College Football: 6 potential sleeping giants
2. UNLV
- Program Record: 241-317-4
- Bowl Game Appearances: 4
- Conference Championships: 2
- Highest Finish in the AP Top 25: None
- Enrollment: 29,702
- Location: Las Vegas, NV (population 603,488)
- 270 miles from Los Angeles, CA
- 298 miles from Phoenix, AZ
- 332 miles from San Diego, CA
- 421 miles from Salt Lake City, UT
- 527 miles from San Jose, CA
- 748 miles from Denver, CO
- 1,132 miles from Seattle, WA
- 1,277 miles from San Antonio, TX
- 1,218 miles from Dallas, TX
Don’t laugh. The Boise State Group of Five dynasty is sure to come to an end at some point, and UNLV is uniquely positioned to take its shot as the next great mid-major college football power. The Runnin’ Rebels might even appeal to a larger conference, such as the Pac-12, should there be another round of conference expansion.
Why? UNLV is less than two miles from the Las Vegas strip and McCarran International Airport – one of the most accessible airports in the nation. While the western United States is spread out, and Las Vegas itself is a long day’s drive from the high school football talent in Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as lesser-known but heavily populated areas in Phoenix and Salt Lake City, the recruiting footprint extends into every major city west of the Mississippi River because of the regularity of direct commercial flights.
And yes, most college football programs recruit using private jets, making direct flights common – but parents living in Dallas, San Antonio and Seattle are more likely to let their babies go to Las Vegas if travel to and from games is cheap and easy. It’s much harder and more expensive to get to Mountain West cities like Laramie, WY, Fresno, CA, and rival Reno, NV, which should give the Rebels an advantage in the league.
Finally, UNLV has also jumped aboard the football facilities upgrade train. According to Jamie Bichelman on the university’s official website, UNLV received a $10 million gift earmarked for a 73,000 square foot football complex. With the new facilities, head coach Tony Sanchez – formerly the coach at national prep powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School – should also have a leg up in recruiting increasingly talented local prospects.