In 1967, Nevada Southern University announced that they would field a collegiate football program beginning on September 14, 1968, and announced that the team would be a Division II Independent and that Bill Ireland would be the program's first head coach. The Rebels played their first game of their inaugural season against the St. Mary's Gaels at Cashman Field in Las Vegas. The Rebels won the game, defeating the Gaels 27–20 in front of 8,000 fans. The Rebels remained undefeated until the last game of the season, losing to the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen, 13–17, as the Rebels finished their inaugural campaign 8–1. The following year, the Rebels played their first game against in-state rival Nevada, losing to the Wolf Pack 28–30. UNLV gained revenge, defeating Nevada the following year, 42–30, in the first year that the Fremont Cannon was awarded. On September 25, 1971, the Rebels played their first game against a Division I school, when they played Utah State of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA), ultimately losing 7–27. On October 23, 1971, the Rebels opened their new home, Las Vegas Stadium, against Weber State, losing 17–30. At the end of the 1972 season with a disappointing 1–10 record, Ireland announced he was stepping down, leaving the Rebels with a 26–23–1 record.
A football signed by the 1973 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels football team that was gifted to President Gerald Ford.
Ireland was replaced by Ron Meyer before the start of the 1973 season and Meyer led the Rebels back to powerhouse status with an 8–3 record, including their first victory over a major college opponent, thrashing Marshall 31–9. The Rebels continued their strong campaign, breaking the national Division II top-10 and announcing their first All-American, running back Mike Thomas, who ran for the Division II national rushing title with 1,741 and setting nine school records in the process. The Rebels' success continued in 1974 with the only undefeated season in school history, finishing 11–0 and ranking second in the national Division II polls, the highest any Rebels football team has ever placed. The Rebels embarked on their first post-season journey in a national quarterfinal against Alcorn State, defeating the Braves 35–22 in Las Vegas. The Rebels memorable season ended in the national semifinals in the Grantland Rice Bowl, losing to Delaware 11–49. Meyer left the program in 1976 to take the head coaching position at collegiate powerhouse SMU.
The move to Division I
Former Boise State coach Tony Knap took over the Rebels in 1976, after Ron Meyer's departure. Knap was able to continue the Rebels prior success under Meyer, with a 9–3 record, a ranking of 7th in the nation and a berth in the Division II playoffs, ultimately losing to Akron 6–27 in the national quarterfinals. After ten years as a Division II independent, the program made the jump to the Division I level in 1978, independent of any conference affiliation. On September 9, the Rebels played their first game as a Division I school, losing to Washington State 7–34. The Rebels defeated their first major college opponent away from Las Vegas, with a 33–6 victory over Colorado State in Fort Collins. At the end of the season, the Rebels made a trip to Yokohama, Japan, to compete against college football powerhouse Brigham Young, losing 28–24. Even with the hard end to the season, the Rebels still produced a memorable year, going 7–4 in their first campaign at the Division I level. The 1981 season proved to be the last in Knap's tenure at UNLV, as he retired from coaching after a year of accomplishments, including the Rebels' first appearance in the ABC's Regional Game of the Week (a 21–45 loss at Wyoming), a 45–41 upset of 8th-ranked BYU in Provo, Utah, and securing the programs 100th win (27–20 at UTEP) in El Paso, Texas.
The 1982 season was a big year in UNLV football history as the program hired its fourth head coach, Harvey Hyde and the Rebels became affiliated with a college athletic conference when they joined the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA). The Rebels' first PCAA game was a 27–29 loss to Pacific on October 2. It took the entire season before the Rebels won their first conference game, a 42–23 victory against Cal State Fullerton on November 27. The Rebels won their first conference championship in 1984 as the Randall Cunningham-led Rebels finished 11–2, including the program's first trip to a bowl game, a 30–13 victory over Toledo in the California Bowl in Fresno, California. Hyde stepped down after the 1985 season and a 5–5–1 record when the NCAA discovered that several players on the 1983 and 1984 Rebels were ineligible. The Rebels were forced to forfeit their entire 1983 and 1984 seasons, including the California Bowl.[2]
Wayne Nunnely became the program's fifth head coach on September 20, 1986, and he coached the Rebels to a 17–7 victory over Wisconsin in front of the first sellout crowd in Silver Bowl Stadium history, a then record 32,207 fans. One of Nunnely's key players was Elbert "Ickey" Woods, the first Rebel and PCAA running back to win the national Division I rushing title, as he rushed for 1,658 yards and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1988 NFL draft.
