UNLV taking wait-and-see approach with Big 12 expansion

The Big 12’s decision to explore expansion has come at an opportune time for UNLV.

The 10-team league voted unanimously Tuesday to consider expanding to as many as four schools before the 2017 football season.

UNLV athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said Wednesday that she already has had recent talks with university president Len Jessup about the Big 12 situation, although she downplayed suggestions that UNLV was ready to act quickly and approach the league.

A better football program and more certainty surrounding the proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium has to be established before any pitch is made.

“The football stadium is a key for all of it,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “You know it. I know it. Everybody else who loves college football and the Rebels knows it.”

She said UNLV’s current focus is strengthening the Mountain West. While she said there is no proposal for the Big 12 today, UNLV might eventually make a serious pitch.

“We’ve got at a lot of things where we’ve got to get better,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “I don’t think anybody can say they have it all together.

“UNLV brings a lot of benefits to a conference, and we have been good partners to the Mountain West, and in time we will have those conversations.”

Before seeking a bigger conference, she said the new stadium has to be approved. Gov. Brian Sandoval has signed an amended executive order to allow the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee to study the issue through Sept. 30. Nine sites are being considered.

More importantly, she said UNLV’s long-struggling football program needs to improve. Though she said there is optimism on campus that second-year coach Tony Sanchez has it heading in the right direction.

If both criteria improve, UNLV can tout a TV market of more than 2 million, a tradition-rich men’s basketball program and a young university that is adding a medical school.

The Big 12 is exploring expansion after the Atlantic Coast Conference announced Monday the creation of a league TV network. That leaves the Big 12 as the only power conference without such an outlet.

Sports Illustrated listed Brigham Young, Cincinnati and Connecticut as the leading candidates for expansion. Mountain West schools Boise State and Colorado State were said to be among the next group, which didn’t include UNLV.

Should the Big 12 take a Mountain West school or two, that would force the MW to again look at adding members.

“My sense is if a school leaves, we have somebody ready to step right in,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “That happened when Boise State and San Diego State left for a minute (in 2013). There are some people in the wings who want to be part of something great in the Mountain West conference.”

Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65