Just kind of sad that this program is so down now that a meh season and getting blown out by 20+ in the NIT is considered OK for a coach who's been here 3 years. That's probably why we pull in like 7k/game now, if that. Hiring young, unproven coaches and garbage retreads has proved to be a disaster for the overall trajectory of the program. Or in other words, going on the cheap. If they bring him back, it's just yet another year of waiving the white flag on doing anything to get UNLV back to where we want to be and should be. We'll be right back in the same spot next year.
Next Year Thoughts
- Thread starter Rebel77fl2
- Start date
I think someone posted we had a chance with Kelvin Sampson years ago and we did not pull the trigger… now I would take the next Danny Sprinkle here instead of what we are doing now, running it back with Kevin!
Kelvin had too much stink on him back then. But it seems like that didn't really matter, right? In the same respects. Fck it. Go out and get Huggy. He said he's interested in Louisville job. Who cares about the baggage.
What does UNLV have to lose? At one time the risk was too high, UNLV may have been one mistep away from the death penalty, but that was 33 years ago. UNLV BB has been completely irrelevant since.
F@ck, the 16 year old moms I used to see at the Boulevard Mall are now grandmas and havent been alive since UNLV was relevant. Take a risk, there is nothing to risk losing.
F@ck, the 16 year old moms I used to see at the Boulevard Mall are now grandmas and havent been alive since UNLV was relevant. Take a risk, there is nothing to risk losing.
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Thought he lied to NCAA at Indiana.
What job he's done at Houston.
You have to be committed to win, is UNLV?
Fair question. Under current leadership I’d say yes. I do wonder whether the priority has shifted to football which would make sense. No telling how long we’ll have Odom and I suspect Harp sees this as the time to do everything possible to get UNLV into top G5 status, even if that means delaying investment into MBB.
We need to get out of the MWC. We need more revenue to pay some of these coaches we have talked about over the years.
Only way this happens is if UNLV joins the PAC 2 and the PAC doesn't water down the conference by bringing in the entire MWC just the top 4-5 teams.
UNLV isn't even a fly on the horses shit to the Big 12 right now. Without the PAC forming a better conference with UNLV as part of it we will be forever stricken to the MWC.
The idea that there is a reverse merger where every team of the MW comes over but is now called the PAC has been discussed and reported on.
But that will likely reduce the per team payout over building from scratch. And it seems like progress on that idea has at least temporarily halted.
The PAC 2 are getting 60 mil from the departing schools and will get an equal share of the NCAAT money.
I think there will be a window where the buyout for MW schools will be low or non existent. It is based off the current MW TV contract which is expiring in 2 years. So if they decide to poach some, not all MW schools they could potentially do that with not a crazy buyout. They will have some scratch to help buyouts, but not a ton.
But if the MW agrees to a new TV deal, the buyouts will likely swell again.
I'm guessing that if the PAC wants to rebuild with only some of the existing MW teams, those teams know this. I can see those teams potentially sabotaging MW TV talks. It seems like this exact thing happened to the PAC last year.
They need only 8 to officially be an official conference, but will need 12 to have a conference championship game which is arguably a must.
But that will likely reduce the per team payout over building from scratch. And it seems like progress on that idea has at least temporarily halted.
The PAC 2 are getting 60 mil from the departing schools and will get an equal share of the NCAAT money.
I think there will be a window where the buyout for MW schools will be low or non existent. It is based off the current MW TV contract which is expiring in 2 years. So if they decide to poach some, not all MW schools they could potentially do that with not a crazy buyout. They will have some scratch to help buyouts, but not a ton.
But if the MW agrees to a new TV deal, the buyouts will likely swell again.
I'm guessing that if the PAC wants to rebuild with only some of the existing MW teams, those teams know this. I can see those teams potentially sabotaging MW TV talks. It seems like this exact thing happened to the PAC last year.
They need only 8 to officially be an official conference, but will need 12 to have a conference championship game which is arguably a must.
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The Pac-2 may sound like a great idea today but, damn the longer they wait to do something with the conference the worse they are going to look. WSU has lost their AD and Basketball coach this week. There is a rumor their good Women's basketball coach might be looking and that is after already losing their really good Volleyball coach to West Virginia. Their Men's basketball team has 3 guys in the Portal and one of them was their really good freshman who started. The Pac-2 is still hoping to get into a P5 conference or rebuild but, every week that passes they are starting feel like a University of Idaho to me. Before long you have to wonder what their media value is going to look like.
