(01-16-2016 10:32 AM)luvyosef Wrote:  You would think VEGAS could recruit itself? Will always baffle me.

Sand isn't sexy. Hence, playing your games at a stadium where the parking lot is sand doesn't go over well. Recruits like sexy toys. On that note, Hawai'i doesn't just recruit anyone for a free trip tot eh islands and Aloha Stadium isn't much to brag about from what I hear...

(01-16-2016 01:39 PM)Section 200 Wrote:  Good question - possible reasons:

1. Nevada not a strong high school football state
2. Would need to get players from California and the entire Pac 12 recruits California hard
3. No history
4. Don't have the big money boosters to provide the special benefits that make king programs run

Kansas isn't a great football state and neither is Nebraska, but Grandpa Bill in the Little Apple and Osborne all those years sure weren't sweating it once things got rolling. Likewise, once Colorado let their facilities go to pot or just didn't keep up in the facilities wars, recruits took notice and went elsewhere.

I despise this concept of "facilities wars". Many facilities surpass the quality of NFL facilities, and that alone tells me that schools are spending money on things that don't really generate additional wins. It all feels very inefficient to me. A smart school would spend on the exact items that improve team performance.

(01-16-2016 05:33 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 03:47 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  More importantly, who would want to actually *live* in Vegas?

There's nothing wrong with living in Vegas. Vegas isn't entirely composed of The Strip and while there's a gambling addict underclass, there's plenty of solid places to live far removed from The Strip. Most don't even think about The Strip unless they're going to see a show or have friends from out of town coming.

....so what are the redeeming qualities?

There's great weather except for the height of the summer and dead of the winter. If you're ever in the mood for a good show, you can get LA and New York level entertainment without living in either one. You don't run into a shortage of things to do when family from out of town comes in.

Vegas wouldn't be high on my list of places to live in for other reasons and personal preferences but it's definitely livable.

(01-18-2016 06:04 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 05:33 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-16-2016 03:47 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  More importantly, who would want to actually *live* in Vegas?

There's nothing wrong with living in Vegas. Vegas isn't entirely composed of The Strip and while there's a gambling addict underclass, there's plenty of solid places to live far removed from The Strip. Most don't even think about The Strip unless they're going to see a show or have friends from out of town coming.

....so what are the redeeming qualities?

there are so many phony people there that have some kind of angle and are always looking for what you can do for them.
It takes effort and strength to make sure you find the good people and not to get caught up in the Vegas lifestyle

I heard a year or two ago that Vegas was going to build a major new NFL-quality stadium that would be suitable for major bowls. Is that still on track?

I don't about living there but Vegas is a good place for a vacation. It isn't anymore expensive than anywhere else. Was there for 4 days & gambled for only a couple of hours total, never had a dull moment. Helicopter tours to the Grand Canyon, sightseeing & there was a great Titanic exhibit there at the time. Would love to go back.

Nevada produces very few top recruits so you're stuck competing with everyone else for second level CA recruits.

Partially I think it relates to a couple of schools out West at the MWC level have sucked up all the top recruits.

BYU, Utah and TCU steamrolled the other MWC programs for a decade. Boise State did the same to the WAC. Utah and TCU moved to P5s and Boise resumed business as usual out of the MWC.

The stadium is a major issue for UNLV football. It's on the other side of Vegas and lacks many amenities compared to many G5 schools, its parking lot was not even paved a few years ago (don't know about now). Until they build a state-of-the-art on campus stadium, I don't see their situation changing much. Being a basketball first school hurts too.

(01-18-2016 09:17 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I heard a year or two ago that Vegas was going to build a major new NFL-quality stadium that would be suitable for major bowls. Is that still on track?

The problem to that according to some folks on the MWC board is even if it becomes a reality, a bowl game after Christmas would be very expensive since Vegas along with New York is the place to be on New Year's and hotels are booked months in advance. That's why the Las Vegas Bowl hasn't been able to move the date it's played which is usually played the Saturday before Christmas.

Thanks, UTEPDallas. That makes sense.

