UNLV Faces Major Financial Woes, Uncertain How to Pay Dan Mullen Beyond 2026

The UNLV Rebels athletic program is dealing with some serious financial issues. Issues so serious that they aren't currently 100% sure how they are going to pay their new football head coach, Dan Mullen, for the duration of his contract.

Mullen recently signed a new five-year deal with the school, and UNLV athletic director Erick Harper told the Board of Regents last week that the athletic department can only afford the costs of the first two years. He continued telling regents that the athletic department is in debt by $26 million to $31 million. This is obviously a potential major issue.

When Harper was asked about how he plans to pay the coach, Harper said that he's hoping to raise money through donations and increased revenue caused by Mullen's football team. “We have the funds to pay the coach over the next two years,” Harper said. “We have been working with our donors to assist with philanthropic dollars. We have one that has already paid their commitment, and that money is in an unrestricted line and that will be utilized in the future to help with the salaries.”

Harper explained that the hiring of Mullen has already led to more exposure to the football program, and they want that to continue to grow. Mullen's hiring has resulted in increased revenue for UNLV football. The school has already sold 5,031 season tickets for 2025, which is an additional 970 season tickets for this upcoming season.

Prices for single-game tickets will also be increasing, while suite rentals and new VIP ticket holders are expected to "assist and generate new revenue." However, he did not give an exact number on the price increase. $2.5 million in revenue from football ticket sales have already been brought in by the school for 2025, which is up from $1.8 million at the same time last year. All of this is according to Harper.

Another nice boost for UNLV could be the money they'll be getting from sticking in the Mountain West Conference instead of heading to the Pac-12. They're expected to receive between $19 million and $24.8 million from the conference after recently coming to a new agreement that starts in 2026.

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