The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I (Division I FBS for football) and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rival is the Wolf Pack of the University of Nevada, Reno. As the two major colleges in the state of Nevada, the schools celebrate a heated rivalry in several sports. The most well-known of these games is the Battle for Nevada, a football game held each year in which the winner takes home the Fremont Cannon, a refurbished 19th century howitzer that is the largest and most expensive trophy in collegiate football. Many of the Rebels teams have variations of the team name, such as the Runnin' Rebels for men's basketball; Hustlin' Rebels was an unofficial nickname for the baseball team, but it's not used any longer.

The 1990 Runnin' Rebels basketball team defeated Duke University, in the biggest blowout in college basketball championship game history, 103-73, to win the NCAA National Championship, UNLV's first Division I National Championship in one of the three major sports. The UNLV golf team won the school's second team National Championship in 1998. The Rebels also have won six individual national championships: 2 mens golf, 2 mens tennis, 2 women's track and field.^[1]

Football[link]

The UNLV Rebels football team plays at Sam Boyd Stadium, an off campus stadium which seats 36,800 (with the ability to seat more than 40,000 if needed) for football and is owned by the university. The stadium originally opened in 1971 as the Las Vegas Stadium and was renamed the Las Vegas Silver Bowl in 1978. In 1984 it was renamed Sam Boyd Silver Bowl and finally Sam Boyd Stadium in 1994. 1997 saw the addition of the Rebel Experience outside the stadium. The stadium closed in 1998 and had a grand reopening in 1999 after a major facelift and renovation that featured an increase from 32,000 permanent seats to 36,800 permanent seats, a complete renovation of the concourse level, a completely new press tower featuring luxury suites and club seats named the Wells Fargo Tower, a new video scoreboard and a switch from the retractable artificial turf to natural grass. 2003 saw the natural grass replaced with a synthetic surface, made by TurfTech. In 2009, a new auxiliary scoreboard was installed at the south end of the stadium and new DreamSuites were installed in both endzones. The Rebels were once a powerhouse in Division II before jumping to Division I-A (now Division I FBS) and have seen some trouble since their promotion. Although the Rebels have faced some adversity, they are one of the only teams to be undefeated in bowl games, winning the California Bowl in 1984 (subsequently forfeited due to ineligible players) and the Las Vegas Bowl twice in 1994 and 2000. The Rebels have only won 2 conference championships in their history, both in the Big West Conference. They have had 9 All-Americans, 13 times, 9 Conference MVPs, 1 Conference Student Athlete of the Year, 3 Conference Coaches of the Year, 4 Conference Freshman of the Year, and 2 Freshman All-Americans. UNLV's football rivals include Nevada, with whom UNLV plays in the annual Battle for Nevada in which the winner is awarded the Fremont Cannon and BYU, because of the large Mormon population in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Famous Rebels football players include Randall Cunningham, Suge Knight, Kenny Mayne, Keenan McCardell, Adam Seward, and Ickey Woods. In July 2010 legendary figure John Robinson officially become the first UNLV player or head coach enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame during ceremonies culminating Saturday in South Bend, Ind. The Rebels practice on campus at the largest football practice facility in the country, Bill "Wildcat" Morris Rebel Park at Ernie Becker, Sr. Football Fields. Beginning in 2010, the Rebels will practice on the same brand of synthetic turf used by the NFL's New Orleans Saints in the Superdome and on the fields at Ohio State and Boise State. The new turf is being installed on both of the facility's 100-yard lighted fields. The Rebels also received a major renovation to their on campus locker room located inside the Lied Athletic Complex. The new Bill Ireland features 114 custom-made player lockers along with a new player lounge area.

Basketball[link]

Men's basketball[link]

