Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Again after I was contemplating leaving my job as dean of the Eller School of Administration on the College of Arizona to come back to Las Vegas to take the helm as president at UNLV, I used to be attracted by the clear, thrilling future that each UNLV and Las Vegas have been steadily heading into collectively.
I might see, even again then, that thrilling issues lay forward. I typically stated in my formal remarks as UNLV president, in addition to in personal settings, that there was “one thing particular about this college, on this place, presently …”
A part of that imaginative and prescient was serving to UNLV ascend as one of many prime 130 or so Carnegie R1 analysis universities within the nation, out of greater than 4,000 or so schools and universities throughout the nation. One other key a part of that imaginative and prescient was constructing an infrastructure for UNLV athletics that will allow it to develop and succeed, in the end shifting into a greater convention ought to the chance current itself.
In reality, we talked with college presidents, athletic administrators, coaches and commissioners of “energy” conferences, and their recommendation was clear and easy. “Proceed to make the tutorial enhancements that you’re making, together with including a medical faculty, constructing out the analysis enterprise, and attaining Carnegie R1.” On the athletic facet, their recommendation was equally easy. “Get a stadium deal performed, construct a soccer follow facility, and get higher at soccer.”
All of that has been completed, after which some. As we anticipated, UNLV is now offered with a possible alternative to hitch the brand new Pac-12. Granted, this isn’t the Pac-12 of previous, the “convention of champions” that included Stanford, USC, UCLA, Washington and different perennial athletics powerhouses (together with Arizona in basketball). It does nonetheless embrace two unbelievable establishments each academically and athletically in Oregon State and Washington State, and is rapidly cannibalizing the higher faculties athletically from the Mountain West.
Most individuals would agree that, at this level, it will be higher for UNLV to be in a newly constituted Pac-12 than to be left behind in a Mountain West containing solely the leftovers.
I’m seeing an opinion expressed by some regents publicly and privately that we have to block UNLV from going to a greater convention as a result of it must proceed to be tethered to UNR (known as “Nevada” by my associates up north). On this case, the governance mannequin and “ethos” of “One Nevada” is holding UNLV again from attaining its pure, simple and deserved future. Listed here are some arguments to contemplate.
Tethering universities
Different states with unitary governance of their universities will not be held to this identical restriction in relation to athletic conferences. There are numerous examples of neighboring states the place a number of D1 faculties play in numerous athletic conferences. Some examples would come with:
- Utah and Arizona don’t limit the motion of Arizona State, College of Arizona or College of Utah, based mostly on the motion of Northern Arizona or Utah State.
- The College of Utah and BYU are in the identical convention, whereas Utah State isn’t.
- Washington and Washington State are in separate conferences.
- Colorado and Colorado State are in separate conferences.
- Oregon and Oregon State are in separate conferences.
- New Mexico and New Mexico State are in separate conferences.
- Idaho and Idaho State are in separate conferences.
- The College of California and Cal State athletics groups play throughout myriad conferences.
- And the linking of UNLV and UNR in collegiate athletic conferences hasn’t at all times been the case both — UNR was not added to the Mountain West Convention till 2012 (UNLV was an inaugural member in 1999). Additional, UNLV has dominated the intrastate athletics competitors because it was created. In any occasion, tethering the 2 universities on this method simply doesn’t make sense, and isn’t the frequent follow in close by states.
UNLV and UNR are each unbelievable universities with their very own distinctive strengths and alternatives, and neither must be constrained by the alternatives and/or instructions of the opposite. Additional, the 2 faculties can compete towards one another even when they’re in numerous conferences, a follow that’s frequent throughout the nation.
Story of two cities
The 2 metros of Las Vegas and Reno are completely different in scale, and that’s OK. Las Vegas is the Twenty ninth-largest metro and the Fortieth-largest media market in the USA, whereas Reno is the 103rd-largest metro and the 102nd-largest media market.
As a result of Las Vegas is simpler to fly into and out of all year long, it’s engaging to different collegiate groups and conferences, as evidenced by the success of the current Vegas Kickoff Basic that includes USC and LSU, in addition to the various Pac-12 league championships held right here.
Las Vegas has additionally positioned itself as a sports activities hub with new skilled groups and venues, and with Allegiant Stadium now out there to the UNLV soccer staff.
Briefly, Las Vegas has lots to supply to a collegiate athletic convention, and that must be fortified. Wouldn’t it be truthful and prudent to carry the College of Washington athletic groups — from the Seattle market— to the constraints skilled in Pullman, Wash.? Equally, would it not be truthful to carry the financial development potential of Portland, Ore., to the constraints of Corvallis or Eugene? Or Salt Lake Metropolis to that of Provo or Logan? Las Vegas shouldn’t be constrained by the boundaries of Reno; in actual fact, doing so would in the end damage the prospects for Reno, and each different metropolis in Nevada.
It’s all concerning the pupil expertise
We’ve seen some attempt to argue that permitting UNLV to vary conferences can be dangerous for student-athletes. That’s simply unsuitable. Permitting UNLV pupil athletics to compete in a newly customary Pac-12 would improve the scholar expertise, publicity, competitors, alternatives, NIL, and nearly another final result that issues to them.
The choice to constrain the destiny of UNLV athletics hurts the prospects not solely of the establishment but in addition of the person athletes and their potential to leverage their very own alternatives for the long run. With the adjustments to NIL particularly, permitting student-athletes to generate profits from their private model, conferences and their status turns into much more essential to school athletes.
In reality, by not permitting student-athletes to maneuver to this convention, anybody concerned in that call could possibly be liable legally to those college students in a lot the identical vein because the Ed O’Bannon case efficiently argued that student-athletes on the time have been being held again by means of their likeness in video video games.
In a broader sense, I might additionally add that the general pupil expertise is enhanced by the college competing with higher groups, in a greater convention, with higher competitors, with broader publicity, and with much more pleasure.
It’s too costly
We’ve seen some attempt to argue that it will be too costly for UNLV to permit them to maneuver right into a newly customary Pac-12 convention. Granted, it may be marginally dearer to compete within the newly customary Pac-12 from an operational perspective, however the payouts over time from media offers would even be commensurately higher, as would the attendance attracts each in-person and nearly.
Equally, there can be some legacy Pac-12 cash that could possibly be dropped at bear to assist UNLV pay for its “out” clause upon leaving the Mountain West. That is additionally probably one thing that will be very engaging to UNLV athletics boosters as a marketing campaign to lift funding to assist UNLV make the transfer to the Pac-12. Lastly, it will be dearer in the long term for UNLV athletics to not make the transfer to the Pac-12, and as an alternative be relegated to a diminished Mountain West.
In closing, if there’s any probability for UNLV to maneuver to the newly customary Pac-12, I say we allow them to do it. And if board members try to tether UNLV to its northern counterpart, that’s simply flat-out unsuitable, unfair to UNLV and to Las Vegas, and it in the end hurts the complete state. Let UNLV chart its personal course.
Go Rebels! Let’s assist construct a brand new convention of champions!
Len Jessup is a fellow on the Lincy Institute, two-time college president, two-time enterprise faculty dean, long-time professor of tech and entrepreneurship, and writer of an Amazon bestseller on selfless management with Forbes publishing.
