NIAA NOTES: All-Star football game won’t be sanctioned

A football all-star game is scheduled to take place on Dec. 17 without the blessing of the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the NCAA or the National Federation of State High School Associations.

And it could be a risky proposition for any athlete who plays in the game.

Big Time Sports 24/7 has advertised an East vs. West Senior Bowl, involving athletes from Las Vegas and Henderson, to be played at 1 p.m. on Dec. 17 at Sam Boyd Stadium.

But NIAA executive director Eddie Bonine told the NIAA’s Board of Control at Monday’s meeting in Reno that the event organizer has not obtained approval from the NCAA, NFHS or the NIAA to hold the game.

Under the Nevada Administrative Code and NFHS rules, any all-star games must have prior approval from all three bodies.

Nevada Administrative Code 386.693, subsection 1 allows for the game to be sanctioned if: "Before the game, contest or meet is conducted, the National Collegiate Athletics Association or its successor organization and the National Federation of State High School Associations or its successor organization approve the game, contest or meet."

In addition NAC 386.693, subsection 3 states that the game can only be approved if: "The game, contest or meet is not held during the season for any sanctioned sport."

Because the game won’t be approved by the NIAA, Bonine said during the meeting that any athlete who participates will be ineligible to compete in any other sport for the remainder of the school year. A memo forwarded by the NIAA to the Review-Journal late Monday night stated that athletes would be ineligible for one activity season and/or 90 consecutive days, which would not constitute the remainder of the year.

Bonine could not be reached for further comment Monday night.

Bonine said Clark County School District school administrators all have been informed that students who participate in sports other than football would not be eligible to play for the rest of the year.

School administrators were asked to forward that information on to any student who was considering playing in the game.

CCSD executive athletic director Ray Mathis said his office has not received any list of athletes who would compete in the game.

Bonine said the NIAA will have a representative attend the game and obtain rosters for both teams.

Coronado principal Lee Koelliker and Palo Verde principal Dan Phillips, both NIAA board members, said no athletes from their school would participate. Bishop Gorman athletic administrator Sally Nieman, also present at the meeting, said the three-time defending Class 4A champion Gaels had no athletes competing in the game.

WRESTLING WITH PRICES — The board approved a contract for the state wrestling meet to be held at Cox Pavilion on Feb. 17-18.

But it will cost fans a bit more money to witness the action.

On top of the $7 price for adults and $5 for children the NIAA normally charges, there will be a facility fee imposed by the arena operators.

Adults will pay an additional $2, and children will be charged an additional $1, which will go directly to the facility operators.

“We had serious discussions with them (about the facility fee), and they said they couldn’t do anything about it,” NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson said.

The NIAA is paying $20,000 to rent Cox Pavilion and another $2,000 to rent a warm-up area on a floor below the main arena level. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is helping defray some of the cost, contributing $12,500.

The NIAA continues to search for a suitable site to hold all three class championships under one roof when the state meet is contested in Southern Nevada.

“I think we kind of ran out of options,” said NIAA assistant director Jay Beesemyer. “State wrestling should be a money maker for this association, or at least break even. We’re not going to break even, but it’s going to be a first-class event. We’ll take our lumps.”