As reported by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unl...15569/amp/

If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

(01-23-2023 08:11 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

That's the deal. If they still had a championship-level hoops program, it could have dragged the football program with it as Las Vegas grew.

Now, they have a metro area of 2 million. They have a NFL stadium, and Thomas & Mack is still a good college arena. But, they compete with the NFL, the NHL, possibly MLB (if the A's move there), and all of the things Las Vegas has to offer.

I don't see it, either.

They are going to end up in the PAC. Now what the PAC looks like when this happens. I don't think anyone knows.

From the article:

'As the conference works on a new media rights deal, the expansion topic has taken a backseat. But Kliavkoff expects the conference’s future plans to be known, “certainly by next year (2024),” he said.'


That doesn't bode well for expansion.

(01-23-2023 09:38 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  From the article:

'As the conference works on a new media rights deal, the expansion topic has taken a backseat. But Kliavkoff expects the conference’s future plans to be known, “certainly by next year (2024),” he said.'


That doesn't bode well for expansion.

Yep. As expected.

(01-23-2023 09:38 PM)shizzle787 Wrote:  From the article:

'As the conference works on a new media rights deal, the expansion topic has taken a backseat. But Kliavkoff expects the conference’s future plans to be known, “certainly by next year (2024),” he said.'


That doesn't bode well for expansion.

I'm sure they misquoted him, what he probably said was "We won't have our media rights deal until 2024".

Maybe they could end up in a PAC that’s reduced to Oregon State and WSU. That’s about it.

Every G5 athletic department is eyeing a potential move to a P5 conference. But, that's not the same as having an invitation. UNLV isn't going to a P5 anytime soon. Maybe never.

Maybe if the PAC gets raided again and loses 4-6 more schools.

(01-23-2023 10:15 PM)Side.Show.Joe Wrote:  Every G5 athletic department is eyeing a potential move to a P5 conference. But, that's not the same as having an invitation. UNLV isn't going to a P5 anytime soon. Maybe never.

You could make a case for UNLV over Fresno St. Vegas is only 200 miles from LA, it's actually closer than Fresno in fact. Their athletic budges are both $47m, higher than Boise and in or at least very near great recruiting territory for the Pac. If it was me I'd still go with SMU, but I'd at least have UNLV on the radar.

(01-23-2023 07:42 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  As reported by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unl...15569/amp/

Oh, very interesting. UNLV expects to know more about this by next year. The PAC has talked more about expansion than commenters here have mentioned.

According to the report, PAC commissioner George Kliavkoff described the possibility just last month: “We’ll look at things like media market, athletic competency, academic fit and cultural fit. We take all of those into account, and then we’re going to run a process and our board will decide whether or not we expand and, if so, who do we invite.”

(01-24-2023 12:14 AM)Gitanole Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 07:42 PM)BeatWestern! Wrote:  As reported by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/unl...15569/amp/

Oh, very interesting. UNLV expects to know more about this by next year. The PAC has talked more about expansion than commenters here have mentioned.

According to the report, PAC commissioner George Kliavkoff described the possibility just last month: “We’ll look at things like media market, athletic competency, academic fit and cultural fit. We take all of those into account, and then we’re going to run a process and our board will decide whether or not we expand and, if so, who do we invite.”

The San Diego State University Athletic Director in a recent interview said that expects to hear something in the next few months regarding expansion.

He just told he MWC that his school is looking to leave and will do so at the 1st opportunity. None of the usual "we're happy where we are" or "our conference has been good for us and our student athletes" comments

As someone who is a life-long fan of a school that has clawed its way into a P5 conference, its goin to take UNLV (and Colorado State) about 10-15 years of actually being good at football and of good TV ratings before they are taken seriously as a P5 candidate.

(01-23-2023 08:29 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:11 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

That's the deal. If they still had a championship-level hoops program, it could have dragged the football program with it as Las Vegas grew.

Now, they have a metro area of 2 million. They have a NFL stadium, and Thomas & Mack is still a good college arena. But, they compete with the NFL, the NHL, possibly MLB (if the A's move there), and all of the things Las Vegas has to offer.

I don't see it, either.

UNLV's actual athletic performance has certainly been an anchor on its conference realignment prospects.

However, the Las Vegas market is, without question, the single biggest positive to UNLV and can't be discounted.

I've never understood the "pro competition" critique for college programs. Once again, I'm from the Midwest where we manage to watch both the Big Ten (or Notre Dame if that's your thing) AND the NFL and other pro sports at the very highest levels without any pro/college fan divide. Elsewhere, the most valuable college sports program (Texas) directly overlaps with the fan base of the most valuable NFL team (Dallas Cowboys).

The point is that any market that has any value at all HAS pro sports and other entertainment options. The two largest markets that currently aren't legitimately covered by at least one P5 school (e.g. a flagship with a broad enough fan base can deliver a market even if that flagship isn't directly in that market) are San Diego and Las Vegas. If UNLV were even halfway competent in football, they would be in a P5 league already because the number of markets of any value that don't already have P5 competition is truly only down to them and San Diego.

(01-24-2023 09:39 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:29 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:11 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

That's the deal. If they still had a championship-level hoops program, it could have dragged the football program with it as Las Vegas grew.

