The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association and MaxPreps recently entered into an agreement recognizing the website as Nevada’s official statistics and standings partner.
Despite the partnership, numerous coaches and athletic administrators are not clear on what the directive is designed to do
According to Donnie Nelson, assistant director of the NIAA, coaches must at least enter the final result of their league games. If results are not entered, a team will not qualify for the postseason. Nelson said coaches are not required to submit statistics this season, although he hopes they will.
The NIAA will use the results posted to MaxPreps so fans, coaches and media can follow a specific school or league. In addition, the NIAA will use the end of the year standings to determine playoff seeding.
Should a coach not enter results and decide to submit the records through one of the Division I-IV league presidents or the NIAA directly, the data will not be accepted, Nelson said.
“The NIAA will use the league standings off of MaxPreps to determine its playoff seeds,” he added. “Hence, if a coach does not report scores and doesn’t have a complete won-loss record, his/her team may or may not be seeded into the playoffs depending on what the team’s league record shows (or isn’t).
“The statistical information, however much a coach is willing and/or able to provide on the site, should prove to be of great interest to a great many, especially the media. The site has the capabilities of automatically updating statistical category leaders … in terms of league, region and even statewide leaders.”
For years, Southern Nevada has had up-to-date standings courtesy of Nevada Preps, the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s prep entity. Nevada Preps was used by the NIAA to determine playoff positioning for the southern leagues.
This year, though, the NIAA Board of Control voted MaxPreps as the official statewide record keeper for numerous sports. Those sports include football, baseball, softball, wrestling, boys and girls soccer, tennis, basketball and volleyball.
“I think the coaches will take to it,” Nelson added. “I know coaches are busy, many of them teach and have families, but I think they can do it.”
All NIAA-member schools are provided with a free account to submit scores and stats to provide an increase in accuracy and visibility for the state’s prep sports.
MaxPreps keeps updated statistical leaderboards, state records, game results and provide all information automatically to the NIAA.
MaxPreps is compatible with 38 different stat companies for various sports, which allows coaches to upload game results and stats directly from numerous devices, according to the NIAA.
“It is the sincere hope of the NIAA office staff that the MaxPreps partnership will prove to be of great value to student-athletes, coaches, fans and media members alike. This 2013-14 winter season is the NIAA’s first real go-round with the MaxPreps system, so we, too, as a staff, are excited and eager to see how it all plays out.”