UNLV Needs Some Traditions

[LasVegasReb]

I am die hard UNLV fan and want nothing more than the football program to succeed. Coach Sanchez is doing a great job at motivating the team and energizing the fan base. However the program needs to start bringing in some traditions that student-athletes and or fans can associate with and rally around. Not to mention it creates more value to the games and people want to go.

We are Las Vegas damn it! The basketball program is known for having the best pre-game show in the nation. Now its time for UNLV to put it's stamp on college football.

Hear are a couple of my thoughts...What kind of unique Las Vegas traditions can UNLV employ?

1. Every game starts with Flying Elvi
2. Creation of legit college drum section. UNLV can't and won't ever invest in large scale band so there should be serious investment into a 'section'. Plus drum line gets fans excited.
3. Get some serious half time show going on but do it differently than regular college football. Bring in a great band, leverage some of the strip headliners, get Copperfield to make the Wolf Pack disappear. Yes, this would require help from the casino or entertainers and likely strong amount of dollars. But it's worth it if it sells more tickets, create an great game day atmosphere and builds the required local support.
4. Rebellion needs to create strong selection of chants a la soccer. I live in Seattle and the die hard fan section doers nothing but sing chants all game. Its creates a pretty cool environment. Hell...they even post the chants online so fans can participate (Sounders chants). Here are some videos. In addition to rally chants, they can also do Opposing Field Goal Attempt chant, etc.
5. Schedule a First Look for football prior to start of season. I think they have schedule one for this year?
6. Rebellion needs funding from the university and outside sources to help with organization of students and improve game day atmosphere.
7. Create massive build up to UNR rivalry game. This should be a all-week build up with rally's etc to pump up the city and team to beat the team up north.
8. Schedule emerging music bands to play at tailgating park pre-game.
9. Throw something at opponents. I don't know, maybe a deck of cards, fake casino chips?
10. Some kind of tradition after every touchdown. The Timbers saw a piece off a log and give it to scorer (pretty cool tradition). Maybe the Rebs could bring out a fake slot machine and it pours out coins. Or something else Rebel or Vegas related.
11. Living up in pacific northwest now for 3 years, I've become tremendously appreciative of beer. I think the Rebels should have their own beer or some kind of food (burger, hot dog, prime rib sandwich). It helps continue with building an identity of Rebel football. Personally, I am down for brewing some Rebel Red Ale. Well, maybe more for drinking it.

If we don't start thinking about this stuff, nobody else will. Or least it won't happen as quickly. If we want UNLV Football to become a real player in college football or help, just begin building a real program, then we need to figure this stuff. Why not start with the people on this board? You guys are some of the most dedicated fans.

</End rant>

 

[rebelbuck]

Not sure if there is an Open Look per say but any practice on campus is open during camp so fans can get out and take a look. A meet and greet type event might not be a bad idea at the end of camp.

In terms of game day atmosphere the schools needs to try an establish things the fans can latch onto and stick with. If it doesnt catch on in few weeks , thats ok, these things take time (one season a few years back the team ran out of 3 different inflatable tunnels and different music) We need consistency. . I feel the way Sanchez works he will have some ideas on improving the overall game day feel/establishing traditions for not only the team but the fans.

Most importantly we need butts in seats this year so that more an more people are involved and as things are rolled out they become the norm for the fans.

 

[willlevi]

The hotdogs, garlic frys and alcohol are already a draw but yes the school needs a bigger entertainment draw beyond the actual game.
The fifth quarter for Wisconsin is one of my favorites.

 

[LasVegasReb]

BTW, I love UNLV use of the stache. I think they should continue to play it up. Maybe all UNLV freshmen have to grow a stache their first season.

 

[LasVegasReb]

How bad would your eyes hurt if this was our field? Not recommending the change, but I think they are updated the field design this year. I'm curious to see what they've come up with.

 

[RebelBuzz]

Love your enthusiasm, LVReb. Agree that the school/team/marketing/fans need to be forward thinking in considering ways to create excitement.

