Realignment for prep football is finally finalized

The saga of Nevada high school football realignment is over.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Board of Controls unanimously approved Thursday a realignment proposal that will separate Class 5A into three divisions and add two more state championships.

The alignment will go into effect this fall, which begins the next two-year realignment cycle.

In the proposal, seven Southern schools will make up 5A Division I: Bishop Gorman, Liberty, Silverado, Arbor View, Shadow Ridge, Desert Pines and Coronado. Teams will play six league games, a mandated crossover game with a 5A Division II Southern school and up to three nonleague games.

All seven teams will qualify for the playoffs. No Northern teams are included in 5A Division I.

Class 5A Division II and III will have Northern and Southern schools, with every team making the playoffs and each division crowning a state champion.

The approval of the alignment ends a contentious two-month process involving competing proposals, with some seen as trying to reduce the dominance of Gorman, a national power that has won the state title in 12 of its past 13 seasons. Included in the proposal is promotion and relegation between the three 5A divisions after each season.

The bottom two 5A Division I South schools will drop down to 5A Division II South, and the top two 5A Division II South schools will move up to 5A Division I South. The bottom two 5A Division II South teams will drop to 5A Division III South, and the top two 5A Division III South teams will move up to 5A Division II South.

Class 4A will remain a Southern-only classification with 14 teams. Eight teams will make up the 3A South. The NIAA Realignment Committee will begin the realignment process for winter sports Tuesday.