pomf Posted January 20 Posted January 20 Any time Rebels fans have ideas about basketball I'm reminded of the dudes who insisted we should kill football and drop down to a lesser conference during the Dave Rice era. Similar energy. 4 1 1 Quote
Droga Posted January 20 Posted January 20 Bring in the right coach, start winning and we will see the T&M get filled up again. 13,000+ as an average attendance with a few sell outs every year. Would be very acheivable. 4 Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 20 Posted January 20 So what is the reason that the T&M is near empty? Here I’ll go first, because we aren’t playing an exciting brand of winning basketball. When was the last time the T&M was full and had a great atmosphere? When we were winning. Look at other sports here. Woman’s basketball is up. Football is up. And why? Because we are winning. The T&M isn’t the SBSB out on the edge of town in a swamp. Even then the SBSB was near full and a great place to go when we were winning, although that was decades ago. Football attendance has been up but only the past few years and really only last year and why? Because we have been playing an exciting brand of winning football. Winning solves most if not all problems. For those that say that the T&M will never be fun and exciting again I’ll call BS. First I’d ask if they have ever been there during the good years? Yeah that was a long time ago but so was our successful teams. There is nothing wrong with this program that winning won’t solve. Football is a recent and prime example of that. Keep winning and the football program with continue having success. Regress to the mean of the past decades and Allegiant will be a ghost town. That is why our Admin with their new revelation of practical business principles have gotten serious about supporting football. I fully expect that when money is available that they will start making similar commitments to MBB because if they didn’t that would be double dumb. The only real question is when will the money become available? 6 Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 20 Posted January 20 On 1/20/2025 at 12:32 PM, Droga said: Bring in the right coach, start winning and we will see the T&M get filled up again. 13,000+ as an average attendance with a few sell outs every year. Would be very acheivable. It took Lon 4 or 5 years to get to that point last time so once again we have a real world example of that. 1 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 On 1/20/2025 at 6:38 AM, crsmitty04 said: I've advocated for keeping Kruger at least 4-5 years and tearing down the Mack for a smaller arena. I still hold both opinions (although Kruger will need to make the tournament this year or I'll be convinced it's time for him to move on). As for the Mack, I'm sick of seeing it as a ghost town and I don't think it'll ever be consistently full again (even with a hotshot coach). The changes to college basketball mean too much roster turnover year to year. I don't think you can get 18k to consistently fall in love with a cast of new characters every year. But I do think you could get 8-10k to do so. And if that's all the building holds, it'd make for a loud and intimidating environment for visiting teams. Just look at Duke, Gonzaga, SDSU, Butler, etc. Great programs with small to medium gyms with elite atmospheres on GameDay. UNLV could have that again, but it needs to be realistic about how many butts in seats it can consistently get. On 1/20/2025 at 7:04 AM, Quickdraw said: Without even getting into MBB, how much money does NFR bring into UNLV? Other shows and events? Multiples of what MBB does or even has for decades. How much to raze the T&M and build a new arena? How many years to recoup that investment? If we are talking best ROI, that makes zero sense. Message board management doesn’t pay the bills. We’ve all complained for years that the AD should be run as a business. The NFR is the main reason the T&M will remain as is --- It's the only arena with capacity and the parking space around it to house the entire NFR set up with trailers, corrals etc etc If UNLV wanted, they could close off the upper deck to at least the end zones of the upper deck and reduce capacity to 8-12K 2 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 When the T&M was built it was for two purposes obviously 1 - UNLV BB was selling out the old Convention Center Rotunda at about 6,400 per game and the Rebels needed a larger venue on campus 2- When the state decided to fund the arenas (Remember, UNR's Lawlor was built at the same time out of same funding pool) Las Vegas needed a sizable venue for events beyond UNLV BB & that's the reason the T&M was bumped up to around 18,000 seats - And right after the Arena was underway the LVCVA went & grabbed the NFR from Oklahoma City as the long term December tourist attraction that was (at the time) vital for the slow tourism numbers pre Christmas Obviously since 1983 there's been major changes in the LV sports & arena scene but the T&M stands alone as the only venue that can serve an event like the NFR as mentioned in my post above