The most decorated team at UNLV is the Runnin' Rebels men's basketball team, which plays at the Thomas & Mack Center @ Jerry Tarkanian Court which seats 18,776 for basketball and is on the UNLV campus. The arena opened in 1983 and received a major interior and exterior renovation prior to the start of the 1999-2000 season. 1993 saw the addition of the expanded and renovated Marilyn and Si Redd basketball offices which were again renovated in 2004. In 2005, the court was named Tarkanian Court in honor of former head coach Jerry "Tark the Shark" Tarkanian who coached UNLV from 1973–1992 and had a record of 509-105 (.829) during that run. 2008 saw the installation of all new visual equipment which included a 4-sided new center-hung LED widescreen scoreboard which includes four LED advertising/scoring boards above it and a LED advertising ring below it to replace the one installed in 1995, a partial LED ring beam display covering 80% of the balcony's rim, a new 50' LED scorer's table display, a new shot clock system for the backboards, six wall-mounted locker room game clocks, two new custom scoreboards with fixed digital scoring and complete player stats and a new outdoor marquee LED video billboard. In 2008, ESPN.com released its "Counting down the most prestigious programs since 1984-85" list. The list was based on ESPN's Prestige Rankings, a numerical method of ranking the best Division I men's college basketball programs since the 1984-85 season. Of the 300 teams ranked, the Runnin' Rebels came in at #8. In a list compiled by Forbes in 2010, UNLV earned mention among the nation's most valuable college basketball teams. Ranking in the top 20, the Rebels checked in at No. 20, with a listed team value of $12.9 million and a profit of $8.3 million this year. On the 2009 list, UNLV was No. 16. UNLV is one of two programs from outside of the six power conferences listed, with the other being Xavier at No. 15. UNLV also currently holds the NCAA record for most consecutive games with a made three-pointer. The Runnin' Rebels have made at least one three-point goal in each game since the rule was adopted universally for the 1986-87 season. The last time UNLV failed to make a three-pointer was January 25, 1986 against Long Beach State. With an overall record of 1,058-429 (.711) against four year institutions, the Runnin' Rebels are the fourth-winningest Division I men's basketball program in the country as measured by all-time winning percentage. Only Kentucky (.758), North Carolina (.738), and Kansas (.713) have better winning percentages. UNLV has also seen great success in the NCAA Tournament with .673 winning percentage in the tournament including four Final Four appearances and a national title in 1990 in a 103-73 runaway over Duke - the highest margin of victory in NCAA tournament championship game history. The Runnin' Rebels have the 7th highest NCAA tournament winning percentage with a min. of 20 tournament games played. They also saw success at the NCAA Small College division having appeared in 4 NCAA Tournament appearances including national runner-up in 1968. They have won 25 conference championships (11 Regular Season/14 Tournament) including three Mountain West Conference Tournament championships, the most in the conference. The Runnin' Rebels have made 17 NCAA Division 1 Tournament appearances including 4 Final Four sppearances. The 1991 Runnin' Rebels are the last team to enter the NCAA Tournament with an undefeated record. The Runnin' Rebels have also appeared in 3 Pre-Season NIT tournaments including 2 Final Fours and 1 Pre-Season NIT championship, and 10 NIT tournaments including 1 Final Four appearance. Famous Runnin' Rebels include Greg Anthony, Stacey Augmon, Marcus Banks, Larry Johnson, Shawn Marion, and Reggie Theus. The Runnin' Rebels have had 3 Olympians, 4 times including 2 Olympic Bronze Medalists, 18 All-Americans, 26 times, 1 John Wooden Award winner, and 12 NBA first round draft picks. In 2010, UNLV announced the construction of the Mendenhall Center which will be the new practice home for the Runnin' Rebels. The Mendenhall Center broke ground in October 2010 and will be attached to the south side of the COX Pavilion and will have a total of 38,000 square feet (3,500 m²) of space on three levels. Included will be two basketball courts, an academic area and film room, locker rooms, athletic training, strength and conditioning, and equipment areas. The facility will be complete in the Spring of 2011. The Lady Rebels will continue to practice on the lower level of the COX Pavilion which has its own women's locker facilities, player lounges and practice courts for woman's basketball and volleyball. In November 2010, HBO Sports announced that it had begun production of "Runnin' Rebels of UNLV," a documentary of the program under the controversial head coach Jerry Tarkanian. HBO will revisit the period from 1973 to 1992 and will debut in March on the eve of the 2011 NCAA tournament. "The Runnin' Rebels' impact on college basketball is indisputable," said HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg. "Their accomplishments on the court made them royalty in Las Vegas, and their glamorous approach made them media stars nationally, but their coach's enduring battle with the NCAA eventually triggered the end of the dynasty. We are going to chronicle their story, providing an in-depth portrait of the main characters who lit up the desert." The era, of course, peaked in the early 1990s. On the heels of winning the 1990 NCAA title, the Rebels, behind stars like Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony, went undefeated in the 1990-91 regular season before falling to Duke in the Final Four, 79-77. The documentary will center around Tarkanian, who compiled a 509-105 record in his time at UNLV, but constantly was hounded by the NCAA. The issues with the organization ultimately were put to bed in 1998, when Tarkanian took a $2.5 million out-of-court settlement with the NCAA, who he claimed had tried to drive him from college basketball. HBO Sports' documentary group has earned 30 Sports Emmy Awards and eight Peabody Awards over the years. Its past college basketball projects include "Battle for Tobacco Road: Duke vs. Carolina," "The UCLA Dynasty," "Perfect Upset: The 1985 Villanova vs. Georgetown NCAA Championship" and "City Dump: The Story of the 1951 CCNY Basketball Scandal."

