Six-week seasons, fall sports in March and likely no state tournaments.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) today announced significant adjustments to the 2020-21 high school sports schedule.
A memo from NIAA executive director Bart Thompson stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, high school sports are postponed until Jan. 2, 2021. Winter season (basketball, wrestling) practices are scheduled to begin on that date with the first contests to be played on Jan. 15. The season will run six weeks, ending on Feb. 20.
The fall season (football, volleyball) will actually be played in the late winter/early spring, with the first day of practice for football on Feb. 13 and all other sports Feb. 20. First contests can be played on March 5 and the last day for fall competition is scheduled for April 10.
Spring sports (baseball, softball) are scheduled to start practicing on April 3, with contests starting on April 16 and the last day of competition May 22.
Thompson stated in an email that this announcement was necessary to end uncertainty with the typical start of fall sports right around the corner.
“With some fall sports season practices originally scheduled to begin July 30, schools needed to know if adjustments were to be made and what they would be,” he said.
Any type of playoff competition is to be coordinated by individual classifications, regions or leagues and would need to take place within the six weeks allotted for each respective season. The NIAA is not planning to put on state tournaments this school year.
Co-Assistant Director at NIAA Donnie Nelson said many factors went into the decision to delay the start of the athletic calendar, including the current COVID-19 circumstances, health and safety of all involved, aligning the calendar to “give the best opportunity for each sport to be conducted as effectively and efficiently as possible…” and to avoid overlap so students can participate in multiple sports.