Hill: Despite negative headlines and hot takes, UNLV had a great week

A national media member reached out to offer condolences this week, feeling they were necessary after all the headlines the local university was enduring.

A quick response let him know the pity was unnecessary and misdirected.

There is an argument to be made this was one of the better weeks for the UNLV athletic department in many years.

That’s difficult to see from the outside, and it would have been almost impossible to spot that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow through the storm clouds that were brewing just a few days ago.

And to be fair, UNLV hasn’t taken full possession of the treasure yet despite a blowout victory by the inspired and still-undefeated football team. The short-term impact of some of this week’s turbulence is maybe yet to be felt.

Future questions

A UNLV team with College Football Playoff hopes is without its starting quarterback for the rest of the year, and even if Hajj-Malik Williams proves supremely capable of making the offense even more dynamic, as he showed quite a bit of evidence of Saturday, the loss of depth of such an important position could be a problem going forward.

There could also be recruiting fallout and questions to be answered to parents of future players about what promises assistant coaches are making. Trust may have to be rebuilt in some of their relationships, and that’s whether they did anything wrong or not in the Matthew Sluka situation.

Perception is reality, and some people have already passed judgment in this case long before any facts are actually known.

But coach Barry Odom’s team left no doubt it is going to be just fine. And the inspired effort, especially coming out of the locker room to start the game, probably showed which side the players believed in the controversy.

If there were any doubts about whether they were going to waver in their support of the coaching staff in a dispute with a now-former player, they were erased quickly.

The Rebels remain every bit the contender to win the Mountain West and potentially make the playoff that they were when they walked off the field victorious at Kansas two weeks ago.

But that’s not even why it was such a positive week for the athletic department.

UNLV, somehow, someway, ended up cashing in on the incredibly powerful position it found itself in for 48 hours as the most desired free agent in college sports.

It could have moved to the Pac-12 on the promise of what the rebuilding league hopes will be a return to prominence and future riches. The Pac-12 kind of needed UNLV once it was rebuffed by some American Athletic Conference schools and was left with just seven institutions.

But the Mountain West also needed UNLV to stay to keep any semblance of relevance in the college sports landscape.

It was a combination of strategy and a little bit of luck, which goes back to finding that pot of gold.

UNLV was all set to stay in the Mountain West along with Utah State on Monday before Utah State made the stunning decision to accept the Pac-12’s offer.

While UNLV was a bit caught off guard, it was all of a sudden left to look around and realize the power it now held over the fate of two leagues.

There were many around the program who believed going to the Pac-12 was the only acceptable option. As someone covering the developments, it definitely appeared to be the more favorable outcome.

But UNLV stayed patient and waited for the bidding to play out before making a move.

Quite a coup

The administration eventually accepted a massive benefit package that included compensation and a bunch of concessions that leaves UNLV as not only a powerful voice in the conference but also a somewhat stunning out clause that just might make the school among the most popular choices for Power Four expansion.

Instead of being a minnow fighting for survival in the Pac-12, UNLV is now a great white shark in a quiet creek.

The deal also gave the school some financial freedom it didn’t have just a few days ago.

It was quite a coup.

So while some national headlines and hot-takers expressed derision that UNLV “missed out” on the Pac-12, it eventually got a deal it would have been irresponsible to turn down.

And while no school wants to be the inflection point for mass changes because of a negative moment, UNLV will likely be at the center of much-needed regulation for NIL.

The football program will undoubtedly learn a lesson in communication and make positive changes going forward.

It could very well have been remembered as a great week for the program regardless of what happened Saturday against Fresno State.

Winning never hurts, though.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.