Why the Pac-12 sees UNLV as a hold your nose conference addition!

[Cougsocal]

Sure UNLV feels jilted and unloved by the Pac-12 right now. They weren't on the initial rebuild list with the "Four." Then the Pac-12 tried to raid the AAC, rather than extend them offer on top of that. I'd feel hurt and unwanted too. Some of you even think that this was a huge mistake on the part of the Pac-12, why not UNLV? But it is business. The business of securing the best possible media deal for the new PAC. To do that you need schools and programs that garner TV ratings. The better the ratings the conference schools have the more you can bargain for. It is all about eyes on the TV, and UNLV utterly sucks at it. Below is an article by a Nevada source which points out that since 2016 Utah State has way better ratings, even better than SDSU (but SDSU offered a basketball bump). On the other hand, since 2016, UNLV ranks below every school in the MWC, below Air Force, below Wyoming. It gets worse, much worse. Below Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico and San Jose State. Drum roll please.... UNLV's TV ratings since 2016 have been 104th nationally. Nevada's, the team completely left out of the discussion because they don't add value, ratings were number 100.

The Pac-12 may need to accept UNLV into the conference, for business reasons, but that primary business reason is to put a nail in the MWC coffin, not because UNLV adds media value. Having UNLV in the Pac-12 will cost the conference millions in a media deal and credibility. Sadly, they are a hot steaming turd of a potential addition from a media value prospective, the least watch MWC school over the last 8 year period. You can claim they add the lucrative Vegas market, but who are you kidding? More people in Vegas watch the Beavs and the Cougs on Saturday than the Rebel Whoz.

Why was Utah State valued over Nevada as an expansion addition to the Pac-12?

I've received a lot of text messages over the last 24 hours as Pac-12 and Mountain West conference realignment has gone crazy.Perhaps the most asked question I'

nevadasportsnet.com

 

[702coug]

The program is currently on an upswing, sport in Vegas is blowing up and they play their home games a new NFL stadium. Also, Cougs fans might prefer an away game in Vegas over Fresno.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Here is another way to look at it.

https://amp.idahostatesman.com/sports/college/mountain-west/boise-state-university/boise-state-football/article284130098.html

 

[ttowncoug]

UNLV is a sleeping giant. If they can get the casino bosses to bank roll a big NIL program, they can build a football program.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I watched the Puckett youtube show earlier today and they brought up a great point. They couldn't include UNLV in the first announcement because it would have required public notice and a presentation to the Nevada Board of Regents to approve the deal before it could be announced. Can't have a surprise announcement if one of the participants is required to provide public notice of their plans.

 

[Observer11]

UNLV is a sleeping giant. If they can get the casino bosses to bank roll a big NIL program, they can build a football program.

Tark the Shark did in basketball.

 

[Cougsocal]

UNLV is a sleeping giant. If they can get the casino bosses to bank roll a big NIL program, they can build a football program.

Don't be stupid. The last time they had casino bosses was in the 60s. Casino are own and run by private equity or publicly held corps these days. They are in the business of making money for investors. There is about as much chance that they would throw money at the UTEP of the MWC, as there is about them charging a reasonable price for a bottle of beer -- none.

 

[Cougsocal]

Tark the Shark did in basketball.

Good example, Success through SMU scale cheating 30 years ago. Holy shit, the networks will want to throw extra millions at the conference locking up a school with such a history. They won't care that the Rebels can't compete with a "Leave it to Beaver" rerun for viewership.

 

[roses04]

Did the Pac 12 screw up? Maybe, but the offer to UNLV was complicated due to the tie into Nevada, so they held off until they got that squared away. In the meantime ,all these exit fees we are paying the MWC is used against us. So, Gloria used the new war chest of exit fee money to promise more money to a few schools, including UNLV, so they are going to stick around for another 2-3 years pocket a few extra dollars and then look at their future when this realignment starts all over again in 26 or 27. It sucks, but that's the nature of college football these days. There are other teams out there, just have to wait and see how it all plays out. Are the other teams as attractive as UNLV? maybe not today, but they maybe in a few years. Boise St, Fresno St, and San Diego St all have good name recognition and have put up some good football and basketball historically, both Utah ST and Colorado St are solid universities and are R-1 schools with good athletic facilities. So we got most of the teams they wanted, one got away. probably should have included UNLV in it from day 1 and waited until they had that Nevada issue cleared up. I think the pressure of announcing something as soon as possible my have not been the best plan. However, if you wait too long the whole deal blows up and you get no one. Is this working out the way we wanted? not exactly, but on the bright side they have 5 added quality teams, from 4 different states, and need one more. Realignment will continue for the next few years, so some schools are simply staying home for now until the next wave hits. I realize a lot of people wanted Tulane and Memphis, personally I hope they keep this out west.

