With Allegiant Stadium Ribbon-Cutting Three Days Away, What Will Be Marc Badain’s Next Job? (Probably Not UNLV Athletic Director)

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

The casual Raiders fan is probably more concerned about getting to and leaving Allegiant Stadium at Raiders games than wondering why former team president Marc Badain suddenly left the NFL team last month and where Badain is going to work next.

After guiding the Raiders organization to metro Las Vegas and overseeing the construction of the franchise’s new domed football stadium, Badain will not have problems finding employment. Assuming he stays in Las Vegas, what kind of work could he potentially do?

LVSportsBiz.com came up with a three ideas.

— President of Sports Business Development at MGM Resorts International. With Badain’s contacts, he could find a few revenue leads for MGM Resorts. If MGM Resorts hired former Gov. Brian Sandoval after he wrapped up the governor’s job, why not Badain, too? MGM Resorts

— LVCVA’s Sports Events Chief. They love sports at the public tourism agency in Las Vegas. They give lots of free public money to sports events — even $80 million to Howard Hughes Corporation to help build the Triple A baseball park in Summerlin. Badain worked with LVCVA chief/stadium board chairman Steve Hill on stadium issues, so you have that relationship.

— MLS Team CEO: With Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wes Edens and money manager/investor Seth Klarman from Massachusetts all checking out the prospects of a Major League Soccer in the Las Vegas market, why not hire Badain to run the start-up of a MLS team here. The Raiders stadium could be used for soccer, though its indoor field is a bit narrow for a conventional 75-yard-wide soccer field.

Would Badain ever run the Oakland Athletics’ attempt at a subsidized ballpark in metro Las Vegas? LVSportsBiz.com says no to that one.

The Raiders’ former general counsel, Dan Ventrelle, is now serving as interim president and made his first public appearance Saturday to promote game-day bus service to Raiders home games.

*

LVSportsBiz.com highlighted MLS’s interest in Las Vegas with a story on how the recent Mexico vs USA  Gold Cup game showcased Allegiant Stadium as a potential venue for an MLS team.

With MLS announcing the Sacramento expansion team was on hold after investor Ron Burkle told MLS officials that he was not moving ahead with club, Las Vegas has drawn more attention as the league’s 30th team.

*

Allegiant Stadium sign of the day. The stadium’s official ribbon-cutting is scheduled for Saturday, when the Raiders host their first football game with fans. It’s a preseason game between the Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks.

*

Many people are wondering if major league teams will require vaccination cards or negative COVID tests for fans to enter their sports venues. In Las Vegas, the Life is Beautiful music festival set for downtown Las Vegas requires a vaccination card or negative COVID test.

 

 

The NHL Winnipeg Jets are also requiring vaccinations for fans to attend games.

For now, masks are required at all events inside Allegiant Stadium.

 

Nevada’s COVID test positivity rate is slightly above 16.3 percent and if it increases will the state and Clark County reduce sports event capacities?

 *

Former UNLV Athletic Directory Desiree Reed-Francois was introduced as Missouri’s new athletic director Wednesday. She doubled her salary to $800,000 a year for her new job. No more wearing UNLV red for Reed-Francois.

 

*