- Couldn't agree more regarding halftime entertainment. Ours is terrible. Frankly, it's really bad for bball at the T&M, too, which is a travesty. It's too bad our band isn't bigger/better. When you have a great band, it isn't very hard to put together an entertaining halftime show (not hard on the school/athletics department ... obviously band/cheer/etc. puts in tons of hard work perfecting a cool routine). And while it is no easy task to put together something that can fill the huge space of a football stadium, you've only got 6 home games where you need to fill 15 minutes each game. That's not a ton of time to fill. This is Vegas. Surely we can find 1.5 hours of great entertainment per year at SBS for halftime.

- UNLV Football crowds need to be trained about how to be a good/helpful crowd. Honestly, the same could be said for bball crowds. How many times does the "pump-up guy" (p.s. please get Chet back) try and fire up the crowd during a timeout? Why waste our breath/energy getting a Rebels chant going during a timeout? Stupid. The crowd needs to know that from the time 2nd down ends and other team gets in the huddle, crowd needs to get LOUD to make things as hard as possible for a 3rd-down conversion. Pre-snap noise before 3rd and 4th down conversion attempts is the single-most important thing for a football crowd to do.

- You suggested throwing stuff (at opposition/after touchdowns). Don't casinos get rid of playing cards at a crazy rate? Give everyone in the the endzone section a pack of cards, and start a tradition that when a TD is scored going into that south endzone, everyone throws a handful of cards in the air (a la Lebron James powder) to create a cascade of playing card confetti. I think it would look pretty sweet on camera, and it would create excitement for the fans in that section and throughout the stadium as they wait for the ball to cross the goal-line, the cannon goes off, and the cards fly.

And let me beat the haters to it: "How about you win a few games and then crowds will show up?" For one, that is not true. Attendance during our bowl season two years ago was terrible. And attendance at the start of last year (when there was still promise of a good season coming off the bowl year) was bad, too. Secondly, there's a bit of a chicken/egg scenario here, and I think that taking steps to improve the gameday experience/atmosphere/excitement can actually contribute to success on the field.

 

[rebelbuck]

Fans are the integral part. Anyone who goes needs to be , for lack of a better term , an ambassador of the New Era. Try to get people to attend one tailgate/game and make it a fun experience and try to get them hooked. Its what happens in our tailgate group of 13 years. We have a few people that after a few games last year are now buying into our spots and have first ever season tickets. Just takes a real grassroots effort from not only the School team but us as fans.

Would love for the band to be larger but they are not funded really well which is why the numbers are so low. Hopefully there will be effort made on that front as well to juice them up a bit. Would love if we had something played, a song or sound effect for each opponents 3rd / 4th conversions. Once it catches on people will get into it.

Fans in college football are so important and can make the difference. I really hope this team puts on a good show at NIU to open the season so maybe a few more interested parties will be in the stands for the UCLA game. Has potential to be an electric atmosphere with a highly rated opponent coming to town on a fight weekend now no less (we have seen this Mayweather fight 10 times already convince people to skip for the game, shouldnt be hard).

 

[RebelBuzz]

And I should be clear: I'm not blaming the band for not being bigger/better/louder. They do the best they can with what they are working with. They are on point for bball games, but filling a football stadium and putting on a great halftime show requires sooo much more.

 

[RebelBuzz]

This is not a new suggestion, but I think something's gotta be done to the parking lot. Now I hate when people use the dirt lot as an excuse not to go to games, and I certainly don't, but there has to be a more inviting surface than the dirt and gravel.... I would think that the dirt lot would be unacceptable to a detail freak like Coach Sanchez. I'd love to see him get a donation to take care of it.

