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A model of the UNLV Now stadium project is shown here at the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents meeting on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013. UNLV and its private developer partners updated regents on the project, which now features a 100-yard-long video screen and six VIP suites seating 300 people.
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 | 2 a.m.
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More on stadiums
- Take a closer look at stadium proposals in and around Las Vegas in the Sun's Racing to Build Vegas' next venue report from July 15.
There always will be a special place in my heart for the Silver Bowl.
That’s what we locals call Sam Boyd Stadium, the starter home of sorts for the UNLV football program if the proposed UNLV Now project becomes a reality. UNLV Now, an estimated $800 million project for the UNLV campus, is a mega-event center designed to attract a Major League Soccer franchise, NFL exhibition game, NFL Pro Bowl and a weekend music festival, among at least 15 new events each year.
That message was delivered Friday in a presentation by Majestic Realty, UNLV’s private partner in the project, and other UNLV officials to Nevada’s higher education leaders at the Nevada Board of Regents meeting.
“This project is a game changer for UNLV and Las Vegas,” said Don Snyder, UNLV Now’s project lead. “It’s an important and significant project for the state, as well. It’s the next big thing.”
First, let’s get one thing straight: It’s tempting to refer to the project as a new home for UNLV football, but remember that’s only one part of the equation. A small part, actually.
This stadium is being touted on a much bigger scale. After all, you’re probably not going to be successful arranging financing or rallying community support for a new home for a team that averages fewer than 15,000 fans per game and has just three bowl appearances ever.
Instead, the facility is envisioned to host multiple events, generate nearly $400 million annually and be a boost to the tourism industry not only on the Strip but regionally, as well.
Among the events UNLV Now’s planners hope to draw are a neutral-site football game for BYU, the Las Vegas Bowl and a second college bowl game, the Pac-12 and Mountain West football championship games, a Bowl Championship Series playoff game, a weeklong UFC celebration in July and mega fight card, an NFL training camp, the National Finals Rodeo and the Final Four (pending the NCAA removing a ban that prohibits tournament games from being played here because of gambling). Organizers said the stadium is being designed to accommodate a professional soccer team.
So, yes, this would be a game changer for Las Vegas. That’s what excites the local in me about this project — while I love the 702, it wasn’t the ideal home for a sports junkie when I was growing up because, with the exception of UNLV basketball and the Las Vegas Stars, the options were limited. Now, it seems locals would have major sporting or entertainment options every weekend.
On some fall weekends, that would include UNLV football — the on-campus presence the Rebels have always lacked — and it would give them a chance to become a major player nationwide. Gone would be the long hauls on game days from Henderson or Summerlin to eastern Las Vegas, where sewer odors and the stadium’s deficiencies share part of the blame for unsuccessful football seasons.
UNLV Now, which would seat 25,000 for UNLV football but could expand to 60,000 if needed and for other events, would be a place fans would want to watch a game. Imagine tailgating all day on the UNLV campus, then walking into a brand new stadium to cheer on the scarlet and gray. Pretty cool. Bring on UNR.
Mark my words: This will be a reality for the 2017 season. Sure, there are several roadblocks — mainly financing — to overcome, but there is so much positive energy in the community, I’d be shocked if it doesn’t happen.
When I grew up in Las Vegas — traveling across town at that time required taking Tropicana Avenue, Flamingo Road, Sahara Avenue or Charleston Boulevard — spending a Saturday evening under the lights at the Silver Bowl watching PCAA college football action was all we knew. We also went to the Silver Bowl on the Fourth of July for a fireworks show that brought more enjoyment for us as kids than watching the Rebels play Long Beach State and other schools that no longer offer gridiron competition. Some in the community have suggested UNLV scrap its football program, too.
I say no.
A new era of Rebels football is on the horizon.
UNLV is a sleeping giant in college football. I truly believe that. Many who are involved with the UNLV Now project believe it, too.
That’s what makes this stadium a real game changer. It would change the face of UNLV football, UNLV athletics and the university as a whole. It would send a loud message to the rest of the nation that UNLV is serious about football.
A stadium to be proud of would boost the program, particularly in player recruitment, and start a significant domino effect. Let me explain.
