NIAA making plans for shortened spring season

With schools being closed for an undetermined period of time, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association is making plans for how to handle spring sports should they reopen with enough time left for competition.

The order closing schools runs through April 6, but to many that date seems overly optimistic. So, according to NIAA Executive Director Bart Thompson, the state’s school sports governing body is planning for different scenarios.

“These plans are taking into account various numbers of days and weeks that may be available for competition should schools come back into session and schools be allowed to compete,” Thompson said in a statement.

The overall theme of the plans mentioned by Thompson appears to be trying to find ways to conduct region and state championships regardless of how much, if any, of the regular season can be undertaken.

For team sports, which in spring include baseball, softball and boys volleyball, it is anticipated that schools will be divided within their classification into pools of three to five schools. Pool play would be used to seed region tournaments and, depending on how much time is available, pool play could eliminate teams from the region tournaments.

For individual sports of swimming and diving and track and field, there will be direct entry into the region championships for a maximum number of entries per event per school. For boys golf, each school would be allowed to enter a team of six into the region tournament, according to the statement.

Although nothing has been determined, currently there are no plans to extend the sports season.

“It is anticipated at this time that competition will not go beyond the dismissal of school for the current school year whenever that may occur,” Thompson said. “A lack of days/weeks to complete competition could result in competition through a region tournament only.”

Thompson noted that the NIAA already has scheduled sites for “nearly all” of the region and state tournament for the spring season.

“It is the hope of NIAA staff that all tournaments will be able to be held,” Thompson said.