 

[RedCannon]

Love the ideas - some really good ones.
To add to your 11th point in regards to beer/food tradition - more on the food side. How about bringing in an Alumni named Guy Fieri!! I'm sure he could put together one heck of a tailgate food selection to be a tradition. Hey, if the department or maybe Guy wanted to invest in a restaurant style place... maybe a view of the field or bands playing in the tailgate section. I could see some good eats and the bands you're talking about be a huge hit.
I thought about the red field, which I actually kind of like. Take a look at the site of the company that just did the new field:
http://www.sprinturf.com/
It has a similar finished field like that one you drew up LVReb in the pictures on the front page (9th pick in). And from the sound of it you can change out the look fairly easily, which could be a tradition in itself... it might be costly, but that would be very Vegas.
I'm really caught up with having lights incorporated in our team, field, halftime, tailgating... something. What is Vegas without LIGHTS!! How about having some remote LED lights stitched into the field in a low traffic area... say just outside the endzone... or in front of the students... to add to your vision Buzz - The player(s) that scores the TD goes over to the flashing lights on the ground while he's getting a shower of cards and the cannon firing - That's a piece of Vegas

 

[RedCannon]

... just thinking of the stache idea. It would be fun to see a huge stache on the buses bringing the players in. As you're enjoying the pre-game party... with bands playing, putting down some Rebel Red Ale, Guy Fieri eats you can see the busses passing with the players. And you know its the Rebel players because of the huge white stache!. You could try to get the fans to rock them on their cars on the way to SBS...

 

[LasVegasReb]

Not my drawing. Just found on the web. I like it but it's not an original idea. I think it would be critized more than revered.

I was thinking about Guy Fieri too. Not a bad idea and he'd be for it.

I thought about a couple more ideas.

1. Beer Guy Vendors dressed up as Elvis or other Vegas inspired people. I was thinking cocktail waitress but it'd be deemed too sexist.
2. Something to do with dice. Maybe some half time game with life sized dice.
3. Rebel Red Hot Dogs
4. EDC-esque or DeadMau5 type Live DJ throughout the game. Maybe a specific area in the stadium or near field with live DJ.

 

[LasVegasReb]

Also, they could use 'stache as game day banners for fans (maybe that what you were saying). At first I thought it'd be a problem confusing Rebs with the ride sharing company Lyft, but they recently changed from using fuzzy pink mustaches to glowing pink one on dash. I think it could be a cool idea. Maybe already being used.

 

[LasVegasReb]

How about these Rebel-inspired beers:

• Rebellion Red Ale - Irish Red Ale-style with a lightly hopped tea-like flavor. A balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness.
• Battle Born Blonde - Reminiscent of the German style Kölsch, all malt brew, well attenuated with a lightly malty palate and subdued fruitiness.
• Shark Wit - Belgian wheat beer with a slight lemony touch. Brewed coriander seeds, orange peels, and other spices.
• Fremont Cannon Pils - German-style Pilsner with a spicy floral aroma and flavor. Strong on the palate and a flash of citrus-like zest-hop bitterness.

 

[calvegas04]

build a new stadium on campus and you will have all the tradition you guys can handle

 

[RedCannon]

How about these Rebel-inspired beers:

• Rebellion Red Ale - Irish Red Ale-style with a lightly hopped tea-like flavor. A balanced beer, with toasted malt characters and a light fruitiness.
• Battle Born Blonde - Reminiscent of the German style Kölsch, all malt brew, well attenuated with a lightly malty palate and subdued fruitiness.
• Shark Wit - Belgian wheat beer with a slight lemony touch. Brewed coriander seeds, orange peels, and other spices.
• Fremont Cannon Pils - German-style Pilsner with a spicy floral aroma and flavor. Strong on the palate and a flash of citrus-like zest-hop bitterness.

That's great!... I'm salivating.

 

[702Rebel Knight]

build a new stadium on campus and you will have all the tradition you guys can handle

+1, If Kansas State who was thee worst D1 program of all time before Coach Snider arrived in the little apple can do it. Why can't UNLV do it here in Vegas?
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nca...all-facilities-are-getting/ar-BBluUiv#image=2