UNLV Football: Will gambling law and NFL fix Rebels?

1. The Raiders and the rail

UNLV will be playing in a brand new stadium by 2020 in Las Vegas. The stadium will be state of the art because it will be shared with the NFL’s “Las Vegas” Raiders. Raiders Owner Mark Davis will not skimp on the details of their $1.9 billion dollar investment. Davis will want to compete with Jerry Jones and his stadium for the Dallas Cowboys.

The currently named Las Vegas Stadium (I’m sure naming rights will exist eventually) is a dome that will hold 65,000 fans and should instantly be the landing spot for the Las Vegas Bowl and the Pac-12 Championship Game. UNLV is already reaping scheduling benefits from the new stadium having booked a home-and-home series with the Pac-12’s Cal Bears. The stadium could be a lure for the Pac-12 to expand to 14 teams and add UNLV as one of those programs.

A new stadium and the NFL attention to Las Vegas should bolster UNLV’s reputation for high school players. The stadium should also attract the attention of international soccer events, the high school state championships, and improvements to the city’s infrastructure such as airports and transportation.

Next: Way-too-early 2019 NFL Mock Draft

One of the keys will be to widen and expand the roadways from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, which will make the commute for parents to watch their student-athletes play at UNLV, or for recruiting trips, that much easier. The high speed rail which is expected to connect Victorville, Calif., and Vegas will cost $115 a ride for a two hour trip- cutting the four hour drive in half. However, this plan has been delayed many times and wouldn’t be fully operational until 2035.