UNLV Rebels Athletic Director Erick Harper Says "The Four Letters — UNLV

The UNLV Rebels have gone from a general afterthought in the college football and men's basketball landscape to a must-watch over the past few seasons. People have taken notice, and UNLV athletic director Erick Harper knows it. He understands the advantages the school currently has with teams on the rise in a coveted city to live in, and he intends to fully capitalize on everything he has to work with.

This is something we have also seen echoed from first-year head coaches Dan Mullen and Josh Pastner. The city of Las Vegas is a nightlife hotspot and attractive for a student-athlete for all the reasons you would imagine. When you combine that with the incredible facilities at UNLV, you can understand why they have had so much success recruiting and bringing players in through the transfer portal. It's clear why Harper is so confident in his school and has done an outstanding job taking advantage of his resources. It doesn't sound like he plans on slowing down any time soon, either.

He took to the UNLV official website to discuss these topics.

UNLV Athletic Director Erick Harper On The State Of UNLV Athletics And The Allure Of Las Vegas

"The four letters — UNLV — are as strong as ever. And honestly, we have the early Tark [Jerry Tarkanian] days to thank for that. It’s still the main reason why UNLV is a brand that everybody knows and understands. Now, it’s been hotter in the last few years because of [our resurgence in] football and because of Allegiant Stadium. But those four letters mean a lot to Rebel followers.

One of the very neat things about UNLV are those last two letters: Las Vegas. Obviously, we have 40-million-plus tourists a year coming through here, but in general, there are always a lot of eyeballs on this city. And let’s face it, most people want to go where there’s energy, vibrancy and passion, and we have that here.

When you’re at a UNLV soccer or baseball game and you can look out and see the Sphere and see the High Roller — or from the Thomas & Mack Center, you can look out and see Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Allegiant Stadium — these backdrops are as impressive as any college campus can offer in the entire country.

Plus, this is a pretty doggone good place to live."

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