The exit fees are already increasing as the payouts are increasing. With the 18 tourney units picked up from this and last year and the $1 million each school picked up from the Scheduling agreement our exit fees are easily going to be $21 million where just a year ago it was $17 million. And, you are right about the media rights in the MWC as they will no doubt be renewed with an increase in payouts happening before the end of the current media contract expiration. I can't see how the Pac-2 can help much as the Scheduling Agreement termination fees are fairly steep. Five MWC schools would cost them $55 million in termination fees.
The whole idea that the "Pac whatever" will be a better conference than the MWC is BS. There's a reason No one wanted OSU and WSU... it's going to be no better than the current MWC with more mouths to feed. Las Vegas is currently the media market diamond in the MWC crown.. hasn't always been that way but we're the target if there's more expansion movement in the future. We shouldn't try and lock ourselves into any off brand Pac where the fee to leave would be too much to make it viable for a bigger more sustainable league to pick us up.
My point being this.
Say that the PAC wants 6-8 MW teams. That is potentially more than half the conference. If those schools know that they are wanted by the PAC and if they leave to join a new rebuilt PAC they will get more TV money, then it would be to the benefit of those schools to try to throw a wrench in the plans of solidifying a new MW contract. It is very possible that this exact thing happened this time last year when the PAC was trying to get a new contract, and decided to turn down 30 mil a year deal. Also the rejection of SDSU into the conference.
I'm not sure if the NCAA tourney units becomes part of the buyout for the MW. It wasn't for the PAC i believe. That money will continued to be shared with the teams as they join other conferences. I believe the recent buyout increase for the MW was from the guaranteed money from the PAC 2 football games for the next 2 seasons.
No school in the MW will openly admit to trying to get the conference to break up. Same with Gloria if they are targeting her as well. But they will do everything to look like they are keeping the band together, while secretly trying to sabotage it.
I'm not saying that this exact thing is actually happening, but I wouldn't be surprised. I'm just saying there is a way where they could poach some of the MW teams an not pay a huge fee if that's what everyone really wants to do.
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OSU and WAZZU were left out for a reason, you are right.
But they are still big state schools with pretty big alumni bases and fan support. They are worth more than most of the MW in terms of TV contract worth, if not all. They are in small markets, but capture a big part of the state including larger markets within those states.
People need to stop dreaming of the Big 12. It ain't happening. We have tried and tried and they are not interested. We haven't made their top 4 before, and that was before adding the better PAC schools. They have no reason to add UNLV. None. The only reason is to round out their conference into a super conference that might break away from the NCAA. That has seemingly a very small chance of that happening. Then, if that were to happen, UNLV would likely be on the outside looking in since other schools would likely beat us out.
We need to be making Final fours and College football playoffs to get enough of a look at this point.
A new PAC will still be a G5-6 conference. But it could be the best one and net those schools more money than they would get in the MW.
My theory is we would be part of a Pacific division in a leftover conference with the remaining ACC schools + SMU/CAL. I don’t buy the PAC reverse merger theory.
Seems to me everyone is just waiting for the ACC to blow up. So imagine being in the same conference as….wait for it….Dook.
We jut saw the affects of traveling to the East coast twice in one week and you want to add the ACC teams into the mix?
In the meantime, we probably should stop thinking that we are too good for this conference. Sure Vegas is a very solid second tier market. But UNLV doesn't seem to have great penetration in that market. And fans both casual and more hardcore fans don't want to go to games. San Diego is the best market in the MW btw.
We have performed like an average MW team, if not below average since the MW was created.
Trying stand about above the rest of the conference should be the goal first. It is not something we can skip.
Good news, both football and basketball will be coming in with near top classes if not the top class next year. UNLV has advantages, but finally needs to fully utilize them.
We have performed like an average MW team, if not below average since the MW was created.
Trying stand about above the rest of the conference should be the goal first. It is not something we can skip.
Good news, both football and basketball will be coming in with near top classes if not the top class next year. UNLV has advantages, but finally needs to fully utilize them.