 

[Cougsocal]

I watched the Puckett youtube show earlier today and they brought up a great point. They couldn't include UNLV in the first announcement because it would have required public notice and a presentation to the Nevada Board of Regents to approve the deal before it could be announced. Can't have a surprise announcement if one of the participants is required to provide public notice of their plans.

You do realize that UNLV is on record as wanting to stay in the MWC. Also, this is a team which has had a winning record only twice since 2000, their fan attendance and TV ratings are dreadful, the worst ratings in the conference. Those are the facts. If UNLV is/was a first level choice for an invite, but for technical reasons, as you appear to suggest, could the conference have set their sights any lower?

Such love for such a underwhelming potential addition.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Don't be stupid. The last time they had casino bosses was in the 60s. Casino are own and run by private equity or publicly held corps these days. They are in the business of making money for investors. There is about as much chance that they would throw money at the UTEP of the MWC, as there is about them charging a reasonable price for a bottle of beer -- none.

The Fertitta family, owners of the Station Casinos donated $35 million for our new indoor practice facility. The Boyd Family of the Boyd Gaming Casinos this year donated $6.5 million for an outdoor practice facility.

There are a lot of other donations made to UNLV just not in sports. Our new medical school was $125 million. All paid by donations.
Our new Harrah's School of Hospitality (was called Hotel Administration). Harrah's has hotels and casinos. These are the others that donated to that new building:

• Caesars Entertainment
• Las Vegas Sands
• Konami Gaming
• MGM Resorts International
• Boyd Gaming Corporation
• Station Casinos
• J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
• Engelstad Family Foundation

 

[Cougsocal]

Here is another way to look at it.

https://amp.idahostatesman.com/sports/college/mountain-west/boise-state-university/boise-state-football/article284130098.html

Here is the thing about last year and UNLV. Because their ratings are so bad, they had only 5 games broadcasted (subject to rating) last year. 7 of their games were relegated to streaming only. While there number were good in 3 games, Boise, Michigan and Kansas in a bowl game, those numbers were clearly driven by their opponents. The fact remains that since 2016, UNLV has had the worst rating in the conference.

 

[Stretch 74]

Don't be stupid. The last time they had casino bosses was in the 60s. Casino are own and run by private equity or publicly held corps these days. They are in the business of making money for investors. There is about as much chance that they would throw money at the UTEP of the MWC, as there is about them charging a reasonable price for a bottle of beer -- none.

Every casino, every organization has a boss. Doesn't mean the boss is in the mob, but there IS someone at the top of the org chart.

 

[Meister_Rebel]

Here is the thing about last year and UNLV. Because their ratings are so bad, they had only 5 games broadcasted (subject to rating) last year. 7 of their games were relegated to streaming only. While there number were good in 3 games, Boise, Michigan and Kansas in a bowl game, those numbers were clearly driven by their opponents. The fact remains that since 2016, UNLV has had the worst rating in the conference.

I think UNLV is focused on the future. This year we have 11 games broadcast on networks. Only 1 streamed. Winning changes things and right now we are winning. I think we are doing better than any of the 5 schools the Pac has picked up so far.

You can continue to look to the past. I can't refute our history. But, history is history. We are looking forward.

 

[Cougsocal]

The Fertitta family, owners of the Station Casinos donated $35 million for our new indoor practice facility. The Boyd Family of the Boyd Gaming Casinos this year donated $6.5 million for an outdoor practice facility.

