UNLV faces opportunity to win fans to Sam Boyd Stadium
The day could’ve been all back slaps and smiles, but it also was one of opportunity.
And first-year UNLV football coach Tony Sanchez wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity on Monday, especially when everyone was in a good mood after watching the Fremont Cannon get painted red at the Student Union.
That was UNLV’s reward for beating UNR 23-17 two nights earlier, and Sanchez wanted to use the victory to continue to push the program forward.
So Sanchez challenged the excited fans to make the effort to show up at Sam Boyd Stadium on Saturday when the Rebels play San Jose State at 6 p.m. He followed up at his Tuesday news conference with a similar challenge.
“You’re on the road (at UNR) and they’ve got some momentum and the crowd’s rocking,” Sanchez said. “It’s a definite advantage, and you see that. That needs to become our advantage. When San Jose comes in here, we need to have a rocking crowd that will be a tough atmosphere to play in. You get those third-down, fourth-down situations, we need to make sure their offense can’t hear. That’s a fun thing to be part of.
“We really want to create that atmosphere around here.”
Unfortunately for Sanchez and the Rebels, Sam Boyd will be far from full. A crowd of about 17,000 is expected to show up in the 35,500-seat stadium, though a strong walk-up crowd could push the number higher.
But it’s not all about the short-term goal of attracting a big crowd this weekend. There’s the longer-term effort to bring out more fans on a regular basis and get an on-campus football facility in place.
The victory at Reno has increased hope an announcement will be made, though not an imminent one. UNLV also won there two years ago, but couldn’t sustain the momentum to create lasting change.
“(Saturday’s) win over UNR felt different,” athletic director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said. “I feel like and I’ve heard from people around us is there’s a climate change with Tony Sanchez and the coordinators and the coaches and the things he is doing not only on the field but outside it. It’s a constant change. So there’s something in the air that it’s not just a one-and-done.
“That’s what’s exciting, and I’m hearing that from every group that we talk to. Every group feels that football is changing here at UNLV.”
Sanchez and Kunzer-Murphy know what the facility would mean to the program. It would show that UNLV is serious about fielding a strong program, a message specifically meant for recruits.
“We’re going out and working hard to get some donors involved,” Sanchez said. “(UNLV) already is a special place, but it can be a great place if we invest in it.”
Kunzer-Murphy said donors have expressed interest in helping get the building built since even before the victory at UNR.
“We’ve got the plans, and now we need to get serious about let’s get this project moving along,” she said.
In the meantime, the Rebels have a game against San Jose State this weekend.
UNLV is 2-3, but has won two games in a row and is 1-0 in Mountain West play. A victory over the Spartans makes bowl eligibility highly realistic.
The best thing the Rebels can do for their program is to continue to progress on the field. Then the fans and donors will continue to notice and make a big difference in assisting the program off the field.
“The most important thing is we’ve got to worry about how to beat San Jose State on Saturday because that’s 2-0,” Kunzer-Murphy said. “To get 2-0 in conference, that’s incredible, so important.”
— Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.
