New study says UNLV Athletics brings over $100 million to local economy per year

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — UNLV isn't just winning on the field and on the court, but the Rebels are bringing in wins for their community— with a new study saying UNLV Athletics brings the Las Vegas economy over $109 million in added income per year.

The report identifies statistics from the 2021-22 school year that show that the Rebels create over a thousand jobs and help their student-athletes get jobs after graduating.

UNLV Athletics Boosting Economy by noor.shami on Scribd

With incoming teams and events helping sports entertainment in Las Vegas explode, UNLV continues to serve as the long-standing pillar of the town's sports scene.

"There's been a ton of excitement over the last ten years or so with sports coming to Las Vegas which is awesome," said Runinn' Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger.

UNLV is a part of Las Vegas history and a part of the community.

"I think it's good that we know our school is doing good for the community that we're moving into right now," said one UNLV student.

The Runnin' Rebels of the 1990s put Las Vegas on the map for sports, winning a national championship and being ranked as the nation's top college basketball team.

UNLV's 1990 championship team holds strong legacy 33 years later Johnny Resendiz

Since then, more UNLV programs have followed with their own winning ways. The arrival of the NHL in Las Vegas in 2017, WNBA in 2018, NFL in 2020, MLB in 2028 and potentially an NBA team in the future has the Rebels sitting in a hotbed for sports action.

People who've been here a long time, there weren't pro teams and UNLV was at the forefront of sports. To be a part of the Las Vegas landscape, the sports atmosphere, it's special right now. It's becoming the sports capital of the world.

"USA basketball is here, national teams from other countries come practice in the Mendenhall Center getting ready for things," Kruger continues. "The Raiders, the Knights, Major League Baseball is coming, It's a lot of fun to be a part of the sports community in the Las Vegas area."

As Rebels teams have seen success over recent years: UNLV football is enjoying historic seasons under Barry Odom and the Lady Rebels basketball team winning three straight Mountain West titles under Lindy La Rocque with students on campus beginning to rally more behind the Scarlet and Gray.

"It's been a lot of fun and it's actually encouraging a lot of the students to actually go to the games, get outside and go cheer for the team," said UNLV sophomore Haley.

"I think we've been to a lot more games this year than last year so it's been super fun to connect with other students around us too," said UNLV sophomore Arianna.

Find more about UNLV's contributions to the local economy in this study and in this fact sheet supplied by the university.