Clark County School District high school football programs will operate as independents for the next two years, effectively forfeiting eligibility for NIAA-sanctioned state championships. The decision, announced Wednesday, stems from years of frustration over Bishop Gorman’s dominance and what CCSD officials describe as an uneven playing field.
All 30 CCSD schools in Class 5A and 4A will play games only against each other while still following NIAA bylaws. Private schools like Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran, along with charter schools such as Sloan Canyon and SLAM! Nevada, will be the only Southern Nevada teams eligible for recognized state titles.
“When people start looking at what we have to play by as CCSD (schools) and what Gorman and the charter schools get to play by, are two different sets of rules,” said Rich Muraco, Liberty co-athletic director and football coach. “It’s not right. We’re playing for the same trophy under completely different sets of rules and different sets of advantages and disadvantages.”
Bishop Gorman has won 16 of the last 17 state championships in the top classification, including the last five by lopsided margins: 56-7, 70-7, 56-7, 69-7, and 44-7. Liberty’s 2019 4A title is the only championship not won by the Gaels during that span.
The move follows a contentious realignment process. In January, the NIAA retained the HRM points rating system despite widespread criticism. CCSD principals had previously threatened independent status in a unified letter, calling the HRM system a “disaster” that created “credibility issues.”
“The whole system was a disaster and I think that’s when people started asking, ‘Why are we doing this?’” Muraco said. “Principals and people who know nothing about football start asking questions like why is this more complicated than it needs to be, that’s when the real issues start to be addressed.”
The NIAA’s November approval of a 10-team Open Division—which would have forced Bishop Gorman to play nine league games—was later rescinded after legal threats from the Archdiocese of Las Vegas. The Archdiocese argued the board violated its own bylaws.
“Personally, I am extremely proud of our principals for pushing forward with a plan that is in the best interest of our 4A and 5A football players,” said Linda Cavazos, a Clark County School Board Trustee and NIAA Board of Control member.
Principals will meet Monday to finalize the independent structure, with football coaches building schedules Tuesday. Muraco, who also serves as president of the Southern Nevada Football Coaches Association, called the unanimity among 30 principals unprecedented.
“It’s really unprecedented,” he said. “That should tell you how serious this is when — it’s hard to get 30 people to agree on anything. To have 30 principals all agree on anything that this is what’s best for our communities, that should tell you how serious this issue is.”
The independent status lasts a minimum of two years. No changes affect Class 3A, 2A, or 1A. The NIAA said it has no further comment beyond its release.
