“BGHS”) from national competition, in circumvention of mandatory Nevada Administrative Code requirements and in violation of Nevada’s Open Meeting Law.
“The Archdiocese of Las Vegas will commence legal action seeking temporary, preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to enjoin the board’s unlawful midcycle realignment that purposely and adversely affects BGHS, together with declaratory relief, tortious interference with contract, loss of economic opportunity, violation of open meeting laws, punitive damages, attorney fees and costs, and all other relief available at law and in equity unless the board takes corrective action as demanded herein.
“No further notice will be provided prior to filing the lawsuit.”
In the Dec. 18 letter, it includes a “Demand For Cure” where the Archdiocese Legal Counsel writes: “I hereby demand that the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Control on Jan. 27, 2026, includes a specific action item addressing and formally declaring that the board’s Nov. 19, 2025, vote was ultra vires, is of no force or effect, and that such illegal action cannot and shall not be enforced.”
NIAA executive director Tim Jackson said in an email that the NIAA “does not comment on any existing or potential litigation.”
The Archdiocese of Las Vegas did not respond to a request for comment.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