this one -- T&M has space no other arena has 2 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 On 1/20/2025 at 12:34 PM, Quickdraw said: So what is the reason that the T&M is near empty? Here I’ll go first, because we aren’t playing an exciting brand of winning basketball. When was the last time the T&M was full and had a great atmosphere? When we were winning. Look at other sports here. Woman’s basketball is up. Football is up. And why? Because we are winning. The T&M isn’t the SBSB out on the edge of town in a swamp. Even then the SBSB was near full and a great place to go when we were winning, although that was decades ago. Football attendance has been up but only the past few years and really only last year and why? Because we have been playing an exciting brand of winning football. Winning solves most if not all problems. For those that say that the T&M will never be fun and exciting again I’ll call BS. First I’d ask if they have ever been there during the good years? Yeah that was a long time ago but so was our successful teams. There is nothing wrong with this program that winning won’t solve. Football is a recent and prime example of that. Keep winning and the football program with continue having success. Regress to the mean of the past decades and Allegiant will be a ghost town. That is why our Admin with their new revelation of practical business principles have gotten serious about supporting football. I fully expect that when money is available that they will start making similar commitments to MBB because if they didn’t that would be double dumb. The only real question is when will the money become available? Agree - It's basically two things 1- Winning 2- Playing a good schedule 2 Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 20 Posted January 20 On 1/20/2025 at 1:20 PM, UNLV2001 said: When the T&M was built it was for two purposes obviously 1 - UNLV BB was selling out the old Convention Center Rotunda at about 6,400 per game and the Rebels needed a larger venue on campus 2- When the state decided to fund the arenas (Remember, UNR's Lawlor was built at the same time out of same funding pool) Las Vegas needed a sizable venue for events beyond UNLV BB & that's the reason the T&M was bumped up to around 18,000 seats - And right after the Arena was underway the LVCVA went & grabbed the NFR from Oklahoma City as the long term December tourist attraction that was (at the time) vital for the slow tourism numbers pre Christmas Obviously since 1983 there's been major changes in the LV sports & arena scene but the T&M stands alone as the only venue that can serve an event like the NFR as mentioned in my post above this one -- T&M has space no other arena has Yep I know the history well. I couldn’t get tickets in the old Rotunda because it was sold out. Became a season ticket holder and scholarship donor in 1983 when the T&M opened. Great decade after that. The T&M is special when it is rocking. On 1/20/2025 at 1:23 PM, UNLV2001 said: Agree - It's basically two things 1- Winning 2- Playing a good schedule Can’t do #2 until we do #1 first. Can’t do #1 until we make a real commitment to the program. So back to my point of needing to use our limited resources to fund a real and proven HC. We have absolutely proven for decades in football and basketball that there is no such thing as a cheap or easy path to success. Whitfield and Harper seem to understand that as seen by their recent commitment to football. Now just waiting to see when they have the resources to change the direction of the Runnin Rebels. I hope it’s soon but it is what it is. 1 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 20 Author Posted January 20 On 1/20/2025 at 2:19 PM, Quickdraw said: Yep I know the history well. I couldn’t get tickets in the old Rotunda because it was sold out. Became a season ticket holder and scholarship donor in 1983 when the T&M opened. Great decade after that. The T&M is special when it is rocking. Can’t do #2 until we do #1 first. Can’t do #1 until we make a real commitment to the program. So back to my point of needing to use our limited resources to fund a real and proven HC. We have absolutely proven for decades in football and basketball that there is no such thing as a cheap or easy path to success. Whitfield and Harper seem to understand that as seen by their recent commitment to football. Now just waiting to see when they have the resources to change the direction of the Runnin Rebels. I hope it’s soon but it is what it is. I wonder if / or why not, the tourism local business & LVCVA hasn't gotten involved somehow to bump UNLV Athletics overall because the better the UNLV teams & better the opposition / conference the more eyes, publicity, visitors are focused on Vegas If they can go get USC vs LSU here, why not UNLV vs ?!?! Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 3:55 PM, UNLV2001 said: I wonder if / or why not, the tourism local business & LVCVA hasn't gotten involved somehow to bump UNLV Athletics overall because the better the UNLV teams & better the opposition / conference the more eyes, publicity, visitors are focused on Vegas If they can go get USC vs LSU here, why not UNLV vs ?!?! I think they are supporting UNLV to an extent. When Allegiant was built we had support for our own facilities within the stadium, locker rooms, branding and such. We are being paid for the lost revenue from the SBSB. Nothing giant but then again until the past few years we really haven’t earned anything giant. If the current trajectory of our football program continues I think they will be more visible in their support but that just makes common business sense. The Vegas community has seen the potential benefits from the Raiders, Super Bowl and Final 4 in a few years. If UNLV ever got into a bigger conference where large numbers of fans traveled then they could see the revenue potential there. Right now we are just learning how to walk without tripping. Like anything else business people want to see a bit of a track record before making a larger commitment. When money is involved a good song and dance tied to a few empty promises doesn’t move the needle. Another good reason why UNLV has made the significant investment in our future football success. Tough to ask someone else for a commitment until you have made one first. First things first, get football on solid ground and build a resume of success. How do you eat an elephant? 2 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 21 Author Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 4:59 PM, Quickdraw said: I think they are supporting UNLV to an extent. When Allegiant was built we had support for our own facilities within the stadium, locker rooms, branding and such. We are being paid for the lost revenue from the SBSB. Nothing giant but then again until the past few years we really haven’t earned anything giant. If the current trajectory of our football program continues I think they will be more visible in their support but that just makes common business sense. The Vegas community has seen the potential benefits from the Raiders, Super Bowl and Final 4 in a few years. If UNLV ever got into a bigger conference where large numbers of fans traveled then they could see the revenue potential there. Right now we are just learning how to walk without tripping. Like anything else business people want to see a bit of a track record before making a larger commitment. When money is involved a good song and dance tied to a few empty promises doesn’t move the needle. Another good reason why UNLV has made the significant investment in our future football success. Tough to ask someone else for a commitment until you have made one first. Odd thing about "tourism" and UNLV is that in the late 1970's the LVCVA used UNLV as a marketing tool towards Southern California -- Rebel games were televised live in the LA area & replayed at 11 pm in LV on channel 5 -- Lakers PbP guy Chick Hern called the games & always had some local casino marking person on at halftime to talk up what was going on at that casino So the tourism aspect has been done, but with changes in TV via cable in the 1980's (think ESPN) the "local" aspect of televising games was gone .........but still now with FB having Allegiant Stadium, the Rebels have an venue that no MWC or PAC can offer to opponents even if the LVCVA has to kick in some $$ to schedule better teams to come in & play UNLV -- Sort of like when Tom Weisner played a part in the 1980/90's Wisconsin football games UNLV does host UCLA this coming September 6 so maybe that's a start -- But also, will the power teams continue to schedule the G-Runt level teams especially on the road ?!?! Can see the powers consolidating within their own enclave so they don't allow another BSU to happen & get any benefits come playoff time Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 5:11 PM, UNLV2001 said: Odd thing about "tourism" and UNLV is that in the late 1970's the LVCVA used UNLV as a marketing tool towards Southern California -- Rebel games were televised live in the LA area & replayed at 11 pm in LV on channel 5 -- Lakers PbP guy Chick Hern called the games & always had some local casino marking person on at halftime to talk up what was going on at that casino So the tourism aspect has been done, but with changes in TV via cable in the 1980's (think ESPN) the "local" aspect of televising games was gone .........but still now with FB having Allegiant Stadium, the Rebels have an venue that no MWC or PAC can offer to opponents even if the LVCVA has to kick in some $$ to schedule better teams to come in & play UNLV -- Sort of like when Tom Weisner played a part in the 1980/90's Wisconsin football games UNLV does host UCLA this coming September 6 so maybe that's a start -- But also, will the power teams continue to schedule the G-Runt level teams especially on the road ?!?! Can see the powers consolidating within their own enclave so they don't allow another BSU to happen & get any benefits come playoff time In the 70’s and 80’s Vegas had a much smaller gaming and tourism industry and the Runnin Rebels had national recognition. Today Vegas has a giant tourism market ie. Entertainment Capital of the World and UNLV as far