UNLV Football Caps Off Historic Season

When one thinks of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and it’s men's sports, many gravitate towards the basketball teams of the 80’s led by Jerry Tarkanian.

That way of thinking is justified with 9 consecutive tournament appearances, a national title over the Duke Blue Devils in 1990 and an overall record of 281-40 with multiple #1 rankings in the AP top 25.

That being said, UNLV hoops hasn’t appeared in the NCAA tournament since the 2012-2013 season and hasn’t sat atop the Mountain West since 2008.

Storied history aside, the basketball scene on campus has been taken over by Lindy La Rocque’s Lady Rebels who are currently on a three year streak of appearing in the NCAA tournament and are looking for year four.

Point being, through ups and downs basketball has been the calling card for Rebels sports.

UNLV football has done very little to dismiss that notion throughout history.

As a D1 school, UNLV has made 6 bowl games since 1978, one of which was vacated due to having ineligible players (1984).

So let’s just say 5 legit bowl games since 1978 and 3 bowl wins in the form of the:

1994 Las Vegas Bowl over Central Michigan

2000 Las Vegas Bowl over Arkansas

and lastly the 2024 LA Bowl after beating California 24-13 last night.

It was a staple step in proving that UNLV football is on the rise.

After all, last year’s 2023 team did make a bowl game, a loss to Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, and made the Mountain West title game, another loss, this one to Boise State.

In 2024, the same set of season end circumstance’s occurred, UNLV once again lost the Mountain West title game to playoff bound Boise State, but took that next step by winning their bowl game.

Mountain West conference championship losses aside, these are unprecedented events in Las Vegas.

It’s the first time ever that UNLV has appeared in a bowl game in consecutive seasons.

It was the first time UNLV had won a bowl game for that matter since 2000.

They had never before sniffed a conference championship game and have now appeared in two straight.

Their 11 wins is only the second time they have eclipsed ten or more wins in a season at the FBS level, and the first didn’t even count as it was the vacated season of 1984, which was adjusted to an 0-13 record by the NCAA.

This year’s 2024 Rebels group was also the first to crack the Associated Press Top 25 poll in school history, making it as high as #19 and finishing the season at #24.

For the cherry on top, UNLV lit up the scoreboard like a neon sign.

A historic year and a feel good season after already having a pretty great one in 2023 makes fans excited about the Rebels future, thinking this could become the new normal.

With Mountain West titan Boise State and others such as Fresno State, San Diego State , Colorado State and Utah State leaving the Mountain West for the new Pac-12 in 2026, the conference will need a new face.

UNLV historically would never be considered for such a position.

Yet, If they can overcome the loss of Barry Odom, the head coach of these last two seasons who is now headed to Purdue, and survive the transfer portal, UNLV can be in the running as a yearly threat if for nothing else but the Mountain West crown.

I'm not saying UNLV is the next college football powerhouse, but when you consider their conference come 2026 will only have one former conference champion (San Jose State, 2020) the odds increase significantly and the uncharacteristic consistency of the recent Rebels bodes well for them.

Time will tell, but as for the present UNLV can revel in the best football they’ve ever played.