Hill: ‘The Gorman Rules’ could force out state’s elite football program

A hastily called meeting of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association’s Board of Control this past week made yet another drastic change to the state’s high school football format.

It’s the latest development in a yearslong shifting of the structure that may as well be called “The Gorman Rules.”

Every few years (or in this case twice in one year), Clark County administrators get together and try to figure out a way to diminish Gorman’s advantages or just outright force them out of the NIAA.

It hasn’t worked yet.

It probably won’t this time either, but the intent is obvious.

While the newest changes were allegedly made to correct flaws in the formula put in place to choose the top four teams to play in the open playoffs that led to chaos, the new system will use that same formula to select the top 10 teams for an open division.

Yeah, makes total sense and clearly not at all just a targeted proposal.

The creation of that 10-team open division of the top programs in Southern Nevada then mandates a nine-game league slate that would leave Gorman, which traditionally plays an ultra-competitive national schedule against some of the top teams in the country before starting league play and squashing every local program under its cleats, just one open date to play an out-of-state opponent.

Gorman must now either choose to adhere to those rules and likely see a decline in the amount of elite talents from around the region that flock to the school to play for a national power, or take its football program independent.

Either way, other programs around the valley theoretically benefit.

But it’s actually not that simple.

First, a decline in star athletes around the region and even the nation coming to Gorman likely just means even more of the best players from every local school would end up there. Any step back the program takes also means less exposure in general for football players in Southern Nevada, which is particularly concerning in an NIL and transfer portal era when college coaches are looking at high school players less and less. Gorman at least brings recruiters to the area where players from other schools can be seen.

I’ve long advocated for Gorman to go independent in football instead of going through the motions of winning for a pre-ordained state title every year. Well, an ideal scenario would be for them to join the prestigious Trinity League in southern California, but there’s no real reason for that league to allow Gorman’s entry.

So an independent schedule may be the best solution. Even though athletic director Grant Rice said at the meeting that the school did not plan to go independent in football, it absolutely has to be a consideration.

The logistics of that, however, are quite difficult to figure out, even beyond the simple cost of such an endeavor. Sure, they have enough influential people with extremely deep pockets to figure it out. But it’s still a lot of money.

There is also the potentially significant issue of California schools currently not being allowed to play teams that don’t play for state championships. And there’s the question of who Gorman could play in the second half of the season, when schools all around the country are engaged in mandated conference matchups.

The perfect solution does not exist. (Well, except for the Trinity League. That really would be so perfect. It could also probably fetch a pretty nice media rights deal, if we’re being practical.)

But, back to reality.

Full disclosure, I really didn’t like Gorman as a high school athlete. The recruiting seemed unfair and there was just an air of superiority resonating even from the old campus on Maryland Parkway.

I don’t particularly like watching the football team destroy other local kids like Billy Madison with the fifth graders on the dodgeball court, either.

The idea of more public school teams being able to genuinely compete for a state title to me sounds like the correct idea.

As a current NFL player who played at a rival school told me, it’s difficult starting a season knowing you have no chance to win a title. He said even bigger than the level and amount of athletes they have and their facilities being better than many Division I football programs, it’s really the coaching advantages that have truly tilted the playing field.

He makes great points and honestly, that just doesn’t seem right or fair.

But neither does trying to get to their level by bringing them down.

Some programs, Liberty in particular, were doing a pretty good job of narrowing the gap on Gorman before the district clamped down on student mobility with transfer and enrollment limitations.

Loosening those could help at least a bit, but Gorman is going to remain elite. That will be the case whether they stay in the NIAA or not.

So the question becomes whether having the Gaels and the exposure they bring to the high school football community in Southern Nevada is worth it.

Perhaps more importantly, when the hassles and roadblocks being thrown in front of them finally make it easier to just leave.

That very well could be now.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.