Nevada High School Football Rolls Out New Points System, Adds Open Division for 2024 Season

The high school football season in Southern Nevada is officially underway, with teams hitting the field for practice this week in preparation for their season openers on Aug. 15. Arbor View, a program garnering early attention, will try to defend its 5A Division I state championship under new head coach Sam Norris. The Aggies will have some key pieces back, including Thaddeus Thatcher and Jayden Williams, and optimism will be in order to begin another strong season. 

This year, a new playoff format with a new points rating system was introduced to determine qualification for the Open Division and 5A and 4A Southern Region playoffs. The formula will incorporate standings from MaxPreps, point totals from the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) rubric, and Harbin rankings. These changes are intended to provide a more data-driven and competitive selection process for the playoffs.

In the 5A Southern Region, Liberty and Faith Lutheran are positioned as early contenders to secure spots in the newly created Open Division state tournament. The introduction of the Open Division has also resulted in a reduction of state championship games from seven to six, with each classification from 5A to 1A now having a single title matchup.

Bishop Gorman enters the season as the frontrunner in the Open Division. The nationally recognized powerhouse is currently ranked No. 3 in the country and is scheduled for a high-stakes showdown against top-ranked Mater Dei on Sept. 19.