Could UNLV Join UCLA in the Big Ten?

There's a possibility that the UCLA Bruins' football game against UNLV in Las Vegas could be the launch of an initiative to get the Rebels into the Big Ten.

Dec 18, 2024; Inglewood, CA, USA; The UNLV Rebels celebrate after defeating the California Golden Bears in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On Sept. 6, 2025, the UCLA Bruins will travel to Las Vegas to play the Mountain West runner-up UNLV Rebels. On paper, this looks like a typical non-conference matchup between schools located in border states. However, there is reason to believe this could be how the Big Ten plans to begin introductory talks with the Rebels.

UNLV wants to make the jump to the Power Five. It has for some time. It has invested over $30 million into a football complex and have moved its home games from Sam Boyd Stadium, located on the edge of town, to Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders and located on the Las Vegas Strip.

In the past two years, the Rebels made it to the Mountain West championship, and in 2024, the team finished with 11 wins, a ranking in the top 25, and a win over Cal in the LA Bowl. They just hired former Mississippi State and Florida head coach Dan Mullen to a conference record-breaking $17.5-million contract and the school is giving him the funds to be a national recruiter.

The Big Ten may have a desire to get bigger. More importantly, they want to expand west. It would be ideal if the conference had a West Coast division. Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA already play each other every year to limit travel costs. Adding UNLV could lower costs while the conference would be able to expand into the Vegas market.

UNLV has long been rumored to join the Big 12 after turning down an opportunity to join the Pac-12. The program does not want financial stability, they want profit and they're willing to spend as much as it takes to make the move happen. While the Big 12 has money and four teams located in border states, the Big Ten has two teams five hours away from them and two more teams within a three-hour flight. The Big Ten also has a lot more money. The farthest UNLV would have to travel is a five-hour plane ride, a flight time they take every other year when they play Hawaii. They have the facilities, the growing fan base, and the funds.

The only thing UNLV needs to prove is if they can compete in the conference. A game against UCLA gives the Rebels an opportunity to show the conference want they can do.

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