as entertainment value is about nil. Small fish in a small pond. Much more money to be made hosting a few P4 teams with giant fan bases that travel. Everyone wants to come to see their team play a great game and also by the way, enjoy a few nights in Vegas as a bonus. UNLV needs to find a way to navigate the new world of college sports to get into a bigger pond with teams with those giant fan bases. We’ve wasted decades because of our piss pore Admin who never had an idea about business potential. The best thing UNLV has at this point is being able to sell the Vegas factor. Until then the LVVCA will just sell the market to those bigger teams. Like I said, LVVCA aren’t ignoring us but there is better ROI potential in bringing in schools and teams that have enough fans with money to move the needle. 1 Quote
UNLV2001 Posted January 21 Author Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 5:26 PM, Quickdraw said: In the 70’s and 80’s Vegas had a much smaller gaming and tourism industry and the Runnin Rebels had national recognition. Today Vegas has a giant tourism market ie. Entertainment Capital of the World and UNLV as far as entertainment value is about nil. Small fish in a small pond. Much more money to be made hosting a few P4 teams with giant fan bases that travel. Everyone wants to come to see their team play a great game and also by the way, enjoy a few nights in Vegas as a bonus. UNLV needs to find a way to navigate the new world of college sports to get into a bigger pond with teams with those giant fan bases. We’ve wasted decades because of our piss pore Admin who never had an idea about business potential. The best thing UNLV has at this point is being able to sell the Vegas factor. Until then the LVVCA will just sell the market to those bigger teams. Like I said, LVVCA aren’t ignoring us but there is better ROI potential in bringing in schools and teams that have enough fans with money to move the needle. Agree - then LV marketed mainly to Southern California - Now LV markets globally 1 Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 5:32 PM, UNLV2001 said: Agree - then LV marketed mainly to Southern California - Now LV markets globally LVVCA would take notice if UNLV brought in 10 or 15,000 visitors 5 or 6 times a year. That is real money. Right now it’s 20,000 total for the year… maybe. And then a few thousand more for the MWCT in March. The Raiders do that for almost every game. 1 Quote
4UNLV Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 5:11 PM, UNLV2001 said: Odd thing about "tourism" and UNLV is that in the late 1970's the LVCVA used UNLV as a marketing tool towards Southern California -- Rebel games were televised live in the LA area & replayed at 11 pm in LV on channel 5 -- Lakers PbP guy Chick Hern called the games & always had some local casino marking person on at halftime to talk up what was going on at that casino So the tourism aspect has been done, but with changes in TV via cable in the 1980's (think ESPN) the "local" aspect of televising games was gone .........but still now with FB having Allegiant Stadium, the Rebels have an venue that no MWC or PAC can offer to opponents even if the LVCVA has to kick in some $$ to schedule better teams to come in & play UNLV -- Sort of like when Tom Weisner played a part in the 1980/90's Wisconsin football games UNLV does host UCLA this coming September 6 so maybe that's a start -- But also, will the power teams continue to schedule the G-Runt level teams especially on the road ?!?! Can see the powers consolidating within their own enclave so they don't allow another BSU to happen & get any benefits come playoff time Didn’t you hear? That game is an audition for the B1G, UCLA wants us to be with them in a western division. 😂 https://x.com/RedditCFB/status/1881489388821180679 1 Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 9:09 PM, 4UNLV said: Didn’t you hear? That game is an audition for the B1G, UCLA wants us to be with them in a western division. 😂 https://x.com/RedditCFB/status/1881489388821180679 That’s crazy talk right there. Could you see the people on this board… 2 Quote
InnZoneU Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/20/2025 at 5:26 PM, Quickdraw said: In the 70’s and 80’s Vegas had a much smaller gaming and tourism industry and the Runnin Rebels had national recognition. Today Vegas has a giant tourism market ie. Entertainment Capital of the World and UNLV as far as entertainment value is about nil. Small fish in a small pond. Much more money to be made hosting a few P4 teams with giant fan bases that travel. Everyone wants to come to see their team play a great game and also by the way, enjoy a few nights in Vegas as a bonus. UNLV needs to find a way to navigate the new world of college sports to get into a bigger pond with teams with those giant fan bases. We’ve wasted decades because of our piss pore Admin who never had an idea about business potential. The best thing UNLV has at this point is being able to sell the Vegas factor. Until then the LVVCA will just sell the market to those bigger teams. Like I said, LVVCA aren’t ignoring us but there is better ROI potential in bringing in schools and teams that have enough fans with money to move the needle. Steve Wynn had the chance to tie UNLV in with the Strip, etc. but it was too risky at the time for a casino to be tied into a college program. Plus he had a notorious hatred for Tark bc Tark was stealing his thunder as the 'king of Las Vegas'. Yes this was a real thing. Wynn hated Tark. By the time it became OK for casinos to be even somewhat affiliated with a college program, UNLV already blew their load and there was really no reason for the casinos to be interested anymore. Now, it's changed recently. UNLV should be raking in the money from strip, casinos now on. 3 1 Quote