Now, they have a metro area of 2 million. They have a NFL stadium, and Thomas & Mack is still a good college arena. But, they compete with the NFL, the NHL, possibly MLB (if the A's move there), and all of the things Las Vegas has to offer.

I don't see it, either.

UNLV's actual athletic performance has certainly been an anchor on its conference realignment prospects.

However, the Las Vegas market is, without question, the single biggest positive to UNLV and can't be discounted.

I've never understood the "pro competition" critique for college programs. Once again, I'm from the Midwest where we manage to watch both the Big Ten (or Notre Dame if that's your thing) AND the NFL and other pro sports at the very highest levels without any pro/college fan divide. Elsewhere, the most valuable college sports program (Texas) directly overlaps with the fan base of the most valuable NFL team (Dallas Cowboys).

The point is that any market that has any value at all HAS pro sports and other entertainment options. The two largest markets that currently aren't legitimately covered by at least one P5 school (e.g. a flagship with a broad enough fan base can deliver a market even if that flagship isn't directly in that market) are San Diego and Las Vegas. If UNLV were even halfway competent in football, they would be in a P5 league already because the number of markets of any value that don't already have P5 competition is truly only down to them and San Diego.

That's a very good point and here is a timely article from today out of Cincinnati where the Bengals executive (grand daughter of owner Mike Brown) noted:

"Blackburn said the Cincinnati region should highlight the sports atmosphere that has been created here. She’s lived in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. She’s noticed the role of sports is different here, with fans watching pro and college football all weekend, for example."

https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/n...ce=twitter

(01-24-2023 09:39 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:29 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:11 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

That's the deal. If they still had a championship-level hoops program, it could have dragged the football program with it as Las Vegas grew.

Now, they have a metro area of 2 million. They have a NFL stadium, and Thomas & Mack is still a good college arena. But, they compete with the NFL, the NHL, possibly MLB (if the A's move there), and all of the things Las Vegas has to offer.

I don't see it, either.

UNLV's actual athletic performance has certainly been an anchor on its conference realignment prospects.

However, the Las Vegas market is, without question, the single biggest positive to UNLV and can't be discounted.

I've never understood the "pro competition" critique for college programs. Once again, I'm from the Midwest where we manage to watch both the Big Ten (or Notre Dame if that's your thing) AND the NFL and other pro sports at the very highest levels without any pro/college fan divide. Elsewhere, the most valuable college sports program (Texas) directly overlaps with the fan base of the most valuable NFL team (Dallas Cowboys).

The point is that any market that has any value at all HAS pro sports and other entertainment options. The two largest markets that currently aren't legitimately covered by at least one P5 school (e.g. a flagship with a broad enough fan base can deliver a market even if that flagship isn't directly in that market) are San Diego and Las Vegas. If UNLV were even halfway competent in football, they would be in a P5 league already because the number of markets of any value that don't already have P5 competition is truly only down to them and San Diego.

Frank has a bulls eye! What makes UNLV's potential Pac-12 addition even more appealing, is the fact that the Raiders now reside there and have a beautiful new stadium to call home.

If you're George Kliavkoff and the Pac-12, there's a lot to like about the addition of UNLV, as there is with SDSU and SMU.

Potential? Sure. But there's a long way to go. UNLV gets 19-23K attendance at Allegiant Stadium, even for rivalry games.
That's about the same attendance that UNLV got at Sam Boyd.

Meanwhile, the PAC 12 championship, Kickoff Classic, and Shamrock Series games involving out-of-town teams have attracted 54-61K attendance.

(01-24-2023 09:39 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:29 PM)johnintx Wrote:  

(01-23-2023 08:11 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  If this were 1991, I'd see it. Then again, they didn't have Allegiant Stadium back then but I don't see it now.

That's the deal. If they still had a championship-level hoops program, it could have dragged the football program with it as Las Vegas grew.

Now, they have a metro area of 2 million. They have a NFL stadium, and Thomas & Mack is still a good college arena. But, they compete with the NFL, the NHL, possibly MLB (if the A's move there), and all of the things Las Vegas has to offer.

I don't see it, either.

UNLV's actual athletic performance has certainly been an anchor on its conference realignment prospects.

However, the Las Vegas market is, without question, the single biggest positive to UNLV and can't be discounted.

I've never understood the "pro competition" critique for college programs. Once again, I'm from the Midwest where we manage to watch both the Big Ten (or Notre Dame if that's your thing) AND the NFL and other pro sports at the very highest levels without any pro/college fan divide. Elsewhere, the most valuable college sports program (Texas) directly overlaps with the fan base of the most valuable NFL team (Dallas Cowboys).

The point is that any market that has any value at all HAS pro sports and other entertainment options. The two largest markets that currently aren't legitimately covered by at least one P5 school (e.g. a flagship with a broad enough fan base can deliver a market even if that flagship isn't directly in that market) are San Diego and Las Vegas. If UNLV were even halfway competent in football, they would be in a P5 league already because the number of markets of any value that don't already have P5 competition is truly only down to them and San Diego.

Nobody watches college football in Vegas. I lived there for five years. It would make a great road trip for visiting teams, but they won't likely come back after sitting in an empty stadium the first time. The games can't live up to the other distractions.