On-campus UNLV football stadium — count me in

I had been meaning to get around to offering my 2-cents worth on the firing of UNLV football coach Mike Sanford, but R-J columnist Geoff Schumacher beat me to it. If you missed his column in the Review-Journal, I'd recommend it.

I'm not sure I'm qualified to comment on whether Sanford was a good football coach. He didn't have a good record, though he seemed to be making headway in recruiting. No matter what you think about Sanford, the new coach will start with a program that has many, many challenges.

Not the least of which is the football facility.

Like Geoff, I think a modern football stadium near the campus is the ticket, something with good parking and easy access.

The problem, of course, will come from raising the scratch to build it. Asking taxpayers to foot the bill fully just won't fly. We're not exactly in boom times anymore ... and it may be five years before Las Vegas fully climbs out of this recession.

But maybe there's a generous donor out there anxious for naming rights. Who knows. But until something happens with a stadium, It is unrealistic to expect sustained excellence. And it is certainly unfair to blame Mike Sanford for the current state of UNLV football.