RebelTexan Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/21/2025 at 12:15 PM, InnZoneU said: Steve Wynn had the chance to tie UNLV in with the Strip, etc. but it was too risky at the time for a casino to be tied into a college program. Plus he had a notorious hatred for Tark bc Tark was stealing his thunder as the 'king of Las Vegas'. Yes this was a real thing. Wynn hated Tark. By the time it became OK for casinos to be even somewhat affiliated with a college program, UNLV already blew their load and there was really no reason for the casinos to be interested anymore. Now, it's changed recently. UNLV should be raking in the money from strip, casinos now on. The casinos want to donate to the collective, but have to find a workaround to Gaming Control Board rules. Here's one way that was tested out last basketball season. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/mar/05/unlv-testing-out-new-source-for-nil-funding-las-ve/ UNLV testing out new source for NIL funding: Las Vegas casinos By Mike Grimala (contact) Tuesday, March 5, 2024 | 2 a.m. Tonight, a UNLV fan will have a chance to win up to $150,000 by making a halfcourt shot during the team’s showdown against San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack Center. It promises to be a high-stakes spectacle. But the stakes may be even more elevated behind the scenes: The promotion is serving as a “test run” for a plan to change the face of NIL funding for the Scarlet and Gray. Name, image and likeness deals, or NIL, allow players to accept money directly from donors, and it has quickly become a leading factor in roster building in men’s basketball and football. UNLV is no exception; it is believed the basketball program has several players earning tens of thousands of dollars in NIL money this season, and NIL money played a big role in keeping star receiver Ricky White on the Rebels football team. As Wyoming basketball coach Jeff Linder said before his team’s matchup with UNLV last week: “(UNLV has) a lot of talent. You know there’s a lot of money on that floor.” In order for UNLV to compete at the Division I level in the long term, everyone seems to be in agreement that it’s going to require a lot of NIL resources. So the big question is, where is that money going to come from? For the past three years, the Friends of UNILV collective has been building a donor network with the goal of sustainably funding the basketball and football programs. That meant soliciting individual donors, but there may be a more lucrative way to build elite athletics programs. The whale, to borrow a phrase, is the casino industry. If the Friends of UNILV were able to tap into the deep pockets of Las Vegas casinos, the collective could make better offers to top-tier players and potentially build powerful rosters, year in and year out. The problem, according to Friends of UNILV chairman Bill Paulos, is that casinos are not allowed to donate directly to NIL collectives. “I was in the gaming business for 50 years,” Paulos said. “Giving to a specific player or specific team is just a no-no. The Gaming Control Board says, ‘How can you do that and take bets on that school, too?’ And rightly so. “What we figured out is, then maybe they can help us sponsor some promotions we’ve got planned.” And there it is. The workaround could vault UNLV to the next level in NIL, and it’s being test-driven tonight with what the collective is calling $150,000 Half-Court Madness. The Palms is sponsoring the promotion by putting up the prize money, but that’s not all the company is doing. It’s a bit convoluted, but here’s how it works: If a UNLV fan wants to enter their name to possibly be chosen for the halfcourt shot, they can head to the Friends of UNILV website and donate (for every $1 spent, the donor earns one entry for the drawing). The Palms is then offering vouchers, matching all donations up to $100, which can be redeemed for food, beverages and free play at Palms properties within a week of purchase. That means if a UNLV fan wanted to donate, say, $50 to the basketball program, they could do it through the NIL halfcourt shot promotion, and in return they would receive a $50 voucher to The Palms. For potential donors who plan to be at The Palms in the near future, it’s essentially a free donation. It’s a way to allow a casino to invest in NIL, and if it works, it’s difficult to overstate how important it could be to the future of