NOTES: NIAA sets vote to nix postseason ban
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association last year quickly rebuffed a proposal to allow member schools to play in a postseason football bowl game.
Fourteen months later, the NIAA is at least willing to reconsider a similar request.
The NIAA Board of Control will hold a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. today, and among three items up for a vote is whether to allow Nevada teams to participate in postseason national-championship events in football and boys and girls basketball.
Bishop Gorman’s football team, ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Super 25, is coveted by Paragon Marketing Group for a proposed bowl game to be played Dec. 18. The Illinois-based company also approached the NIAA in August 2014 hoping it would permit member schools to participate in postseason events.
“We brought it up to the board again and said, ‘Hey, Paragon is, in essence, asking our state to do it again this year, ‘” NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson said this week. “And the board’s reaction was, ‘Let’s look at this.'”
Bishop Gorman athletic director Sally Nieman declined comment to the Review-Journal via email Tuesday.
Nelson said Paragon Marketing would make a base payment of $10,000 to the NIAA if it allows schools to participate. An additional payment would be made if an NIAA school is selected.
Paragon Marketing last year staged the three-game State Champions Bowl Series featuring top teams from Florida, Utah and Washington. Nelson said the three participating state associations each received $40,000 from the event in addition to the $10,000 base payment.
The State Champions Bowl Series was sponsored by Burger King, but Paragon Marketing has yet to secure a title sponsor for this year’s proposed event.
NIAA rules prohibit teams from competing after the state tournament. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Utah and Washington are the only states to allow member schools to play in postseason events.
Depending on how the Board of Control votes, Nelson said “it could” affect Findlay Prep’s boys basketball program. The Pilots have unique preparatory school membership in the NIAA and have played in the High School National Tournament, which is organized by Paragon Marketing, every year since its inception in 2009.
“What happens if the board says no to football? In essence, wouldn’t it be saying no to basketball? Probably so,” Nelson said. “And then where does that leave Findlay Prep? I don’t know. That’s really interesting.”
Findlay Prep coach Andy Johnson said Monday he was unaware of today’s pending vote and is taking a wait-and-see approach.
“We’re fortunate with our state membership where we can compete in postseason tournaments,” Johnson said. “It’s up to the NIAA, but I think any positives for the state of Nevada is always a good thing as far as high school athletics goes nationally.”
PILOTS ADD GUARD — De’Von Cooper, a 6-foot-3-inch junior shooting guard from Louisville, Ky., transferred to Findlay Prep last week.
Cooper averaged 17.2 points last season at Waggener, Ky., shot 38.1 percent on 3-pointers (59 of 155) and was a second-team all-region pick.
Cooper is rated a three-star prospect by ESPN Recruiting Nation and the No. 4 player from Kentucky in the class of 2017. He has scholarship offers from IUPUI, Kent State, Toledo, Western Kentucky and Wright State and is drawing interest from several high-major schools.
RECENT COMMITMENTS — Cimarron-Memorial senior Roberto Elicerio to College of Southern Nevada for men’s soccer.
Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him: @DavidSchoenLVRJ