By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The UNLV artificial turf was rolled in and “REBELS” in bright red letters are in the two end zones. The color scheme is red for UNLV, not silver and black for the Las Vegas Raiders, the NFL team that manages this spacious and palatial 65,000-seat domed venue on the west side of I-15 across from Mandalay Bay.
UNLV football, historically, has never been a national force but today it makes Las Vegas history by hosting the first football game in this stadium that will have fans inside. Take a look at the first fans in the building as the Rebels battled University of Nevada, Reno for the Fremont Cannon. The fans were instructed throughout the game to keep their masks on their faces, to sanitize their hands and maintain the six-foot buffer for social distance as the state allowed UNLV to have 2,000 fans in the 65,000-seat venue. UNLV asked for 10 percent capacity, or 6,500 fans. But the state permitted only three percent capacity, or 2,000 fans.
The Raiders have played three home games, but they have been fan-free as owner Mark Davis declared that if all the fans can’t attend then none will.
So, it was left for UNLV’s football team to have the first fans in the joint, which was built with $750 million in public dollars. The Rebels hosted their in-state rival, UNR, for the 7:40 p.m. start tonight. Security was ready. The Rebels could not keep up with the UNR Wolf Pack. The Fremont Cannon, the trophy for the game’s victor, will reside in Reno for the next year and be painted blue as the Pack overmatched the Rebels, 37-19.
Technically, 1,800 of the 2,000 tickets were paid for because 200 were freebies for students. The 1,800 sold for $110 each to UNLV football season ticket holders or Rebel Athletic Fund members. And we have fans on the concourse. One at least.
Some security have the job of holding this sign all game long.
Because the stadium relies on digital signage at the concession stands, UNLV can appear behind the counters.
And fans ordering beers at the concession stands — just like in the good ol’ days.
To transform the Raiders home stadium into the UNLV football home field, the stadium workers included seat section coverings that show UNLV football sponsors like Summerlin. Plus, there’s a digital board below a fixed MGM Resort sign that cycles through the UNLV sponsors like America First Credit Union, Cane’s chicken fingers and Star Nursery.
But the Raiders stadium sponsors are still on the seat section tarps, too, like the Southern Nevada Ford Dealers. You can see Smiths and Cox on the tarps in the photo below.
A UNLV season ticket holder attending the game said there’s a little echo in the stadium audio, “but not bad.” However, she added, “When they play the videos on the message board of the players talking with their masks on you can’t understand a word they’re saying.”
UNLV tried to outfit the big domed stadium in red. But as you can tell, it’s still a Raiders stadium.
UNLV Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois has tweeted about the Rebels’ first game.
And check out the response:
The Rebels suffered a lopsided loss in their season-opener on the road at San Diego State, losing, 34-6, to the Aztecs. The game was never competitive as UNLV trailed, 27-0, at halftime. It was Marcus Arroyo’s first game as UNLV head coach.
Saturday’s game featured a showdown with University of Nevada at Reno. UNLV defeated the northern school from Reno last year in north Nevada, where UNLV players and Reno fans got into a tussle at the end of the game.
No worries about that tonight with the 2,000 fans in attendance. And the fans were limited to certain areas of the stadium. There were not fans close to the end zones.
September 10, 2020
(Josh Hawkins/UNLV Photo Services)
At halftime, the Wolf Pack led the Rebels, 24-12, as UNR quarterback Carson Strong carved up the UNLV defense to the tune of 274 passing yards. After three quarters, the Wolf Pack led the Rebs, 27-19.
It was the same old script for UNLV. Its overmatched defense was shredded by UNR, as Carson tossed for 350 passing yards and the Wolf Pack piled up 497 yards of offense.
Here are some other photos from UNLV Athletics. LVSportsBiz.com was not allowed to have a photographer at the game.
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