UNLV students get much-desired move at basketball games

UNLV’s students have been heard.

They will be able to move across the court at the Thomas & Mack Center to now sit behind the basket where the visiting teams shoot in the second half. That had been auxiliary-seating for the media, and now those press members will be moved to the primary area high in section 105.

By making the move, UNLV hopes to gain more of a home-court advantage, especially when late-game free throws are being shot by the visiting team.

“Our students bring an energy and passion that can’t be replicated anywhere else,” UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois said Monday.

The band also will move to that area, but students who were sitting in sections 110 through 112 will continue to have access to most of that seating if they prefer.

The athletic department also will create the Courtside Club for sections 108-110. The club is a made up of Rebel Athletic Fund Loyalty Circle members.

Those who owned tickets in the affected seats will receive free seating and parking upgrades and access to the hospitality area. Each ticket holder receives a call from the athletic department explaining the changes.

Rebels students have advocated for the change, and now they hope to be a big factor in coach T.J. Otzelberger’s inaugural season that begins in the fall.

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Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.