Women's basketball[link]

The Lady Rebels started play during the 1974-75 season and have an overall record of 652-385 (.629). They play their home games at COX Pavilion which seats 2,500 and is on the UNLV campus. The state-of-the-art 78,000-square-foot (7,200 m²), two-level facility opened in 2001. The structure is attached to the Thomas & Mack Center on both the concourse level and the practice level. They have appeared in 8 NCAA tournaments, 4 AIAW tournaments, 8 WNIT tournaments including 1 runner-up finish, have won 9 conference championships (4 Regular Season/5 Tournament), have had 9 All-Americans, 14 times, 1 National Freshman of the Year, 5 Conference MVPs and 2 Conference Freshman of the Year winners. Famous Lady Rebels include Pauline Jordan, Linda Fröhlich, Constance Jinks, and Sequoia Holmes who have all played in the WNBA. The Lady Rebels basketball team will be reality stars in 2010 as the MountainWest Sports Network announced that the Lady Rebels will be one of two teams, along with the Colorado State men's basketball team, that will be featured on two new original programs: Season Pass: UNLV Women's Basketball and Season Pass: Colorado State Men's Basketball, that will provide an insider look into the two basketball teams. The show is a continuation of The Mtn.'s Reaching the Peak (former title), which in past seasons has featured the TCU baseball team, Colorado State men's basketball and football teams, and the Wyoming football team. Each show provides viewers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into athletic programs across the Mountain West Conference that delves into the lives of the student-athletes. Season Pass will follow the Lady Rebels from the first days of practice through the 2011 Conoco Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships. Unique elements from the prior seasons will return including Player Profiles and the Lady Rebels Glossary. Both shows will incorporate a player version of Coach `em Up called This Is My Game, which features different players demonstrating a how-to on various on-court techniques. Additional web-only segments will be available throughout the season exclusively at www.themtn.tv.

Baseball[link]

Main article: UNLV Hustlin' Rebels baseball

The Hustlin' Rebels are the baseball team at UNLV and play their games at Earl E. Wilson Stadium at Roger Barnson Field which seats 3,000 and is on the UNLV campus. The stadium opened in 1994. In 1997, the infield playing surface was replaced and the outfield fences was replaced with a new fence that stands 12' high. In 2007 the stadium received a new playing surface, and in 2009 it received a new scoreboard in left field to replace the original. In 2010, the locker rooms were remodeled, the clubhouse lounge area received new flatscreen TVs and couches, the infield grass was replaced, new black padding was installed behind the backstop, a fresh halo was installed around the batting circle and the facility received a fresh coat of red paint. Future plans call for a new clubhouse, a new synthetic outfield surface, an overhang for the bleachers, a two-story press box, new batting cages and a video scoreboard to replace the scoreboard which was installed in 2009. The Hustlin' Rebels have appeared in 10 NCAA Regional Tournaments, have won 10 conference championships, have had 1 Olympian, 1 time, have had 17 All-Americans, 20 times, have had 4 Conference MVPs and 1 Conference Coach of the Year. Famous Hustlin' Rebels include Marty Cordova, Cecil Fielder, Toby Hall, Ryan Ludwick, Todd Stottlemyre, and Matt Williams.

Golf[link]

Men's golf[link]

The Rebels men's golf team is a perennial powerhouse in the NCAA, routinely making the top 25 every season. The Rebels home course is the Par 72 Southern Highlands Golf Club which is rated as one of the top private clubs in the country. The course opened in 2000. The golf team has won one team national title (1998) and has produced two individual national champions (Warren Schutte in 1991 and Ryan Moore in 2004), as well as 6 conference championships, 21 consecutive NCAA berths, 4 NCAA West Reginal titles, 6 conference individual titles, 21 All-Americans, 39 times, 3 NCAA Regional medalists, 2 National Coach of the Year awards, 1 Ben Hogan Award winner, 1 Jack Nicklaus Award winner, 1 Fred Haskins Award winner, 1 Golfstat Award winner, 1 National Freshman of the Year, 10 Conference MVPs and 2 Conference Freshman of th Year winners. The golf program has turned out numerous PGA pros including Ryan Moore, Chad Campbell,^[2] Chris Riley, Adam Scott,^[3] Charley Hoffman, Bill Lunde, and Andres Gonzales.^[2]

Women's golf[link]

The Lady Rebels golf team began its inaugural season during the 2001-02 academic year and has won 3 Conference championships, have 3 NCAA Finals appearances, have 7 NCAA regional appearances, 1 NCAA individual appearance, 3 All-Americans, 5 times, 3 conference MVPs, 3 Conference Freshman of the Years, and 2 Conference Coach of te Years. The Rebels' home course is the Par 72 Dragon Ridge Country Club at MacDonald Highlands which opened in 2000.

Other sports[link]

Soccer[link]

The men's and women's soccer teams play at Robert J. Miller Soccer Building @ Peter F. Johann Memorial Soccer Field which seats 2,500 and is located on the UNLV campus. Peter F. Johann Memorial Soccer Field opened in 1983 and the Robert J. Miller Soccer Building opened in 1990. In 2006, the entire field was replaced. The men's soccer team competes in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while the women compete in the Mountain West. Men's Soccer: The men's team has made 5 NCAA tournament appearances, has won 4 conference championships, 1 conference tournament championship, have had 5 All-Americans, have had 5 Conference MVPs, 2 Conference Coach of the Years, and 1 Conference Freshman of the Year. Dating back to 1975 the men's soccer team has had the support of Las Vegas businessman, Ken Johann and his wife Alice. After the passing of their son Peter from a sports related accident, they decided to honor their son with a memorial scholarship that is given out every year. The Peter Johann Memorial Scholarship assists one student-athlete who demonstrates excellence in six areas: academic performance, techniques and tactics of soccer, team loyalty, cooperation, leadership and endurance. Women's Soccer: The women's soccer team has appeared in 3 NCAA tournaments, has won 2 conference championships, 2 conference tournament championships, has had 3 Conference MVPs and 2 Conference Coach of the Years.