There are a lot of other donations made to UNLV just not in sports. Our new medical school was $125 million. All paid by donations.
Our new Harrah's School of Hospitality (was called Hotel Administration). Harrah's has hotels and casinos. These are the others that donated to that new building:

• Caesars Entertainment
• Las Vegas Sands
• Konami Gaming
• MGM Resorts International
• Boyd Gaming Corporation
• Station Casinos
• J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation
• Engelstad Family Foundation

2 winning seasons since 2000, worst TV rating in the conference since 2016. Also NIL aren't tax write off donations, they are basically personal services contracts. I can list the big money donations that people have made to WSU, it doesn't translate to NIL deals. Could UNLV have their own T. Boone Pickens in the wings, quite possibly. But the conference must negotiate a TV deal in short order. UNLV's poor attendance, poor ratings and poor play over the last 50 years, will not be a selling point and will drive down value. You have to recognize that.

You can and should argue that UNLV is a sleep giant to the networks, but their response will be, why have they been "just sleeping" for the last 50 years? This is a program that has had only 5 winning seasons since joining the "Big West" in 1988. In terms of bad, they are right there with UTEP, New Mexico and NMSU.

UNLV has a chance to have back to back winning seasons for the first time. Keeping Odom will be key. If he bolts before a media deal is done, it will be damage control time for the conference.

 

[Cougsocal]

I think UNLV is focused on the future. This year we have 11 games broadcast on networks. Only 1 streamed. Winning changes things and right now we are winning. I think we are doing better than any of the 5 schools the Pac has picked up so far.

You can continue to look to the past. I can't refute our history. But, history is history. We are looking forward.

Let's hope so, because if they continue to be the UNLV of old, they will be a major conference drain and sore spot moving forward.

 

[Cougsocal]

Every casino, every organization has a boss. Doesn't mean the boss is in the mob, but there IS someone at the top of the org chart.

They also have shareholders/investors, who won't allow a CEOs to spend their money/profits on his pet projects like NILs of 18 year olds.

 

[Loyal Coug1]

I think UNLV is focused on the future. This year we have 11 games broadcast on networks. Only 1 streamed. Winning changes things and right now we are winning. I think we are doing better than any of the 5 schools the Pac has picked up so far.

You can continue to look to the past. I can't refute our history. But, history is history. We are looking forward.

Why? Because you are in the top 25? So are the new 5. Oh wait, only BSU is. Well the Cougs are ranked. Oh, oops, no we aren't. At least Oregon State is. Oops again, they have zero votes in either poll. Nor do other other 4. Never mind.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Let's hope so, because if they continue to be the UNLV of old, they will be a major conference drain and sore spot moving forward.

You made a comment above about me expressing "Such love for such a underwhelming potential addition" even though all I said in the post was that it was possible that we hadn't offered them earlier than we did because of privacy concerns.

On the flip side, why are you committed to being so negative about the Rebels? UNLV has sucked for a long time in football but they are trending upward in a city that has shown that it will support sports teams that they consider relevant. There is more money in Vegas than just about all of the other cities in the new Pac-12 combined. Of all the teams that we've invited, there is no team with more potential. I get that they've been underwhelming but frankly, what kind of extended history do any of them have?

Boise State had a nice run but it's been a decade since they've finished in the Top 20.

SDSU was good from 2015 to 2021 but they kind of stink right now and they stuck before that.

Colorado State has been mediocre forever.

Is the real takeaway that you think that we should have just went independent because none of them will meet your standards?

 

[COUGinNCW]

UNLV is a sleeping giant. If they can get the casino bosses to bank roll a big NIL program, they can build a football program.

Why would the casinos fund NIL? They have NFL, NHL, mma and probably nba in the near future to lure in sports fans along with a million neutral site college basketball games and tournies. I don’t see it happening.

 

[dgibbons]

Don't be stupid. The last time they had casino bosses was in the 60s. Casino are own and run by private equity or publicly held corps these days. They are in the business of making money for investors. There is about as much chance that they would throw money at the UTEP of the MWC, as there is about them charging a reasonable price for a bottle of beer -- none.

Last time I was there, $10 for a 32 ounce Gatorade. Last thing I bought at Mandalay Bay.