1994 was another memorable season for the Rebels, as wide receiver Randy Gatewood set two single-game receiving records in a 38–48 loss to Idaho on September 17. The Rebels then stunned the heavily favored Nevada, 32–27 to win a share of the Big West Conference championship, the program's second title (but the first one they were allowed to keep). The Rebels then defeated Central Michigan 52–24 in the Las Vegas Bowl on their home field.
In 1996, the Rebels along with San Jose State left the Big West Conference and became a member of the heavily expanded Western Athletic Conference. The league announced that it would hold a championship game for the top team in each of the two divisions at the end of each season and that the game would be held at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The Rebels lost their first WAC game, 65–17 to Air Force on September 7. The Rebels finally won their first WAC game in a 44–42 shootout against San Diego State on November 16, in a game in which freshman quarterback John Denton set an NCAA freshman record for passing yards with 503. Although the Rebels finished 1–11, Denton still set ten NCAA freshman records. On October 17, 1998, UNLV played their first overtime game, losing to San Diego State 17–20. In 1999, the Rebels finished with the program's first winless season, but had their first consensus First Team All-American in punter Joe Kristosik, who averaged a nationally best 46.2 yard per punt average.
1999–present
In 1999, the Rebels made headlines, first by leaving the WAC with seven other schools to form the Mountain West Conference, but also by announcing that the program had hired legendary collegiate and professional coach John Robinson as their eighth head coach.[3] The school would repeat its conference hardships in the Mountain West as they lost their conference opener on September 25, 14–52 to Utah. The Rebels secured their first Mountain West victory on October 9 with a 35–32 triumph over Wyoming. Despite a challenging 1999 season, UNLV experienced a notable moment in college football history during week two when they faced Baylor. Trailing 24–21 with only ten seconds remaining and no timeouts left, Baylor opted to run the ball rather than take a knee. The decision backfired as Baylor fumbled, allowing UNLV's Kevin Thomas to recover and return the ball 99 yards for a touchdown, resulting in a dramatic 27–24 Rebel victory. As the year 2000 approached, hopes were high that UNLV football was on the brink of a turnaround, making significant strides towards competing for the Mountain West crown. The Rebels started by upsetting previously undefeated Air Force 34–13 on September 30 in the first time that ABC came to Las Vegas for the Rebels football game. The Rebels then ended a five-game skid to rival Nevada, defeating the Wolf Pack 34–13 in front of the largest crowd to see a game in the Battle for Nevada. The season went down to the wire as the Rebels had to pull out a 34–32 victory on the road against Hawaii to clinch their third berth in a bowl game. The Rebels were chosen as the Mountain West representative for the Las Vegas Bowl on December 20.[4] The Rebels would continue their undefeated streak in bowl games as they defeated Arkansas 31–14 in front of a Las Vegas Bowl record 29,113 fans.[5] They finished the season 8–5.
Before the start of the 2001 season, the Rebels garnered national accolades as the team was ranked No. 25 in Sports Illustrated's preseason Top 25 and No. 24 in Football Digest's rankings. Quarterback Jason Thomas was named a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, ranking as high as No. 7. Although the Rebels seemed good on paper, the team did not gel and ended the season a disappointing 4–7. On October 5, 2002, the Rebels defeated rival Nevada 21–17 for Robinson's 200th career coaching victory. Robinson retired after the 2004 season, having led the Rebels to a bowl game and five consecutive victories over rival Nevada.
On December 6, 2004, the Rebels hired Utah assistant coach Mike Sanford as the 9th head coach.[6] In his first three years at the helm of the Rebels football program, Sanford failed to win more than two games and had back to back 2–10 seasons, finishing last in the Mountain West all three years. Sanford failed to beat Nevada all five years he coached at UNLV. Despite UNLV's troubles the program sent former Rebels Eric Wright and Beau Bell to the NFL draft.
The Rebels finished the 2008 season with a 5–7 record after starting the season 3–1. This was the best win–loss record UNLV had since going 6–6 in 2003. It also marked the first time UNLV did not finish last in their division since 2004. Their 23–20 victory over No. 15 Arizona State was the first time the Rebels had beaten a ranked opponent since 2003.
The 2009 season was a disappointment and it led to Sanford's dismissal as coach. UNLV was picked to finish fifth in the conference, but the team began to fall apart after a surprising loss at Wyoming. That was followed by losses at Nevada, against Brigham Young and Utah, and at Texas Christian and the Air Force Academy — games in which UNLV was outscored 243–81. They rebounded toward the end of the season and finished 5–7.