Softball[link]

The Rebel softball team plays at Eller Media Stadium at Jim Rogers Field which seats 770 and is on the UNLV campus. The stadium opened in 2002. They have appeared in 9 NCAA tournaments, have 3 College World Series berths, one conference title, have had 12 All-Americans, 20 times, 1 Olympian, 3 times including 1 Olympic Gold medalist, 3 times, two Conference Coach of the Years, 5 times, 4 Conference MVPs, 5 times, 2 Conference Pitchers of the Year, and 1 Conference Freshman of the Year. Famous former Lady Rebels include Lori Harrigan.

Swimming and diving[link]

The men's and women's swimming and diving teams compete at the James L. "Bucky" Buchanan Natatorium which seats 1,200 and is on the UNLV campus. The facility opened in 1975. A full record board was added in 2006 and a new timing system and results scoreboard was added in 2007. The facility received a total renovation from the walls in 2009 which included a new pool, new pool deck, new diving boards, new bulkhead and a new drainage and plumbing system. The Men's Swimming and Diving squad has won 2 conference championships, 6 conference tournament championships including 6 straight, has had 20 All-Americans, 41 times, has had 11 conference MVPs and 8 conference Coaches of the Year. The women's squad has won 1 conference championship, four conference tournament championships, has had 7 All Americans, 16 times, has had 15 Conference MVPs, and 4 Conference Coach of the Years. Combined, both teams have had 7 Olympians, 9 times.

Tennis[link]

The men's and women's tennis squads compete at the Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex which seats 2,000 and is on the UNLV campus. The facility opened in 1993 and features 12 lighted courts and a stadium club. The men's tennis team has had 2 NCAA individual national champions, has 3 Collegiate Grand Slam titles, has made 7 NCAA tournament appearance, has won 4 Conference championships, has had 5 All-Americans, 9 times, 6 Conference MVPs, 3 Conference Coaches of the Year and 2 Conference Freshman of the Years. The women's squad has made 8 NCAA tournament appearances, has won 2 conference championship, 3 Conference tournament championships, has had 3 All-Americans, 5 times, has had 1 National Rookie of the Year, 8 Conference MVPs, 1 Conference Student Athlete of the Year, 3 Conference Freshman of the Years, and 2 Conference Coaches of the Year.

Volleyball[link]

The volleyball team competes at the COX Pavilion which seats 2,500 and is on the UNLV campus. The state-of-the-art 78,000-square-foot (7,200 m²), two-level facility opened in 2001. The Rebels have made 1 NCAA tournament appearance, have won 1 Conference championship, have had 2 Conference Freshman of the Year and 2 Conference Coaches of the year. The team played from 1978–1980, 1984–85, and was then restarted in 1996. No teams was fielded from 1981–83 and from 1986-1995.

Cross country / track and field[link]

The Cross County and track and field teams compete at the Myron Partridge Stadium @ Sheila Tarr Smith Field which seats 1,000 and is on the UNLV campus. The stadium opened in 1998. They have had 2 NCAA individula national champions, have won 5 Conference outdoor championships, 1 conference indoor championship, have had 2 Olympians, 3 times, have had 44 All-Americans, 83 times and have had 1 U.S. Olympic Head Coach.

Cheer and dance[link]

The UNLV Cheerleaders and the UNLV Rebel Girls are fixtures at football games as well as Runnin' Rebel and Lady Rebel basketball games. The teams perform at a variety of UNLV events, conventions and shows, and volunteer their tme to appear at numerous events throughout the Las Vegas community. They also serve as coaches for the Rebel Starzz. Rebel Starzz is a cheer and dance team for children ages 4–15 years old. Over the last years, the Rebel Girls have become a fixture in finals at the USA College Championships. The cheer group stunt team won the national title in 2010 and the Rebel Girls won the national title for the 2nd time in three years in the Hip Hop-4-year college division. The cheer stunt groups have finished in the top three 4 of the last five years including being national champions 2 times in the last three years. The cheer partner team won the national championships in 2005 and 2006 and the small co-ed team won the title in 2005. In 2008, the Rebel Girls finished 3rd in the nation in the UCA/UDA Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championships in the Division IA Hip Hop category. The cheer team practices on the practice level of the COX Pavilion while the Rebel Girls practice at the Paul McDermott Complex on the UNLV campus. The Cheer team has been featured in an ESPN SportsCenter commercial and had their own episode of "A Day in the Life of: a UNLV Cheerleader" which was aired on the MountainWest Sports Network in 2008. Both groups appeared together with members of the Star Of Nevada Marching Band during a recent taping of Live with Regis and Kelly while the show was in Las Vegas.

