I would think fairness should matter to all athletic conferences across the country when it comes to membership and ensuring everyone within the framework has an equal opportunity at success. In this sense, the Mountain West and its TV contract for football has failed miserably for many schools, particularly UNLV.
That loud sound you heard around 4:05 p.m. Tuesday from Huntington, W.Va., was a shriek of joy from Marshall athletic director Mike Hamrick. That loud sound you heard at 4:05:01 was Hamrick hitting the floor.
UNLV football coach Bobby Hauck spoke this week about the letter of the law, which means obeying the literal interpretation of a rule.
There are different kinds of wins in sports. Ones when you outplay an opponent. Ones when you don’t and still succeed. Ones when you make your owns breaks. Ones when the other guys break down. UNLV’s basketball team had another kind Saturday. “This was a character win,” Rebels coach Dave Rice said.
Is there such a thing as a season-defining moment for a college basketball team in just its fourth game? For UNLV, it will find out Saturday.
History is pretty clear on this: You can’t begin listing the greatest Final Four games and not mention many — Magic vs. Larry in 1979, Texas Western and its all-black starting five vs. Kentucky in 1966, Jim Valvano looking for someone to hug in 1983, Villanova slaying Georgetown in 1985 — before reaching games between UNLV and Duke in 1990 and 1991.
It’s a difficult thing, almost impossible at times, to preach freedom as a coach one minute and urge discipline the next.
It took four weeks, but it finally happened. The Southeastern Conference bias struck the College Football Playoff rankings.
UNLV’s basketball team will awake Wednesday, head to the airport and board a flight for New York, where the Rebels will meet Stanford in a Coaches vs. Cancer Classic game Friday night at Barclays Center.
Look at it this way: There won’t be any issues with them botching another arena deal.
