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.
UNLV Football
Mountain West coaches, players and officials are all adjusting to the new landscape of college football, which means adaptability will be key moving forward.
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.
A lawsuit filed by the Pac-12 against the Mountain West over approximately $150 million in exit and poaching fees is headed to court, according to a document filed.
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.
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.
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.
UNLV’s game against Idaho State was scheduled for Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium, but it has been displaced because of the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford title fight.
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.
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.
Former UNLV linebacker Javin White now plays for the United Football League’s Michigan Panthers, who play the DC Defenders on Saturday in the championship game.
Zach Arnett, who resigned his position as defensive coordinator on new UNLV coach Dan Mullen’s staff in April, is headed to a Florida school.