After the Air Force loss on November 14, the school announced Sanford's last game as coach would be the season finale against San Diego State. Former Montana head coach Bobby Hauck was named as the 10th head coach on December 21, 2009. Former TCU, Alabama and Texas A&M head coach Dennis Franchione was also interviewed for the position.[7]
Before the 2014 Nevada Wolf Pack game, Bobby Hauck announced that he would be stepping down following the conclusion of the 2014 season. On December 10, 2014, the school announced that Tony Sanchez of Bishop Gorman High School would succeed Hauck as the 11th head coach of UNLV.
Sanchez announced his completed staff at UNLV on December 22, 2014, which would feature staff members from Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon State, USC, Houston, Georgia State and Bishop Gorman.[8]
On September 2, 2017, the UNLV Rebels lost to the Howard University Bison 40–43 in Sam Boyd Stadium. Howard, a MEACFCS opponent, was coached by Mike London, and led at quarterback by freshman Caylin Newton, younger brother of NFL star Cam Newton. As of September 2017, due to high off-shore point spread numbers, Howard's victory against UNLV is the biggest point spread upset in college football history.[11][12]
On November 23, 2019, the UNLV Rebels defeated the San Jose State Spartans in their final home game at Sam Boyd Stadium, 38–35, in front of 17,373 fans in attendance.[13]
On November 25, 2019, Tony Sanchez and UNLV agreed to part ways, taking effect after the team's final regular season game.[14] He was replaced by Oregon offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo who was announced as the new head coach of the Rebel football program on December 11, 2019.[15]
On October 31, 2020, the Rebels opened their new home, Allegiant Stadium, against Nevada, losing 37–19.[16]
UNLV has won 2 Conference Championships. In 2023, the Rebels earned a share of the Mountain West regular season title along with San Jose State and Boise State.[17] All three teams finished 6–2 in conference play, but the Spartans were left out of the MWC title game after a computer tiebreaker placed UNLV and Boise State higher in the rankings. UNLV played in their 3rd conference championship game and hosted their 1st ever Mountain West Conference Championship game on December 2, 2023, against the Boise State Broncos in 65,000 seat Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.[18] Their 1984 Big West Conference title was forfeited due to using ineligible players. They finished the 1984 11–2 and with a 5–2 conference record prior to the forfeits.
UNLV has played in five officially sanctioned bowl games, with four of them being in Division I (FBS) and one being in Division II. The Rebels have an official bowl record of 2–4.
† UNLV forfeited the original 30–13 win due to NCAA sanctions on ineligible players.[2]
UNLV traveled to Yokohama, Japan, and played in front of 27,500 spectators at Yokohama Stadium in the 1978 Nikkan Yokohama Bowl on December 2, 1978, against the BYU Cougars in a game that is not offially recognized as an NCAA bowl game.[19]
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division II
The Rebels made two appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. They had a combined record of 1–2.
Nevada leads the series 28–21 as of the conclusion of the 2023 season.[21]
Hawai'i
Ninth Island Showdown
Beginning in 2017, the annual game between UNLV and Hawai'i, 'Ninth Island Showdown' or, 'The Battle for the Golden Pineapple' gained a rivalry trophy when the California Hotel and Casino donated the "Golden Pineapple" to the winner of the game. Las Vegas, Nevada, has long been a popular destination for Hawaiians for both pleasure and relocation, so much so that it has been dubbed "the Ninth Island", with the Cal Hotel in particular aggressively marketing itself to Hawaiian tourists. Hawai'i is one of UNLV's two protected Mountain West Conference rivalries (along with Nevada) when the conference shifts to one division in 2023, meaning they will play every year. The 'Bows lead the all-time series between the two schools 19–14 as of 2023.[19]
John Robinson is mostly known for his 6 Rose Bowl victories and 4 National Championships while at USC. In 1999 Robinson was hired to coach football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After a 2–0 start in 1999, the second win coming at Baylor, Robinson's first UNLV team finished only 3–8. The Rebels rebounded to win eight games in 2000, including a 31–14 victory over Arkansas in the Las Vegas Bowl, Robinson's only bowl appearance with the Running Rebels. In 2002, Robinson was chosen as the university's athletic director, but he stepped down from that position a year later to concentrate on the coaching position. In 2003, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.[27]
Randall Cunningham was a 1983 and 1984 College Football All-America Team selection as a punter. In 1984, his senior year, he led the Rebels to an 11–2 season—still the school's only 10-win season ever—however this was adjusted to 0–13 when it was found out several players were ineligible.[28]
UNLV has had 2- Consensus 1st Team All-American, 7- 1st Team, 9- 2nd Team, 3- 3rd Team, 1- 4th Team, 3- Honorable Mention, 1- Academic All-American and 5- Freshman All-American, in program history as of the end of the 2022 season.[26]
Randall Wade Cunningham Sr. is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles and is also known for his Minnesota Vikings tenure. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, Cunningham is fourth in NFL quarterback rushing yards, which he led at the time of his retirement.
