Despite numerous pleas, emails and comments, the high school sports seasons in Nevada are still on hold until at least January.

The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association concluded its quarterly Board of Control meeting on Wednesday — and as part of the agenda, officially approved a delay of high school sports to Jan. 2, a schedule proposed earlier this summer.

At the end of Wednesday’s meeting, NIAA executive director Bart Thompson announced he will be retiring, effective Aug. 1, 2021. 

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Thompson was named executive director in 2015, replacing Eddie Bonine, now overseeing high school sports in Louisiana.

He said his decision is due to his mother-in-law’s health issues and a desire to spend more time with his family.

Working with superintendents

Thompson said the NIAA is working closely with the 17 state school superintendents and is basing its decision to postpone sports on the state’s executive branch limiting crowds and contact.

Thompson said if schools are not doing in-person instruction, there is no way sports could be held. Clark County and Elko are not holding in-person instruction.

He said one parameter to allowing sports to begin is if schools can hold in-person instruction successfully for nine weeks, meaning no spikes in COVID-19 positive tests.

Thompson stressed that the superintendents make up the legislative commission of the NIAA and that the NIAA is made up of 118 member schools that are all parts of the various school districts.

He said that even though some rural areas of the state are not being hit as hard by the pandemic, schools in those areas indicated they would not want to begin sports any earlier than the rest of the state.

Sports schedule

Barring any surges in COVID-19 cases, or the development of a vaccine or a disappearance of the coronavirus, high school sports in Nevada will begin on Jan. 2 for winter sports practices.

In July, the NIAA, citing the COVID-19 pandemic, decided to not hold high school sports events in 2020.

The board approved moving up the first possible games for each season by a day. Winter sports can begin games on Thursday, Jan. 14. Fall sports can begin practices on Feb. 13 with the first games on Thursday, March 4. Spring sports can begin practice April 3 with the first games on Thursday, April 15. Each season will be six weeks long.

There was lengthy discussion about football teams not being able to play nearly as many games as other sports.

The board is leaving it up to each league if there will be a short regular season, followed by a one- or two-week playoff bracket.

There will not be any state tournaments for this school year.

Other NIAA news

Football is the biggest revenue driver of all the sports, bringing in $150,000 last year.

The NIAA said it has enough money in reserve to get through this school year, but will be severely underfunded for the next school year if sports do not return.

There had been some talk about having high school sports seasons extend beyond graduation dates, but Thompson said when he asked school administrators statewide about that, there was serious pushback and the idea was taken off the table.

Spectators are still not allowed when sports begin based on current government mandates, but Thompson said that could change by January.

He did not know if masks would be required, saying that would also be based on government mandates.

State baseball/softball

The large-school state baseball and softball championship were slated to be held in the north last spring, before the season was cancelled on March 14.

There was discussion about letting the North 5A/2A host state this school year to make up for that, but the board did not take action on the matter, leaving it as scheduled and held in the North in even years.

Track & field

Also Wednesday, the NIAA Board approved changes to the 2A state track & field championships. The top three from North, top three  from South and next two best marks will advance to state

3A football

In 3A football, the two divisions of the Northern 3A will play five league games on the schedule. 

The sixth game will have the corresponding seeded teams play each other, with the No. 1 seed vs. No. 1 seed determining the region champion.

Hall of Fame

The NIAA all of Fame induction ceremony originally scheduled for last spring, then moved to the fall, is now scheduled for April 16.

There are 15 athletes, coaches and luminaries from Northern Nevada set for induction.

The Southern NIAA Hall of Fame selection and ceremony will be moved back to 2022.

The NIAA alternates North and South Hall of Fame ceremonies every year.

More: Former teammates will be inducted into the NIAA Hall of Fame this year

Esports dead

The NIAA had been in talks to bring esports (video games) to the state, but Thompson said the company he had been dealing with has made numerous last-second changes to the contract, in addition to increasing the costs all around, and talks are no longer being held.

He said he will try to find a different vendor to resume pursuing esports in the state’s high schools.

Jim Krajewski covers high school and youth sports for the Reno Gazette Journal. Follow him on Twitter @RGJPreps. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.