Nevada High School Football Realignment for 2025 Season Finalized
In Las Vegas, after two years of navigating the challenges of high school football realignment, the NIAA Board of Control has reached a decision regarding the structure for the upcoming 2025 season. On Wednesday, the committee approved a new playoff format, aiming to balance competition across the state.
NIAA executive director Timothy Jackson, in his first year overseeing the state’s high school sports, voiced frustration over the prolonged discussions. “This is ridiculous, what we’re doing,” Jackson said. “We are trying to manipulate and adequately make everybody happy, and we cannot do it.” Ultimately, he urged the board to focus on solidifying a football alignment and playoff structure.
The board approved the changes with an 8-3 vote, moving forward with a format that condenses the 5A division back to one classification, ending the previous three classifications (5A-I, 5A-II, and 5A-III) introduced in the last two seasons. This aims to offer teams in Northern Nevada better opportunities for state championships.
The 5A North will feature six schools, including Bishop Manogue, Reed, Spanish Springs, Douglas, Damonte Ranch, and Galena. In the 4A North, six teams will also compete: Carson, Hug, McQueen, North Valleys, Reno, and Wooster. This changes comes as traditional strong programs like McQueen and Reno have dropped down from what was previously the highest classification for northern teams.
In contrast, the 5A South consists of 18 schools while the 4A South includes 19. The board will now crown six state champions each year, including titles in the 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, and a newly created “Open” division.
For regional playoffs, the North will see four teams each from the 5A and 4A qualify, while eight teams from the South will battle for playoff positions. Following the amendments, 5A North and South champions will face off in the state championship game, with the same structure in place for the 4A division.
The newly instituted “Open” bracket will include the top four teams from the 5A South, selected based on a point system that combines several rankings and performance metrics. Northern Nevada teams will not be involved in this bracket, ensuring they won’t compete against nationally ranked Bishop Gorman, which many view as a significant adjustment to enhance competition overall.
This realignment, which will take effect from 2025 to 2027, includes a promotion and relegation format, allowing the last place team in the 5A to drop to the 4A for the next season, and the top 4A team to move up to the 5A. Other fall and winter sports remain unchanged in terms of classification.
The excitement for the upcoming season is building as the updated framework aims to offer a more balanced competitive atmosphere for high school football in Nevada.