UNLV sports. UNLV coach Kevin Kruger has no qualms about casinos getting involved in the NIL space — a far cry from the public perception when he was a Runnin' Rebel in 2007-08. “I remember my year here, we couldn’t play in anything with a sportsbook,” Kruger said. “There was always this huge fear that we were going to be walking from the elevator to the floor and somebody was going to grab them and make them throw the game. Obviously, we’re way past that. There’s no stigma now about casinos and sportsbooks and college athletes. “I think the more we can continue to marry the two and continue to merge the casinos and the supporters of this city with UNLV, the better.” Two weeks out from the San Diego State game, Paulos said the contest had raised more than $10,000 in donations. He hopes to pass the $50,000 mark by today. All of the money collected will be earmarked for UNLV basketball players. “This is the first trial test,” Paulos said. “As we progress and get better at what we do, these promotions will get better. I’m very happy with the response. I’m very happy with how many emails have been opened, and our click-through percentages have been great. We need people to donate.” Paulos credited Palms general manager Cynthia Kiser Murphey, a UNLV alum, for being open to the idea. The Palms is putting up $100,000 to the winner if the half-court shot is made, plus another $50,000 in equivalent prizes, including a stay at the resort's fanciest suite. The key is getting people used to the idea of donating in return for vouchers. It’s a blueprint that, if successful, could be duplicated across various UNLV sports. Shayne Odum, the general manager of Friends of UNILV, envisions similar promotions working in other formats. “We definitely want to do this in the future,” Odum said. “We could do this for football. It could be a $150,000 field-goal kick. It could be a different casino partner. It could even work better for football. We could be doing it for golf, soccer, baseball, softball. All in all, it has produced more benefits than we anticipated, outside of the money we raised. We are in prime position to do this more throughout the year with other sports.” The Friends of UNILV began in 2021 by focusing on men’s basketball and football, but has now expanded to include women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf and women’s volleyball. Men’s basketball and football are the highest revenue sports and require the most NIL funding for player payrolls. Other sports require modest financial commitments, but consistent donors can be hard to find. Odum believes this version of NIL solicitation casts a wider net, opening a gateway to more potential small donors. “It’s a test run of how we can work with organizations in the gaming industry,” Odum said, “and it’s also a way of bringing fundraising into the digital realm. For so long at UNLV, it’s been the traditional call a donor, schmooze the donor, and then at some point in the relationship you’ve established, it turns into a donation. This brings the process into the digital age. We’re sending you codes, links, emails. You see it on social media and websites. It puts the power in the donors’ hands. We’re not imposing; we’re giving you the ability to give whatever you like. Whether it’s a hundred dollars, a thousand, ten thousand, great. We’re not trying to target a specific audience based on income. This makes it possible for everybody in Southern Nevada to participate, regardless of income.” Overall, Paulos projects the Friends of UNILV to distribute approximately $1.5 million to UNLV athletes this year. Odum said fans are becoming more comfortable with the idea of paying student-athletes, and that the Friends of UNILV has seen its number of donors increase “15 to 20 percent” since beginning the halfcourt shot promotion. “It’s been smaller donations, and I look at that as a positive because that is a demographic that we have been lacking,” Odum said. “Prior to me getting here, what I noticed is we had great support, but it seemed to come from larger donations. One of our goals is wanting the entire fan base to get involved with NIL at whatever level they can. We don’t want fans and alums to feel like it’s only for the top 10% of fans and donors to carry NIL. Everybody is part of this growth. Anybody that can give $5, $10, we’re appreciative.” Today’s game figures to be a big one for the Scarlet and Gray, as Kruger’s resurgent squad continues to chase an NCAA Tournament bid. In the long term, however, what happens at halftime may turn out to be even more important. Paulos believes the fundamentals of the promotion make sense, and that people will eventually embrace it as a way to build a strong NIL foundation. “Our core donors are very supportive and they’re there,” Paulos said. “We just need to get out to the general population. We need to do a better job of advertising our athletics at UNLV. We just haven’t done that as well lately. Since the new athletic director has been in, they’ve done a much better job of that. For this, we’re only asking for 25, 50 or 100 bucks, and you get that back by going to The Palms. It’s a good deal.” As for the fan who is chosen at random to attempt the life-changing shot? UNLV freshman point guard D.J. Thomas, who has made 27 3-pointers this season, said he and his teammates will be rooting for the halfcourt heave to hit nothing but net. His advice for the shooter was simple. “Honestly, it has some luck to it,” Thomas said. “You’ve just got to have good touch.” Quote
