The Rebels remain relevant on several fronts in talks about Power Five expansion after Colorado left the Pac-12 to go back to the Big 12.
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Ed Graney
Ed Graney is a sports columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, covering a variety of topics and the Las Vegas sports scene.
egraney@reviewjournal.com … @edgraney on Twitter. 702-383-4618
A conference like the Pac-12 apparently doesn’t have UNLV on any short lists for expansion. There are many reasons for that, and reasons why that could change.
Conference realignment and expansion are not over, so it’s the charge of UNLV to be prepared if and when a Power Five league comes calling.
The university remained in-house when replacing Desiree Reed-Francois, hiring interim athletic director Erick Harper in the full-time role.
Keith Whitfield as university president is now taxed with replacing Desiree Reed-Francois, who departed for Missouri of the Southeastern Conference.
There’s a reason UNLV athletic director Desiree-Reed Francois was listed among candidates for essentially all Power Five openings the past year or so: Climbers want to climb.
UNLV Rebels guard Jordan McCabe and his 450,000 social media followers is an example of how some will profit off name, image and likeness legislation.
Coaches have been free to leave for another job without penalty forever. Now players have the same right. So coaches need to quit complaining and embrace the new reality.
It’s much easier — not to mention cheaper — for UNLV to ditch a mascot than the nickname the university has been known by since the mid-1950s.
Landing a coach with supreme name recognition is exactly the path UNLV should travel in football, one that could ultimately affect all other sports in a positive manner.