Equipment/marketing/strength & conditioning and sports medicine[link]

Nike[link]

Beginning in 2008, Nike and UNLV entered into a contract that makes Nike the exclusive product supplier and sponsor of all UNLV athletic teams. UNLV signed two five-year contracts and one three-year deal with the famous shoemaker to handle its athletic apparel and shoe needs that is valued at $3 million over the course of the agreements. UNLV's three-year deal covers men's basketball for $155,000 per year for a combined value of $465,000. The five-year contracts are for football ($230,000 annually, $1.15 million total) and all other sports ($277,000 and $1.385 million). UNLV will have to make a complete changeover in apparel not only for coaches and athletes but for equipment managers, team physicians and sports information personnel. Nike is giving a two-year grace period to change all practice apparel to its brand. Previous to the new contract, UNLV used a combination of Nike, Russell Athletic and Adidas for its shoe and apparel needs.

Marketing[link]

In 2007, the UNLV Athletics Department and International Sports Properties, Inc. (ISP Sports) agreed to become partners and work together with UNLV's multi-media rights and corporate sales and sponsorship development for athletics, special events and entertainment. The partnership will guarantee UNLV Athletics more than $32 million over the next 10 years that will go into its athletics and entertainment venues as well as enhancing the visibility of its sponsors and advertisers. Three elements make up the royalty from ISP to UNLV: annual guaranteed rights fees, signage stipends and revenue sharing of totals in excess of defined thresholds. Founded in 1992, ISP Sports has grown tremendously within the intercollegiate athletics marketplace. Its corporate headquarters is located in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the company operates more than 40 other regional offices and has nearly 250 employees. As the country's largest and fastest growing multimedia rights holder, ISP Sports serves as an active partner with more than 40 of America's leading universities including UCLA, California, Washington, BYU and TCU, four major conferences and two postseason bowl games. In 2010, the UNLV Athletics Department and Justice Entertainment Group (JEG) agreed to form a unique relationship to book and market speicial events hosted in the Thomas & Mack Center, COX Pavilion and Sam Boyd Stadium. JEG is an entertainment and business company that specializes in producing entertainment and sporting event content for arenas, stadiums, theaters, and night clubs. It is a promoter and producer of concert tours, festivals, and sporting events as well as convention content for private commercial partners and properties. The partnership will help to protect the university's current revenue streams as well as create new ones and bring additional resources to enhance UNLV's special events and athletic events. The new partnership will go hand-in-hand with the currentl ISP Sports partnership.

Television package[link]

The Mountain West Conference television package reaches a national audience through a combination of telecasts on The MountainWest Sports Network (The Mtn.), CBS College Sports Network (CBSC / formerly CSTV) and VERSUS. The Mtn. has been available to cable subscribers in the MWC footprint since it first aired in 2006-07 and all three networks are now available nationally on DIRECTV and CBSC and VERSUS are available nationally on DISH Network. Additionally, CBS-C can now be seen on AT&T U-verse TV. 2010-2011 will also see a handful of MWC men's basketball games on CBS.

Lied Athletic Complex[link]

August 1996 marked a new era in UNLV athletics with the opening of the Lied Athletic Complex, one of the nation's premier on-campus sports facilities. The Lied, honored with Athletic Management magazine's 1997 Award of Excellence, was exclusively funded by private donations beginning with a cornerstone gift of from the Lied Foundation Trust, through its trustee Ms. Christina Hixson, in 1993. The success of the Lied complex is tied to a design that benefited from input from each of the groups utilizing the facility. Coaches, athletic trainers, equipment personnel and other support staff all were involved in the building's final design. A generous gift from the Redd's provided the Lied with a state-of-the-art 8,500-square-foot (790 m²) Marilyn and Si Redd Sports Medicine Complex for preventative and rehabilitative care. This complex includes a doctor's office and examination room, a taping room, an aquatic therapy room, two additional therapy and rehabilitation areas and a self-contained drug-testing facility. The Ernie Becker, Sr. Strength and Conditioning Center features 8,500 square feet (790 m²) of main floor containing Olympic platforms, free weights, power racks and more than 60 weight stations. Additionally, a 1,200-square-foot (110 m²) balcony offers areas for plyometrics, stretching and aerobics. The room also features a premium sound system to further enhance the workout experience. A recent addition features a covered outdoor agility drills area which features a 3,000-square-foot (280 m²) artificial turf field. The Lied's 10,000-square-foot (930 m²), two-sided equipment center provides student-athlete support service featuring laundry, equipment and storage for all 17 sports. The new, highly efficient laundry facility comes complete with four commercial washers and six commercial dryers that enable staff to cut what was once a five hour job down to 90 minutes. The Conrad Hilton Foundation provided funding for the Barron Hilton Auditorium located inside the Lied Athletic Complex. This 328-seat auditorium provides student-athletes with study hall facilities including individual meeting rooms for tutorial support and team meetings. For the first time, all UNLV student-athletes can be assembled at once for NCAA briefings or campus orientations. Honorary lettermen with gifts of $100,000 each provided additional funding for the completion of 19 team and staff locker rooms and 10,000 square feet (930 m²) of administrative offices, as well as new computers for study hall, sound systems and satellite television for scouting and filming, and a copy center for staff and administration. In addition, in 2010, the UNLV Football Foundation's gift provided the new Bill Ireland football locker room with the necessary 114 customized player lockers for student-athletes' larger equipment. Offering all of its student-athletes the best possible environment to pursue their athletic and academic dreams, the Lied Athletic Complex will help lead UNLV into the next century and beyond.

