By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The starting quarterback for UNLV’s football team is still an unknown. How many fans will be allowed inside Allegiant Stadium for UNLV’s first home game inside the palatial domed football playground on Oct. 31? Still unknown pending response from the state and Gov. Steve Sisolak. And which football players were infected with the novel coronavirus and how many? Not too many answers there either.
But UNLV football does have a starting time for the Silver State showdown on Halloween with in-state rival, University of Nevada at Reno. That we do know.
UNLV’s first home game at the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium on the last day of October has been officially set by the Mountain West for 7:30 PM Las Vegas/Pacific Time. The football Rebs have already practiced at the new stadium, which was a $2 billion project that included a public contribution of $750 million.
Raiders owner Mark Davis said if all fans cannot attend Raiders games then none will. But UNLV is seeking approval for 10 percent of attendance capacity at the 65,000-seat venue, or 6,500 fans. But that number might be smaller and UNLV Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois said the university is still waiting to hear from the state about the Oct. 31 game.
UNLV said goodbye to Sam Boyd Stadium, a functional venue for about 40,000 fans near the Las Vegas Wash about eight miles from the UNLV campus. The new stadium is less than three miles from UNLV on the west side of I-15 across from Mandalay Bay hotel-casino. It will be the home debut for UNLV first-year coach Marcus Arroyo, the former Oregon offensive coordinator.
The stadium will roll in a special artificial playing surface into the venue, which is a different playing surface used by the Raiders, which have a retractable tray with natural grass, not artificial turf. UNLV’s season-opener is at San Diego State Saturday.