Quickdraw Posted January 21 Posted January 21 On 1/21/2025 at 2:50 PM, RebelTexan said: The casinos want to donate to the collective, but have to find a workaround to Gaming Control Board rules. Here's one way that was tested out last basketball season. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2024/mar/05/unlv-testing-out-new-source-for-nil-funding-las-ve/ UNLV testing out new source for NIL funding: Las Vegas casinos By Mike Grimala (contact) Tuesday, March 5, 2024 | 2 a.m. Tonight, a UNLV fan will have a chance to win up to $150,000 by making a halfcourt shot during the team’s showdown against San Diego State at the Thomas & Mack Center. It promises to be a high-stakes spectacle. But the stakes may be even more elevated behind the scenes: The promotion is serving as a “test run” for a plan to change the face of NIL funding for the Scarlet and Gray. Name, image and likeness deals, or NIL, allow players to accept money directly from donors, and it has quickly become a leading factor in roster building in men’s basketball and football. UNLV is no exception; it is believed the basketball program has several players earning tens of thousands of dollars in NIL money this season, and NIL money played a big role in keeping star receiver Ricky White on the Rebels football team. As Wyoming basketball coach Jeff Linder said before his team’s matchup with UNLV last week: “(UNLV has) a lot of talent. You know there’s a lot of money on that floor.” In order for UNLV to compete at the Division I level in the long term, everyone seems to be in agreement that it’s going to require a lot of NIL resources. So the big question is, where is that money going to come from? For the past three years, the Friends of UNILV collective has been building a donor network with the goal of sustainably funding the basketball and football programs. That meant soliciting individual donors, but there may be a more lucrative way to build elite athletics programs. The whale, to borrow a phrase, is the casino industry. If the Friends of UNILV were able to tap into the deep pockets of Las Vegas casinos, the collective could make better offers to top-tier players and potentially build powerful rosters, year in and year out. The problem, according to Friends of UNILV chairman Bill Paulos, is that casinos are not allowed to donate directly to NIL collectives. “I was in the gaming business for 50 years,” Paulos said. “Giving to a specific player or specific team is just a no-no. The Gaming Control Board says, ‘How can you do that and take bets on that school, too?’ And rightly so. “What we figured out is, then maybe they can help us sponsor some promotions we’ve got planned.” And there it is. The workaround could vault UNLV to the next level in NIL, and it’s being test-driven tonight with what the collective is calling $150,000 Half-Court Madness. The Palms is sponsoring the promotion by putting up the prize money, but that’s not all the company is doing. It’s a bit convoluted, but here’s how it works: If a UNLV fan wants to enter their name to possibly be chosen for the halfcourt shot, they can head to the Friends of UNILV website and donate (for every $1 spent, the donor earns one entry for the drawing). The Palms is then offering vouchers, matching all donations up to $100, which can be redeemed for food, beverages and free play at Palms properties within a week of purchase. That means if a UNLV fan wanted to donate, say, $50 to the basketball program, they could do it through the NIL halfcourt shot promotion, and in return they would receive a $50 voucher to The Palms. For potential donors who plan to be at The Palms in the near future, it’s essentially a free donation. It’s a way to allow a casino to invest in NIL, and if it works, it’s difficult to overstate how important it could be to the future of UNLV sports. UNLV coach Kevin Kruger has no qualms about casinos getting involved in the NIL space — a far cry from the public perception when he was a Runnin' Rebel in 2007-08. “I remember my year here, we couldn’t play in anything with a sportsbook,” Kruger said. “There was always this huge fear that we were going to be walking from the elevator to the floor and somebody was going to grab them and make them throw the game. Obviously, we’re way past that. There’s no stigma now about casinos and sportsbooks and college athletes. “I think the more we can continue to marry the two and continue to merge the casinos and the supporters of this city with UNLV, the better.” Two weeks out from the San Diego State game, Paulos said the contest had raised more than $10,000 in donations. He hopes to pass the $50,000 mark by today. All of the money collected will be earmarked for UNLV basketball