The PAC whatever ends up being will never be part.of the P5. If done right it will be the best of the rest. If the PAC does come calling and takes 4-5 schools from the MWC and UNLV didn't go it would be the worst move by UNLV. The buy out rather it be $17m or $34m would be peanuts in comparison to future media contracts and other money from sports they would get. It is clear SDSU, BSu, Fresno and CSU will jump at the chance if it is presented. Obvious OSU and WSU are going to take a major hit in quality of their sports programs but will still be better than UNR or UNM. Thinking UNLV can stay how they are now and ever even get a look from a better conference is really short sighted. All the MWC is going to do is bring more of the same and a mediocre at best sports program for UNLV.
Last time UNLV tried was when UNLV sucked in football and had lived at the bottom of the MWC for decades. The current UNLV football team is at the top of the MWC and with UNLV facilities and improvements has become the top jewel of the MWC. My expectation is that Odom will continue to improve the team with much better attendance and recruiting which will make UNLV a bigger prize in the future. Who knows where the Big 12 is going with the loss of their best programs, but being at the top of the MWC gives us much better bargaining power than being at the bottom.
True. And as much as we want UNLV MBB to become a legit NCAA Trny program the path to a P4 is thru football. I suspect that is the driving force behind any investment decisions in MBB.
I agree with most of what you say but he also had more success than either Menzies or Otz. The same Otz who has taken ISU to back to back Sweet 16's and three straight tourney berths. UNLV might have as much to do with that lack of success as the coaching. KK did get us moving in a positive direction and he has a great returning player so I get giving him one last year to see if he can take us to the dance.
But the Fertitta complex was built or being built, same with Allegiant. They knew all about our facilities.
Last year was a big step forward for football, that is for sure, but we are still a long ways off. There is no way they add any team before things with the ACC gets settled. And if that blows up, we are going to be pushed evern further away.
Realistically we are going to have to win multiple MW football titles and have some impressive bowl games for them to take notice.
Going 2-0 against the Big 12 next will likely help, but that in itself won't be enough.
One 9-4 season does nothing to push thr needle. Put together 4-5 seasons like that then UNLV will start to get noticed.
Football is king and the best way to move up conference but I also know that the Big12 is looking to establish themselves as the best basketball conference. They are still in conversations with Gonzaga and a couple big East teams that I know of might be more than that.
Either way at this moment UNLV doesn't bring any benefit to the Big12 in either aspect. Only way UNLV gets a look from the Big12 is if over the next 4-5 years UNLV shows it can be competitive in both sports and add something to.the conference, then also hoping the Big12 is looking to expand/replace team in 4-5 years. Otherwise get use to high school gyms.
Football is king and the best way to move up conference but I also know that the Big12 is looking to establish themselves as the best basketball conference. They are still in conversations with Gonzaga and a couple big East teams that I know of might be more than that.
Either way at this moment UNLV doesn't bring any benefit to the Big12 in either aspect. Only way UNLV gets a look from the Big12 is if over the next 4-5 years UNLV shows it can be competitive in both sports and add something to.the conference, then also hoping the Big12 is looking to expand/replace team in 4-5 years. Otherwise get use to high school gyms.
Glaring weakness on our BB team -
I am a strength and Mobility coach, but I don't want to live in Vegas anymore so I'm off the table.
Thats not going to solve anything -
If we want a commitment to making money from athletics than we have to have a commitment from the top to be good at Athletics
Its very simple actually -
The Administration has to strive to have successful Athletics programs like Football and basketball
BUT...They dont _ they may "say" they have a commitment - but they don't really
It comes from the TOP - we need a president (and admin that follows) that says he want UNLV to win another Natty - UNtil then we will be LOSERS
Disagree. A forward thinking conference would think of all the "destination" games in Vegas and would see that as a big plus to generate excitement for their conference. Unlv big plus has always been the city it is in.
The only problem with the UNLV-MWC BB equation is UNLV, not the conference. MWC got 6 bids this year. The fact that UNLV didnt get one of those is not on being stuck the MWC.
Exactly. Must get out of the conference so we don’t lose to AFA at home by 30+. MWC didn’t cause us to lose games to Southern and LMU at home. If we were at a Gonzaga or SDSU level, I could see the gripe, but not for where we have been for the last 10-15 years.
We essentially paid CKK contract with whatever TJOs buyout money was. It was essentially the same amount between the two. DRF went with the cheap and easy option. It wasn’t a serious move.
