UNLV Football Opens Training Camp Early Under Dan Mullen Ahead Of Week 0 Kickoff

UNLV football begins training camp early under new head coach Dan Mullen due to a schedule shift, as the Rebels prepare for a Week 0 opener and aim to build on their spring momentum.

The UNLV Rebels logo in the end zone is seen before the Mountain West Championship between the Boise State Broncos and the UNLV Rebels at Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The UNLV Rebels football team is set to kick off their training camp on Wednesday. New head coach Dan Mullen and his coaching staff spent the spring installing their new offensive and defensive systems. Mullen is hoping that all the hard work the team did earlier in the offseason has sunk in, and now they can hit the ground running as they prepare for the 2025 season.

Training camp had to be moved up a week this year because the Rebels' September 13 matchup against Idaho State had to be moved to Week 0 due to a scheduling conflict with the Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford super fight at Allegiant Stadium on the same date. So, everything that Mullen had planned had to be sped up a week. Because of the time crunch, Mullen is now banking on his team picking up where they left off and already being ahead of the curve because of the work they put in this spring.       

“We need to be one step ahead of where we left off in spring,” said Mullen. “We can’t have taken a step back. I don’t expect us to take a huge step forward right away, but we have to be a step ahead as far as understanding the offense and defense.”

Mullen has high expectations of his players, and he should. There is no reason they shouldn't have absorbed at least a good portion of what they've already been taught and be able to hit the ground running at training camp. These are excellent players and an outstanding coaching staff who know what it takes to win football games. It's almost time to put up or shut up, either way. We'll see exactly where this team is at in exactly one month when they play their first game.