The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) has probably never put into effect such wide-sweeping changes as are expected to pass at the organization’s quarterly meeting next week. The state’s governing body for high school sports is expected to pass a realignment plan aimed at cutting school districts’ athletic expenses and keeping student-athletes in class longer.

The NIAA’s Board of Control is expected to rubber-stamp the plan with its approval since the state’s school district superintendents gave it their blessing at a February meeting. That’s left athletic administrators across Nevada scrambling to revamp master schedules for the 2010-11 school year.

Northern 4A officials were not left out of that mix. With Elko, South Tahoe and Fallon leaving the 4A ranks, athletic administrators from the 12 remaining large schools in northern Nevada met two weeks ago to discuss and implement new scheduling policies for prep sports. What they came up with is drawing praise from some and criticism from others.

“We’ve set up tentative schedules for all sports for a two-year stint,” Northern 4A Commissioner Ron McNutt said. “We could get told by the state, this is only for one year or it could be two years and we’ll look at making more changes. There are a lot of things administrators took into consideration.”

NIAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine has said, if passed, the realignment plan would go into effect for two years. He said its effects would be studied and evaluated to see what worked and what did not.

McNutt’s group could give a final vote of approval on scheduling changes at its March 15 meeting.

- Volleyball, Basketball, Soccer -

•Northern 4A administrators tried to keep scheduling policy consistent from sport to sport with a few exceptions. Volleyball, boys and girls soccer and boys and girls basketball keep the same game limit of 18 (plus two tournaments), but will play 16 league games in 2010-11. The 12 remaining Northern 4A schools will stay in their current High Desert and Sierra league alignments.

In past years, the league schedule consisted of playing each member school twice, once away and once at home. That will not change. But schools will also play each school in the other Northern 4A league once per season in a counting league game. For instance, Spanish Springs and Reed will play each other twice as well as the four other High Desert League schools (Reno, McQueen, North Valleys and Hug). They will also play the six Sierra League schools (Carson, Damonte Ranch, Douglas, Galena, Manogue and Wooster) once, alternating home and away each season.

“We’ve got a system we’re already used to,” Spanish Springs boys basketball coach Kyle Penney said. “I don’t know why they (administrators) needed to make a change. You are still going to have two leagues. We have the same game limit. It’s frustrating. We may have to play a league game, our first game right out of the chute.”

The administrators’ new scheduling plan is indeed much different than the current setup where schools play only counting conference games against their own league and then have the option to pick up non-league cross-over games against opponents from the other northern Nevada league if they choose. By playing six counting cross-over league games, coaches now have only two open dates to fill, limiting their flexibility.

“I like the fact we get to play everybody in that other league,” Spanish Springs volleyball coach Frank Sandomenico said. "There are some good teams in the other league that we don’t ever get to play. It will be good for us.”

There are other concerns. By adding six more league games, teams will be forced to play league games earlier in their schedule. Some coaches believe that will have a negative impact on their student athletes.

“I just wish they could make those cross-over games mandatory, but not count toward league,” Sandomenico said. “I’m worried about getting playing time for kids early on. If you’re playing league games that count right off the bat, it’s harder to play everybody. Overall, from a volleyball standpoint I like it, but I can see why some coaches would want to keep the flexibility in scheduling.”

Administrators cited a need to keep teams closer to home and a perception of overspending as the reason for adding the mandatory cross-over games. Many programs, especially in basketball, choose to play non-league preseason games in California or Las Vegas. School district rules force teams to fundraise to pay for this kind of travel. Now, teams will be limited in their out-of-area travel as they will have to play cross-over games. Local school districts will have to pay for the cross-over travel and officiating costs. Critics say that in an era where saving money is the top priority, administrators just hurt their bottom line rather than improving it.

Ken Cass oversees athletics for the Washoe County School District and he believes that hit will be minimal.

“I don’t think it will be that much different,” Cass said of the travel and officiating budget. “The league will be so condensed without traveling to Elko, South Tahoe and Fallon anymore ... my point is, it’s inconsequential.

- Football -

•Northern 4A football schedules will be comprised much differently as well. In addition to the trio of schools leaving the 4A classification Wooster will play an independent schedule in football only, leaving the Northern 4A with just 11 football-playing members.

Under the scheduling plan called for by local administrators, the Northern 4A will be one league for football. Teams will play eight of the 10 other league members. That means in a given season, Sparks schools Reed and Spanish Springs will miss two league foes on their master schedule, which is determined by random draw. In addition to their eight league games, teams will have one open date to fill at their discretion and a second optional date if they choose to pay for the NIAA Hall of Fame game.

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Reed football coach Ernie Howren said. “Administrators looked at it and felt that was what was best for us ... When you get paid the big bucks like they do, you have to make the tough decisions. I can understand. I don’t want to be in their shoes. I don’t want to make those decisions.”

Still, some football coaches were not happy with the administrators’ plan. The Northern Nevada Football Coaches’ Association sent the administrators a scheduling plan that seeded programs and those seeds determined, which league opponent you missed on your schedule. Despite not having any financial concerns over the coaches’ plan, administrators nixed it and approved their own plan.

“That’s frustrating,” Spanish Springs football coach Scott Hare admitted. “We’ve been told by the powers that be that we have a pretty organized association and they wished more sports had that. There’s a perception we have a say, but this shows that ultimately we don’t. It’s just something you live with.”

Another gripe over the administrators’ football scheduling plan is it does not automatically include your natural rival. For instance, Spanish Springs and Reed are not scheduled to play this year or next.

“Reed’s been successful. On paper, they are better than us right now, but I still want to play them every year,” Hare said.

- Baseball, Softball -

•The baseball and softball schedules will also have a different look next school year. In recent years, there has been a two-league format in the Northern 4A and teams played a three-game series against each conference opponent.

Under the administrators’ new plan, baseball will use a one-league format with 11 schools. Hug is not scheduled to field a baseball program. Teams will play league foes twice each spring.

In softball, the two-league format will remain. Schools will play each league opponent twice and one counting cross-over conference affair against the other league.

“I’ve always liked playing all the schools, so I think that part is good,” veteran Reed softball coach Ray Charles said. “I’m excited we get to play some teams we have not played in a long time.”

•Individual sports like wrestling, track and golf were left largely unchanged.