Additional training rooms[link]

Located inside the Thomas & Mack Center, the basketball training room saw a major renovation in 2005. The COX Pavilion also has a training room which allows the training staff another location to provide treatment for therapeutic and preventative care to men's and woman's basketball players. There is also a training room located at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Olympians[link]

Through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 13 UNLV student-athletes had participated in the Olympics. The university has had medal winning alumni in each of the last three Olympiads. A total of 9 countries, including the U.S. have been represented by UNLV athletes. One athlete has been to three Olympics and four have been two-time Olympians.

The total number of medals won by UNLV athletes is 5, including 3 gold (all in women's softball) and 2 bronze (both in men's basketball).

Last	First	Year	Sport	Event	Medal	Country
Andersson	Jonas	2008	Swimming	100m Breaststroke		Sweden
Andersson	Jonas	2008	Swimming	4x100m Relay (Medley)		Sweden
Augmon	Stacey	1988	Basketball		Bronze	United States
Bartoch	Joe	2008	Swimming	100m Butterfly		Canada
Diaconescu	Ioana	2000	Swimming	4x100m Relay (Freestyle)		Romania
Diaconescu	Ioana	2000	Swimming	4x200m Relay (Freestyle)		Romania
Diaconescu	Ioana	2000	Swimming	4x100m Relay (Medley)		Romania
Dickel	Mark	2000	Basketball			New Zealand
Dickel	Mark	2004	Basketball			New Zealand
Harrigan	Lori	1996	Softball		Gold	United States
Harrigan	Lori	2000	Softball		Gold	United States
Harrigan	Lori	2004	Softball		Gold	United States
Hortness	Richard	2008	Swimming	50m Freestyle		Canada
Hutchinson	Ayanna	2000	Track and Field	100m		Trinidad and Tobago
Hutchinson	Ayanna	2004	Track and Field	100m		Trinidad and Tobago
Hutchinson	Ayanna	2004	Track and Field	4x100m relay		Trinidad and Tobago
Livingston	Andrew	2000	Swimming	100m Butterfly		Puerto Rico
Livingston	Andrew	2000	Swimming	200m Butterfly		Puerto Rico
Livingston	Andrew	2004	Swimming	200m Butterfly		Puerto Rico
Marion	Shawn	2004	Basketball		Bronze	United States
Mintenko	Mike	2000	Swimming	100m Butterfly		Canada
Mintenko	Mike	2000	Swimming	4x200m Relay (Freestyle)		Canada
Mintenko	Mike	2000	Swimming	4x100m Relay (Medley)		Canada
Mintenko	Mike	2004	Swimming			Canada
Perri	Tista	2000	Baseball			Italy
Simon	Jacint	2000	Swimming	4x200m Relay (Freestyle)		Hungary
Tyson	Alicia	2000	Track and Field			Trinidad and Tobago

Traditions/spirit[link]

School songs[link]

UNLV has two common songs that can be heard at various athletic and academic events. These two songs are the alma mater and "Win With the Rebels," the school's official fight song. The lyrics for the alma mater were written by Thomas Leslie and Robyn Lemon and the music composed by Eric Whitacre.^[4]

UNLV's Fight Song "Win With the Rebels" was composed by Gerald Willis in 1986, ©1990, Gerald G. Willis.

School colors[link]

The school colors of Scarlet and Gray can be traced to the late-1950s when UNLV adopted as mascot a wolf wearing a Confederate uniform. Scarlet and Gray were traditional colors of the Confederacy with its gray uniforms and red-based flag.

Nickname[link]

The nickname "Rebels" was given to UNLV athletic teams because the school, emerging from the shadow of the University of Nevada, Reno, in effect "rebelled" against its bigger and older brother to the north. The name "Runnin' Rebels" (always spelled without a "g") was coined in 1974 by then-sports information director Dominic Clark but refers only to the UNLV men's basketball team.

History[link]

Opened as a satellite campus in 1957 with a total of 28 students, the southern regional division of the University of Nevada became Nevada Southern University in 1965 and finally evolved into UNLV four years later when the Board of Regents granted it autonomy under the state's higher education system. Men's basketball was the first sport organized at UNLV, opening play in 1958 under head coach and athletic director Michael "Chub" Drakulich. Baseball, also coached by Drakulich, started in 1960 and football came to campus nearly a decade later when head coach Bill Ireland's squad went 8-1 in 1968. Women's club sports such as tennis emerged in 1960 under administrator Alice Mason but basketball became the first women's varsity sport in 1974. Moving to Division One in football in time for the 1978 season, UNLV would become a member of the Big West Conference (originally called the PCAA) in 1982. The Rebels moved to the 16-team Western Athletic Conference from 1996-98 before becoming original members of the new Mountain West Conference beginning in 1999. The department currently sponsors seven men's and 10 women's athletic varsity programs.

UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame[link]

For an alphabetical list of inductees, see footnote^[5]

Born in 1987, the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame^[6] has grown to 105 members strong. Under the hall's bylaws, former student-athletes must have completed their eligibility at least 10 years earlier to be selected. Coaches and administrators must have stopped working at the University five years previous. All classes now enter on a biennial basis.

Runnin' Rebels pregame show[link]

"AND NOW..." Two words that start it all: clear floor ... drop lights ... cue band ... start dancers ... roll fireworks ... and get ready for the greatest pregame show in all of college basketball. The Voice of the Rebels takes everyone in the Thomas & Mack Center through 2 minutes and 40 seconds of excitement that gets the players introduced and the crowd on its feet. Public address announcer Dick Calvert is your host for the spectacular and has been since its inception in the mid-1970s. Originally, the pregame show was just swirling spot lights, a loud pep band and excitable cheerleaders getting things rolling during player introductions. "We wanted to add some pizzazz, give it a touch of Vegas," said Dominic Clark, UNLV sports information director at the time. "When we saw the affect it had on spectators and visiting teams, we lengthened it." As the team became more known, so did too, its university's pregame show. Fans came earlier. Reporters called. Photographers set up to capture the spectacle on film. All of this was before the Thomas & Mack Center when the Rebels were running the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center. "It was a natural progression for a team that was becoming big time," said Calvert. "Basketball people across the country were talking about the team in the desert." Apparently the UNLV athletic brain trust had to wing it because there was nothing else like it in sports. "We were pioneers," said Clark. "No one else had anything so elaborate and it just continued to expand." The pregame show continued to expand and arouse the Thomas & Mack Center faithful. At the same time, a great effect on the visiting team became quite noticeable as well. "The other teams were intimidated by it all," said Clark. "Sometimes they were shell shocked even after the game started and wouldn't score a point for 10 minutes while the Rebels ran up and down the floor. A visiting coach once told Sports Illustrated that the pregame show was worth 10 points to UNLV." The pregame show has grown so big and boisterous that visiting teams often duck it completely. "Teams coming in here for the first time would get caught by surprise," Calvert said. "But coaches in the conference got smart and started pulling their teams off the court so they wouldn't get intimidated. (former Georgetown coach) John Thompson learned always to take his team out." The Runnin' Rebels' move into their state-of-the-art arena allowed for more additions to the show. Calvert now announced the rolling out of the red carpet and the light show became more intricate with strobe effects. And things got really wild with the introduction of fireworks. About two decades ago, former TMC director of operations Mike Enoch decided it was time to go all out. He worked with Matt Dillingham of Advanced Entertainment Services on developing an indoor pyrotechnic light show and in 1986 the sparks really flew. Dillingham, who is the president of the company, went on to work with numerous professional teams in the NBA and NHL but said none can duplicate the excitement and breadth of the Rebels' show. "A lot of professional teams try to duplicate what UNLV does but don't get close to it," Dillingham said. "I know a lot of people who have come to games just to see the pregame show." The exhibition uses 60 pyrotechnic effects, 24 strobe lights, 36 other lights, takes four to five hours to set up and a crew of seven to pull it off at game time. Great care is taken to head off any safety problems. The basketball floor is cleared except for the cheerleaders and they stand in a protected area in the middle of the court. Plus, Dillingham said all fireworks are of the indoor variety, meaning they're not toxic. After gaining a reputation in the West, the show was first broadcast in its entirety during a nationally televised game in the late-1980s.

Voice of the Rebels: Dick Calvert[link]

A familiar sound to UNLV fans of all ages, Dick Calvert, the "Voice of the Rebels", is in his fourth decade as the game announcer for UNLV Athletics. Calvert, who calls UNLV football, basketball, men's & women's soccer, baseball games and other events at Sam Boyd Stadium, Thomas & Mack Center, Cox Pavilion, Peter Johann Memorial Field, and Earl E. Wilson Stadium, also serves as the game announcer of the MWC basketball tournament, the Las Vegas Bowl, the NBA Vegas Summer League. Additionally, the longtime university staffer, works MWC Championships hosted by UNLV and is the official starter for a number of university and NCAA golf tournaments. Calvert annually works over 100 local events.

The former ply-by-play broadcaster is also one of the most experienced commentators of American professional soccer, having served 18 seasons in both the North American and Major Soccer Leagues. Calvert had the privilege of working in three World Cups. The Las Vegas resident retired from broadcasting and the UNLV athletics department, after serving as the director of broadcasting, director of athletic marketing for Olympic sports and director of athletic facilities/operations. Calvert and his wife Anne have four adult children and are the grandparents of 10.

