Public vs. Private: Nevada high school football programs make unprecedented move to avoid Bishop Gorman
Keeping the Public vs. Private debate alive and running rampant around the country, enter the state of Nevada into the mix as of Wednesday, according to a Last Vegas Review-Journal report . Per the report, Clark County School District (CCSD) Class 5A/4A Southern high school football programs made the unprecedented move and informed the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) of their intent to go independent status for the 20262-27 and 2027-28 calendar years to avoid playing local private schools like national powerhouse Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran .
The move impacts around 31 schools playing within the 5A/4A Southern districts, sending them to independent status for the next two years minimum, according to the report. “The high school principals of the 4A and 5A aligned football programs in the Clark County School District (CCSD) have formally notified the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), pursuant to NAC 385B. 202(2), that their football programs will be on Independent Status for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 realignment cycle,” the NIAA said in a press release .
“The identified programs will enter Independent Status for a minimum of two years in accordance with NIAA regulations. During this period, the football program will not participate in any NIAA-sanctioned postseason competition, including league, regional, or state championship playoffs. ” The Gaels, the No.
5 ranked team according to the final Rivals’ National High School Football Composite Rankings, are one of the country’s top programs and have displaye absolute dominance over any neighboring Las Vegas program. In the eight 2025 games Bishop Gorman played against Nevada-based opponents, the Gaels out-scored them by a combined 355-13. The Gaels ended up defeating Arbor View , 44-7, for the NIAA’s Open Division state championship.
“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,” Liberty co-athletic director and head football coach Rich Muraco said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s not right. We’re playing for the same trophy under completely different sets of rules and different sets of advantages and disadvantages.
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