If unlv was serious, they could have used that buyout money to get a great staff and experienced coach. Moving to a better conference would net unlv more revenue and would allow Harper more flexibility to get a bigger name or better coach.
The gap is only going to grow and I’m hopeful that with the football program rolling and facilities that we’ll be considered for a future conference however it materializes.
It would be minimized with two divisions, pacific and Atlantic. Cal and Stanford are making it work somehow.
Again, I’m expecting that the ACC will implode, their top member schools hate it and want to bolt for the SEC or BIG. The leftovers are either going to absorb the American, merge with BigEast or create an East/west conference.
Pacific Division: CAL, Stanford, WSU, ORST, Boise State, SMU, Rice, SDSU, Gonzaga (basketball), UNLV.
Atlantic Division: Syracuse, Dook, Wake Forest, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Tulane, USF.
I may be in the minority but I don’t like the idea of a reverse merger with the Pac2, that situation is guaranteed to be temporary.
It’s early in the spring portal but there are a number of intriguing gettable players already.
www.cbssports.com
College basketball transfer portal rankings 2024: Illinois star Coleman Hawkins commits to Kansas State
Here are the top 80 players who enterted the transfer portal during college basketball's 2024 offseason
www.cbssports.com
Surprised Keyshawn Hall not on this top 50 list.It’s early in the spring portal but there are a number of intriguing gettable players already.
College basketball transfer portal rankings 2024: Illinois star Coleman Hawkins commits to Kansas State
Here are the top 80 players who enterted the transfer portal during college basketball's 2024 offseason
The power of academic snobbery from Stanturd would never allow them to align themselves with the likes of Boise State. I'm not even sure they could stomach UNLV.
The Atlantic Division + CAL and Stanturd has a lot more media value. Adding the Pacific Division would only dilute their media revenue.
Don't get me wrong as I'm all for getting rid of some schools in the MWC that have little value. It would increase our media revenue. But, I think Gloria outsmarted the best of them with that Scheduling Agreement and those Termination Fees. She is for protecting the MWC at all costs. I predict that we will know within the next year what will happen with the MWC and the Pac-2. The first milestone will be September 1, 2024 to see if the Pac-2 agrees to continue with the Scheduling Agreement for the 2nd year. The wording in the Scheduling Agreement is so specific that even in the 2nd year of the agreement if any school so much as announces their intentions to join the Pac-2 their will be consequences for the Pac-2. Provided there is the 2nd year the earliest that MWC schools would be able to announce departure from the MWC would be around July 1st 2026 giving a 1 year notice of departure. Even then can those MWC schools afford that one year exit fee of close to $20 million. If the Pac-2 moves forward with inviting non MWC schools we will be on the outside looking in. What is to stop the Pac-2 from merging with the AAC. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper for them and not have to worry with all the costs and drama associated with MWC schools.
I do not think UNLV would be on the outside looking in considering the recent number of large donations, I expect UNLV would have the easiest time of any team in the MWC coming up with the money to exit if the donors felt it was worth it!
I wish it were that way but remember UNLV is a much younger institution than our main competitors, some significantly younger. Even UNR has a 100-year head start on us. This really matters when it comes to fundraising and endowments, most of which come from alumni who have done well for themselves and established family wealth. It takes generations to develop a strong base of such donors. UNLV is making strides in this regard and is beginning to see the needle move but it’s moving from a very small number so even with our growth we lag behind most schools. NIL is a bit different bc it’s really business endorsements but it ultimately comes from the same base of donors. All those folks with a win-now mentality need to keep this in mind. Not that anyone is wrong to want to want that but they should also back it up with $$$ to the program.
If that was true, schools like unr would have good practice facilities (their football facility was built over 40 years ago their football stadium was built 60 years ago). UNLV receives a lot of large donations (well in excess of $1 million each) from donors that never attended UNLV. Those include the Fertitta Family, Boyd Group, SWITCH, Andrew & Peggy Cheng (Panda Express), Rogers Foundation to UNLV Black Mountain Institute, Sands Corporation Adelson Family, even the Raiders came up with $1 million, also dozens of anonymous donations that exceed over ($100 million over last decade - the largest being $25 million) There are also hundreds of estate planning gifts to UNLV from people who never attended UNLV. No doubt that most of the money that will come in for the $150 million athletic department capital improvements campaign by Erick Harper will also come from non-UNLV alum.
