Public vs. Private: Nevada high school football programs make unprecedented move to avoid Bishop Gorman

Keeping the Public vs. Private debate alive and running rampant around the country, enter the state of Nevada into the mix as of Wednesday, according to a Last Vegas Review-Journal report.

Per the report, Clark County School District (CCSD) Class 5A/4A Southern high school football programs made the unprecedented move and informed the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) of their intent to go independent status for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 calendar years to avoid playing local private schools like national powerhouse Bishop Gorman and Faith Lutheran.

The move impacts around 31 schools playing within the 5A/4A Southern districts, sending them to independent status for the next two years minimum, according to the report.

“The high school principals of the 4A and 5A aligned football programs in the Clark County School District (CCSD) have formally notified the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA), pursuant to NAC 385B.202(2), that their football programs will be on Independent Status for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 realignment cycle,” the NIAA said in a press release.

“The identified programs will enter Independent Status for a minimum of two years in accordance with
NIAA regulations. During this period, the football program will not participate in any NIAA-sanctioned postseason competition, including league, regional, or state championship playoffs.”

The Gaels, the No. 5 ranked team according to the final Rivals’ National High School Football Composite Rankings, are one of the country’s top programs and have displaye absolute dominance over any neighboring Las Vegas program.

In the eight 2025 games Bishop Gorman played against Nevada-based opponents, the Gaels out-scored them by a combined 355-13. The Gaels ended up defeating Arbor View, 44-7, for the NIAA’s Open Division state championship.

“When people start looking at what we have to play by as CCSD (schools) and what Gorman and the charter schools get to play by, are two different sets of rules,” Liberty co-athletic director and head football coach Rich Muraco said to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s not right. We’re playing for the same trophy under completely different sets of rules and different sets of advantages and disadvantages.”

Back in late January, the NIAA decided that it will not move forward with a new realignment/playoff structure for Class 5A/4A Southern football teams, changing course on the new postseason structure due to potential legal action by the Archdiocese of Las Vegas.

The Archdiocese claimed the BOD “violated multiple state and federal laws” when it came to the late November 2025 vote that passed unanimously among administrators. The Archdiocese had alleged that Clark County principals violated open meeting rules by gathering privately to construct a 10‑team Southern Class 5A classification.

The new structure that was voted and passed by a 10-0 vote back in late November was slated to start for the 2026 high school football season.

The format would have also been the beginning of a new 10-team Open Division, comprising of mostly southern teams in the state. The new structure had looked to move on from the HRM points rating system used this in the 2025 season for 5A/4A southern region teams, which was in its first year of implementation.

If the format stood, Bishop Gorman would have been regulated to playing nine in-state league contests and left with potentially the chance of one non-league game, leaving little room to play nationally ranked opponents. The Gaels last season played five out-of-state opponents in No. 21 Mater Dei, No. 7 Santa Margarita Catholic, Lone Peak (UT), Kahuku (HI) and East St. Louis (Ill.).

“It’s not just about Gorman,” Muraco added via the Review-Journal. “It’s the systematic problems that needs to be addressed. When it comes to the realignment process, Northern Nevada has gotten their way. They could dictate that they don’t want to play Bishop Gorman.

“They won’t do anything that’s going to upset the Northern teams, but they’re willing to let 30 CCSD teams walk away,” he added. “Maybe this wasn’t the right time to make it happen in the middle of a realignment cycle, but something’s got to change.”

How to Follow Nevada High School Football

For Nevada high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Silver State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Nevada high school football excitement across the state.