New UNLV football coach Dan Mullen has brought in several transfers to bolster his defense heading into his first season with the Rebels.
Ed Graney
Sports columnist
Email: egraney@reviewjournal.com
Phone: (702) 383-4618
X: @edgraney
Ed Graney came to the Review-Journal in May of 2006 as its lead sports columnist. He has covered all major sporting events, including Super Bowls to NBA championships to every Final Four since 1995. Graney also covered the Olympic Games in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). A graduate of San Diego State University, he is a five-time Nevada Sportswriter of the Year and past winner of Associated Press Sports Editors Top 10 for columns. He and wife Bonnie have two children, a son (Tristan) and daughter (Bridget).
There is a battle at quarterback for the Rebels as camp gets underway.
New UNLV football coach Dan Mullen wants to play a competitive schedule, and these games offer roadblocks as the Rebels attempt to become a top Group of Five team.
Dan Mullen spent more than 20 years coaching in the SEC before coming to UNLV. He’s bringing that same competitive mindset to the Mountain West.
The Mountain West and Pac-12 could have created a powerful Western Region conference that would have ruled the Group of Five and possibly been considered a power league.
UNLV, which has won a total of 20 games the past two seasons, received four first-place votes in the Mountain West’s preseason football media poll released Wednesday.
The five schools leaving the Mountain West for the Pac-12 won a lot of championships in recent years. That could open some doors for UNLV.
Grand Canyon, originally scheduled to move to the Mountain West in July 2026, instead will join the conference in the 2025-26 academic year.
UNLV athletic director Erick Harper discussed the House settlement and the future of the Mountain West in a wide-ranging Q&A with the Review-Journal.
Mitch Marner played nine NHL seasons under the bright spotlight of Toronto. Even with expectations in Las Vegas, the glare won’t be as intense.
Texas State’s decision to leave the Sun Belt Conference for the Pac-12 should end all speculation about UNLV possibly departing the Mountain West for the rebuilt league.
It could be a matter of weeks before the Mountain West finalizes its new media rights contract, commissioner Gloria Nevarez told the Review-Journal this week.
Athletics president Marc Badain, who held the same title for the Raiders, is the point man again on building a stadium for a Las Vegas major league sports franchise.
The House vs. NCAA settlement means new NIL rules and how money can be distributed to athletes, a decision embraced by Bill Paulos, who runs the collective for UNLV.
There should be no excuses. The Rebels must be the program all others chase in football and men’s basketball once the new Mountain West emerges in 2026.