I'd still be curious if the stadium is going to be built, and (if it is) whether UNLV is going to have regular access to it.

(01-18-2016 09:49 PM)BullsFanInTX Wrote:  Nevada produces very few top recruits so you're stuck competing with everyone else for second level CA recruits.

Yeah but they're a hop, skip and jump away from SoCal, Arizona and also relatively close to the Bay Area. It's no different than the distance between OU and Dallas/Fort Worth.

(01-18-2016 10:36 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  The stadium is a major issue for UNLV football. It's on the other side of Vegas and lacks many amenities compared to many G5 schools, its parking lot was not even paved a few years ago (don't know about now). Until they build a state-of-the-art on campus stadium, I don't see their situation changing much. Being a basketball first school hurts too.

Technically, it's not even in Vegas. They need a stadium within walking distance, even if a very long walk, of The Strip.

you must be 21 to gamble or go to any of the clubs in Vegas and they are very strict about that much more so than most college towns and being a "UNLV star" is going to be meaningless unlike being an "Alabama or LSU player" in other places

UNLV has an extremely small residential population and a very high non-traditional student population

most of the dorms for UNLV are very old and lack most modern amenities that college students desire and there not a lot of dorms in general

many of the things that an 18-20 you can do in Vegas are actually pretty expensive relative to other places specifically because they are limited in number and they know they can get away with gouging the people that are dumb enough to take a family vacation to Vegas

no history in football

Nevada is not a fertile recruiting grounds

Las Vegas in particular is not a place where people flock to for their family quality of life it is a place where people (especially in particular industries) come to in order to move up quickly and when they are ready to settle down they leave.....this is not to say there are not "ordinary people in Vegas", but the 24X7X365 life style and drinking and gambling does transfer over into other aspects of life in Vegas even for families that are not connected to that industry directly or even slightly indirectly this limits high school prospects even more relative to total population and also Vegas is a transient place as far as people moving in and moving out which limits the recruits and limits the recruits that have "ties" to Las Vegas or Nevada even if they do graduate there

Reno would be a much better place for a younger person especially one that likes the outdoors on their occasional day off from football

(01-18-2016 10:39 PM)UTEPDallas Wrote:  

(01-18-2016 09:17 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  I heard a year or two ago that Vegas was going to build a major new NFL-quality stadium that would be suitable for major bowls. Is that still on track?

The problem to that according to some folks on the MWC board is even if it becomes a reality, a bowl game after Christmas would be very expensive since Vegas along with New York is the place to be on New Year's and hotels are booked months in advance. That's why the Las Vegas Bowl hasn't been able to move the date it's played which is usually played the Saturday before Christmas.

Vegas Bowl could move the date if they wanted - the Pinstripe Bowl has played the Friday or Saturday after Christmas (mostly Saturday) - which I believe would work well for the Vegas Bowl in most years. The bowl just doesn't want to.

The excuse is that the participating schools would incur 3x the hotel expenses - which would eat away their profits.

(01-18-2016 06:15 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  There's great weather except for the height of the summer and dead of the winter. If you're ever in the mood for a good show, you can get LA and New York level entertainment without living in either one. You don't run into a shortage of things to do when family from out of town comes in.

Vegas wouldn't be high on my list of places to live in for other reasons and personal preferences but it's definitely livable.

Good point about the shows. I honestly didn't think about that. I'm still not sold, though. Shows only fi so far, and there are a lot of places with great weather.

Vegas is like any city with tourist traps. It has its pluses and minuses, its reasons just to visit and reasons to stay. I probably wouldn't live there but on the other hand, it's an extension of Southern California plopped in the middle of the Nevada desert with casinos plopped in the center of it. I'd rather live in Vegas than a place like New Orleans or even in Florida (in or south of the panhandle).

The Raiders may be moving to Vegas. Maybe that would help UNLV somewhat. Just a thought.

Sands going to build stadium with or without NFL, too much opportunity / money to be made. Only problem will be MGM railroading them to try and stop it.

A stadium on or just off the Strip is a dream.