UNLV football fills gap in funds

UNLV athletic director Mike Hamrick's policy was to sign only home-and-home football contracts, but then the recession hit and the state took a bite out of his budget.

On Wednesday, UNLV announced it would play at Big East Conference power West Virginia in 2010, adding a 13th game to the schedule and $740,000 in cash to the bank account. The Rebels will receive another $10,000 in tickets.

The Oct. 9, 2010, meeting will be the first between the teams, and there will be no return trip by the Mountaineers.

UNLV coach Mike Sanford acknowledged the financial importance but said the trip would be good from a football standpoint, too.

"I think it's a great thing to play a team from the Big East, No. 1 because it's a very good football team," Sanford said. "It's an opportunity to play against a big-time opponent back east."

Sanford also noted the potential Bowl Championship Series implications for the Mountain West Conference. The MWC wants to play Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference teams because the Mountain West is competing against those leagues for automatic BCS status. A four-year evaluation cycle began last season.

UNLV should have an experienced team, with upperclassmen throughout the roster expected to play prominent roles. A test against one of college football's top programs could give the Rebels a strong indication of where they stand entering conference play.

"I think that's a very good thing for our football team, and a good thing for our program to get exposure in the East," Sanford said.

UNLV was able to add the game because of a trip to Hawaii that December. The NCAA allows teams that travel to Honolulu to play a 13th game to recoup some of the expenses from the costly trip.

That's especially important for UNLV's athletic department, given the $1.1 million cut in state funds each of the next two years. Hamrick made major cuts for the 2009-10 fiscal year, and the West Virginia trip might lessen the severity in 2010-11.

"We're looking forward to playing a quality program like West Virginia in a great atmosphere," Hamrick said. "It's also a game that will help us exposure-wise and financially."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.