Scarlet Danceline[link]

Showcased for the very first time in 2009, the Scarlet Danceline is featured during halftime performances. The group is under the aegis of the Rebel Girls dance team and regularly performs at pregame and halftime shows with the Star of Nevada Marching Band for Rebel Football games, select pep rallies and university related events.

Star of Nevada Marching Band[link]

Numbering more than 100 strong, the Star of Nevada Marching Band, which began in its present form in 1978, is a big part of Rebel Football Gameday. Whether it's pumping up the crowds at the Rebel Experience or entertaining fans at halftime and post-game, home Saturdays at Sam Boyd Stadium would not be the same without strains of "Win with the Rebels" peppering the autumn air. Directed by Tony LaBounty, the UNLV band also performs at other University-related events as well as select convention appearances.

Runnin' Rebels/Lady Rebels Pep Band[link]

After football season, marching band members are eligible to audition for the Runnin' Rebels and Lady Rebels Pep Band. The pep band is a band consisting of wind, percussion, and electronic instruments. The pep band performs at all UNLV Rebel Basketball home games and at special engagements throughout Las Vegas.

Mascots, old and new[link]

Today it's Hey Reb but some at UNLV still remember the first official Rebel mascot—Beauregard. Dressed in a gray military field jacket and Confederate cap, Beau is a fanged, winking, black and white cartoon wolf. He came to be because the new school in Southern Nevada wanted to make a little jab at the Wolf Pack mascot of Nevada, Reno. "UNLV was rebelling against the status quo and the two schools' mascots seemed to mimic the Civil War," said former UNLV president Don Baepler, who is currently director of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History on campus. "Reno had a northern looking wolf so we wanted a Confederate wolf." The logo lasted until the early 1970s when a group of black athletes came to Baepler, who was academic vice president at the time, and voiced its displeasure with having a mascot that had a connection with the wrong side of the Civil War. "They said it didn't feel right playing for a school with such a mascot . . . and I agreed," said Baepler. "Southern Nevada has no real ties to the Confederacy so the change wasn't a big concern." The student senate voted on a new mascot and the human Rebel logo was born. Initially, a Colonial-like Rebel soldier was the official logo and there was talk at one time of changing UNLV's nickname to Minutemen. However, the current long-moustached cartoon-like Rebel known as Hey Reb took hold in the early 1980s and helped the school vault to the top in college apparel licensing within 10 years. Beauregard may not be prevalent in today's UNLV athletic events but he's certainly not gone and forgotten. The original sketch of the wolf was converted into a mid-court painting for basketball games played in the old University gymnasium. Today, visitors can visit the black, white, scarlet and gray logo circle in its original position at what is now the Barrick Museum, which still uses the existing oak hardwood basketball floor to hold its exhibits.

Hey Reb![link]

Hey Reb! is the official mascot of UNLV Rebels athletics. Hey Reb! made his first debut in 1983 as a long mustached, musket carrying cartoon rebel. Hey Reb! was given a make over in 1997 becoming more muscular and taking away his musket was received a second major makeover in 2009. Named one of 12 All-American Mascots, he competed for the title of 2004 Capital One Mascot of the Year and made a strong showing by coming in second. No stranger to national television, Hey Reb has also appeared in two memorable ESPN SportsCenter commercials. Hey Reb! is the third mascot in the Rebels short athletic history. The first mascot was a black and white anthropomorphized wolf in Confederate gray uniform, named Beauregard and was used as a jab at the mascot of in-state rival the University of Nevada, Reno which had a similar mascot but in Union uniform. Beauregard would stay until the 1970s, when a group of black athletes voiced their displeasure with the mascot. The athletic department introduced a colonial-like rebel as the logo and mascot and there was consideration towards rebranding the athletic teams at UNLV the Minutemen, until Hey Reb! was introduced.^[7]

The Fremont Cannon[link]

Not simply a traveling trophy for the winner of the UNLV vs. UNR game, the Fremont Cannon is ever-present at the now-annual Battle for Nevada football game. The tradition of awarding the cannon to the victors started more than three decades ago when the Rebels' first football coach, Bill Ireland, felt the young rivalry between the north and south schools could use a symbolic trophy to stimulate interest. The prize turned out to be a replica of the howitzer used by John C. Fremont, one of America's foremost trailblazers, as he headed west into Nevada in 1843. Legend has it that Fremont violated U.S. War Department rules by taking the cannon with him on his westward trek without permission and then abandoned the weapon in a Sierra-Nevada snowdrift. Built by the Kennecott Copper Corp., Nevada Mines Division, the cannon is valued at more than $10,000 and is considered one of the most expensive, best, largest and loudest, symbols of rivalry in the college football. The Fremont is one of only two cannon prizes in all rivalry games, along with Illinois vs. Purdue. The Wolf Pack held the cannon first because they had beaten the Rebels 30-28 in the first game of the series on Thanksgiving Day 1969. UNLV promptly won rights to the big gun in 1970 with a 42-30 home win and went on to dominate the series with eight wins in the next 11 games played. After UNR rebounded to win five straight games (1989–1993), UNLV regained the cannon in its Silver Anniversary Year in 1994.

References[link]

External links[link]

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