The Fremont Cannon is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Battle for Nevada, an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Nevada Wolf Pack football team of the University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada) and the UNLV Rebels football team of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The trophy was built in 1970 and is a replica of a 19th-century Howitzer cannon that accompanied American explorer and politician John C. Frémont on an expedition to the American West and Nevada in the mid 19th century. The original cannon had been abandoned, due to heavy snows, in the Sierra Nevada in 1843. The replica cannon was originally fired following a touchdown by the team in possession of the cannon, but it has been inoperable since 1999. The wooden carriage is painted the school color of the team in possession, navy blue for Nevada or scarlet for UNLV. The trophy is the heaviest and most expensive in college football. Since 2012, the game is also part of the Silver State Series, the series of athletic competitions between the two schools.
The UNLV Rebels are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The Rebels compete in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The school's colors are scarlet and gray.
The Nevada Wolf Pack football program represents the University of Nevada, Reno in college football. The Wolf Pack competes in the Mountain West Conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level of the NCAA Division I. It was founded on October 24, 1896, as the Sagebrushers in Reno, Nevada.
The 2008 Mountain West Conference football season was the 10th since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the MW. The University of Utah won their fourth conference championship, ending the year 13–0 with a victory over Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl.
Marcus Cole Arroyo is an American football coach and former player. He is the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach at Arizona State. He served as the head coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) from 2020 to 2022. Arroyo played college football as quarterback at San Jose State University.
The 2009 UNLV Rebels football team was the 42nd varsity football team to represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Rebels play in the Mountain West Conference and compete each season against the remaining eight members of the conference and one permanent interstate rival: Nevada. In 2009, UNLV also played non-conference games at home against Sacramento State, Oregon State and Hawaii. Mike Sanford entered his fifth and final season as UNLV's head coach and the Rebels played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada.
Omar A. Clayton is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the UNLV Rebels at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
The 2010 UNLV Rebels football team was the 43rd varsity football team to represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Rebels played in the Mountain West Conference and compete each season against the remaining eight members of the conference and one permanent interstate rival: Nevada. The Rebels played a 13-game schedule due to their non-conference road game at Hawaii. The Rebels also had non-conference games against Wisconsin and at Idaho and West Virginia. Bobby Hauck was in first season as the head coach of the Rebels football program, having previously coached at the University of Montana. The Rebels played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium in Whitney, Nevada.
The 2014 January Heart of Dallas Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 2014, at the Cotton Bowl at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas. The fourth edition of the Heart of Dallas Bowl, it featured the UNLV Rebels of the Mountain West Conference against the North Texas Mean Green of Conference USA. The game began at 11:00 a.m. CST and aired on ESPNU. It was one of the 2013–14 bowl games that concluded the 2013 FBS football season. The game was sponsored by PlainsCapital Bank and was officially known as the Heart of Dallas Bowl Presented by PlainsCapital Bank.
The 1984 California Bowl was an American college football bowl game played on December 15, 1984 at Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California. The game pitted the UNLV Rebels and the Toledo Rockets.
The 2014 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas during the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels were led by fifth year head coach Bobby Hauck and played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 2–11, 1–7 in Mountain West play to finish in last place in the West Division.
The UNLV Rebels football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the UNLV Rebels football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Rebels represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the NCAA's Mountain West Conference (MW).
The 2017 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Mike London, the Bison compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 6–2, tying for second place in the MEAC. Howard played home games at William H. Greene Stadium in Washington, D.C.
The 2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by second-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Bulldog Stadium. They were a member of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division.
The 2019 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels were led by fifth year head coach Tony Sanchez and played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium. They were members of the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in Mountain West play to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in the West division. On November 25, UNLV and Sanchez agreed that he would leave as head coach after the team's final game of the season.
The 2020 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels were led by first–year head coach Marcus Arroyo. They played their home games at Allegiant Stadium as members of the Mountain West Conference.
Armani Lee Rogers is an American professional football tight end who is a free agent. He played college football as a quarterback for the UNLV Rebels and Ohio Bobcats and holds the record for longest run by an NCAA quarterback at 99 yards. Rogers transitioned to tight end after his college career and signed with the Washington Commanders as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
The 2022 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They are led by head coach Marcus Arroyo, who is in his third season with the team. The Rebels will play their home games at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
The 2023 UNLV Rebels football team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as a member of the Mountain West Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rebels were led by Barry Odom in his first year as UNLV's head coach. The Rebels played their home games at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
References
↑ "Color Information"(PDF). UNLV Rebels Style Guide. September 12, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
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