players. “This is the first trial test,” Paulos said. “As we progress and get better at what we do, these promotions will get better. I’m very happy with the response. I’m very happy with how many emails have been opened, and our click-through percentages have been great. We need people to donate.” Paulos credited Palms general manager Cynthia Kiser Murphey, a UNLV alum, for being open to the idea. The Palms is putting up $100,000 to the winner if the half-court shot is made, plus another $50,000 in equivalent prizes, including a stay at the resort's fanciest suite. The key is getting people used to the idea of donating in return for vouchers. It’s a blueprint that, if successful, could be duplicated across various UNLV sports. Shayne Odum, the general manager of Friends of UNILV, envisions similar promotions working in other formats. “We definitely want to do this in the future,” Odum said. “We could do this for football. It could be a $150,000 field-goal kick. It could be a different casino partner. It could even work better for football. We could be doing it for golf, soccer, baseball, softball. All in all, it has produced more benefits than we anticipated, outside of the money we raised. We are in prime position to do this more throughout the year with other sports.” The Friends of UNILV began in 2021 by focusing on men’s basketball and football, but has now expanded to include women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf and women’s volleyball. Men’s basketball and football are the highest revenue sports and require the most NIL funding for player payrolls. Other sports require modest financial commitments, but consistent donors can be hard to find. Odum believes this version of NIL solicitation casts a wider net, opening a gateway to more potential small donors. “It’s a test run of how we can work with organizations in the gaming industry,” Odum said, “and it’s also a way of bringing fundraising into the digital realm. For so long at UNLV, it’s been the traditional call a donor, schmooze the donor, and then at some point in the relationship you’ve established, it turns into a donation. This brings the process into the digital age. We’re sending you codes, links, emails. You see it on social media and websites. It puts the power in the donors’ hands. We’re not imposing; we’re giving you the ability to give whatever you like. Whether it’s a hundred dollars, a thousand, ten thousand, great. We’re not trying to target a specific audience based on income. This makes it possible for everybody in Southern Nevada to participate, regardless of income.” Overall, Paulos projects the Friends of UNILV to distribute approximately $1.5 million to UNLV athletes this year. Odum said fans are becoming more comfortable with the idea of paying student-athletes, and that the Friends of UNILV has seen its number of donors increase “15 to 20 percent” since beginning the halfcourt shot promotion. “It’s been smaller donations, and I look at that as a positive because that is a demographic that we have been lacking,” Odum said. “Prior to me getting here, what I noticed is we had great support, but it seemed to come from larger donations. One of our goals is wanting the entire fan base to get involved with NIL at whatever level they can. We don’t want fans and alums to feel like it’s only for the top 10% of fans and donors to carry NIL. Everybody is part of this growth. Anybody that can give $5, $10, we’re appreciative.” Today’s game figures to be a big one for the Scarlet and Gray, as Kruger’s resurgent squad continues to chase an NCAA Tournament bid. In the long term, however, what happens at halftime may turn out to be even more important. Paulos believes the fundamentals of the promotion make sense, and that people will eventually embrace it as a way to build a strong NIL foundation. “Our core donors are very supportive and they’re there,” Paulos said. “We just need to get out to the general population. We need to do a better job of advertising our athletics at UNLV. We just haven’t done that as well lately. Since the new athletic director has been in, they’ve done a much better job of that. For this, we’re only asking for 25, 50 or 100 bucks, and you get that back by going to The Palms. It’s a good deal.” As for the fan who is chosen at random to attempt the life-changing shot? UNLV freshman point guard D.J. Thomas, who has made 27 3-pointers this season, said he and his teammates will be rooting for the halfcourt heave to hit nothing but net. His advice for the shooter was simple. “Honestly, it has some luck to it,” Thomas said. “You’ve just got to have good touch.” That was from last year. I don’t see anything at this point that involves the Palms. It is a great concept but it needs to be expanded to other properties to be really successful. NIL is all still so new but if there is a way to get the big players in Vegas involved it would be a massive game changer. 2 Quote
Rebels18 Posted January 22 Posted January 22 kevin needs to GO Harper has a winner in the HOPPER you are ALLL natty less peasants 1 Quote
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