College Sports Chaos: UNLV AD discusses new challenges in lengthy Q&A

UNLV athletic director Erick Harper knows well the ever-changing landscape of college sports.

Harper, like his peers across the country, is dealing with issues that are new to the daily operations of such a world.

Things such as the recent House vs. NCAA settlement and how name, image and likeness collectives now will be more closely scrutinized.

Harper, awaiting a football season that has Las Vegas buzzing with positive thoughts, spoke with the Review-Journal on Thursday about such storylines:

RJ: UNLV chose to opt in to the House vs. NCAA settlement and plans to begin paying student-athletes under the agreement. Was there a thought of opting out and not taking part?

Harper: In looking at all the information, we were open-minded both ways. We wanted to make sure we maintained our competitive nature. Obviously, most people in the country were leaning toward opting in. We were leaning toward opting in the entire time.

RJ: Who will decide what is UNLV’s ceiling for paying athletes this first year, and have you decided on a dollar amount?

Harper: The budget will determine what the ceiling is. We have not arrived at that final figure at this point. We’re working through logistics on our campus on how we do that.

RJ: Will you decide on the percentage of money each sport receives or will someone else?

Harper: We will discuss that as a department and with everyone on my team. And look also at what others are doing around the country to make sure, particularly within our conference, that we are competitive in that space.

RJ: As an athletic director, are you worried about the reaction some sports might have given the percentage of money others will receive?

Harper: Nobody is going to be 100 percent happy all the time, and that’s impossible for you to make everyone 100 percent happy. You have to do what’s best for your institution relative to your student-athletes. You’ve heard me say it many times — our student-athlete experience is No. 1 for us. However we get that done, we just have to do the best we can.

RJ: Do you like that there is now a clearinghouse for NIL deals?

Harper: I think any type of oversight that (makes it so) we’re all basically beating the same drum is beneficial. It’s also only going to be as good as the information put in the (NIL application for compensation).

RJ: How do you think the NIL collective has worked at UNLV? Has it been a good thing?

Harper: It has gotten better each year. I think it’s a good thing. We still have areas that we can improve on in that particular space, and I think each year we get better at it.

RJ: What was your initial reaction to the House settlement? Exactly what you thought it would be?

Harper: Pretty much. It had been going on so long, you just wanted to get some clarity so you could move forward accordingly. There was always a chance something could change and affect how you wanted to do things or how you wanted to implement. No one likes to do a ton of work and then have to flip and do something else.

It’s like you’re cooking a meal this way one month and cook it a different way the next. You still want the same results and, in this instance, what’s best for your university.

RJ: How are season tickets going for football?

Harper: They’re moving extremely well. We are at 8,579, and at this point last year, we were at 6,515. There’s a pretty good level of excitement going, and obviously people are excited to have (new coach Dan Mullen) and the players he has brought in.

RJ: How competitive do you believe the new-look Mountain West will be in 2026 given you’re losing Boise State in football and a handful of schools that traditionally make the NCAA Tournament in basketball?

Harper: I’d say it might be too early to tell, but there’s going to be strong competition throughout the conference. Everybody is trying to get better every single day. That hasn’t changed. Obviously, we’ve had two really, really good years (in football) and have a coach not afraid to play anybody anywhere at any time. We will have a very competitive schedule and will also be working our tails off to win the conference every single year.

RJ: Do you believe the Pac-12 was or still is an option for UNLV, or are you happy with having stayed in the Mountain West?

Harper: We have to be the best possible UNLV that we can be. And at this point, we looked at everything we did back when all the realignment was going on, and we still feel like we made the best decision for UNLV and the future of UNLV.

RJ: Your football team will open its season against Idaho State on Week Zero, the earliest date ever for the program. Do you like that?

Harper: I like playing whenever my coaches want to play. They’re the ones who have to get prepared to play. I’m there to support them, whether it’s Week Zero or Week 14. We’re lining up to win, and where it lays, it lays.

RJ: How will Mullen approach football scheduling? Will there be a certain philosophy to it?

Harper: We’ve obviously got some games scheduled out and have for many years. We will work to have a very competitive schedule that puts us in a position to be in the College Football Playoff conversation. That’s important to us. We’ll be ready.

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.