It’s not too far-fetched to imagine UNLV football starting to win regularly, and because of the event center with all its bells and whistles, the program becomes an ideal pick for conference expansion. The Pac-12, which will host its conference basketball tournament starting in March at MGM Grand Garden Arena, with its built-in relationship with Las Vegas would be a perfect fit for UNLV.
UNLV will never have a winning team at Sam Boyd Stadium — no matter who the coach is. The opportunity to upgrade is here, now.
Don’t get me wrong, locals will always love the Silver Bowl and remember evenings watching Randall Cunningham, Ickey Woods and Randy Gatewood run up and down the turf.
Come 2017, let’s hope we can take photos with our friends and family in front of a Randall Cunningham statue entering UNLV’s new stadium.
Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21.
LAS VEGAS SOCCER CITY - I am absolutely THRILLED, that Vegas is actually pulling this off! These are FANTASTIC News and a giant leap towards a more mature city. The Stadium looks absolutely beautiful and 60000 is big, really big! I sincerely hope, that the right infrastructure will be built around it: A Monorail station and highway access are a MUST! And Vegas must put ALL EFFORD in getting a professional MLS Soccer Team! Soccer is by far the biggest global sports, in Europe, Africa and South America, it's a religion, and in Asia, its popularity is skyrocketing. The MLS has the brightest future compared to other US leagues, while some of them are even on the decline. Make Vegas the Soccer Capital of the USA! How? Build cheap training grounds close to the hotels and invite European and South American top teams to Vegas for their winter and summer camps! Currently, they all go to Citys like Dubai and Doha, where friendly mini-tournaments draw the attention of the whole world to these cities. Try to host the "FIFA Club World Cup", which usually is hosted in Japan or some Arab country. This is the highest achievement, any soccer club can reach for, and the FIFA would be more than delighted to host this annual event in such a fantastic city as Vegas! THIS STADIUM IS A GAMECHANGER and may I please suggest a name for that place, that won't be forgotten by any visitor? "UNLV Elvis Presley Arena"
Unless there is a leadership change in the NFL we won't be getting exhibition or Pro Bowl games in Vegas, they won't even let us buy ad time during Super Bowls because of the negative connotation that gambling has with their league. Spending $800m for a stadium that would be 1/3 full for UNLV football games and a home for a soccer team few will care about is a complete waste of money.
Estimated $400 million a year in revenue? Not a chance. But build it anyway, and don't charge the taxpayers a penny. After all, you can pay it off in just two years right? Maybe 3 after expenses, and the $1 billion cost after overruns.
If the builders have so much confidence in it's profitability, then they should take all of the risk. Don't raise my taxes for it.
Let's face it - the way there could be an "instant program changer" for the UNLV football program would be to end it and stopping wasting a ton of money on it. Use the money for academics. After all, isn't that why UNLV was formed in the first place?
Las Vegas has about 2.5 million residents and there are almost 40 million tourists coming to the city, each year. Saying, that the stadium would not be used at all, is complete nonsense. There are Arenas like Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Ralph Wilson Arena in Buffalo and many more stadiums, that stand literally in nowhere's land but they still get filled. No one complains about them being built. Vegas has so many possibilities, there are more Artists performing in Vegas, than in NY or LA. We are talking about the entertainment capital of the United States, this is by far the best place to build a stadium! And regarding that comment, that NFL would refuse doing business with Las Vegas because of "gambling", well, the most important sports gambling takes part on the internet, not in Vegas! Do those NFL Managers ban the computers and the internet from their offices? Sure they want a clean league, but the LV casinos are under the tight control of US Law and so they are absolutely no thread at all, compared to the sports bet mafia in China and other asian countries, which try to manipulate the leagues from the safe distance.
Ray Brewer,
Yes it is a wonderful concept, but what you have written is one big fluff piece. Yes, it would be great to have that stadium, but you are ignoring the finances.
What I also don't like is you have taken the projections of $330m revenue to 'nearly $400m'.
How about you write about the cost of the project and the financing? Discuss what happens if there are revenue shortfalls or cost over runs, who is liable for this?
Everyone can agree on this project would be wonderful, but let's talk about who is paying for it and how?
WHITE ELEPHANT ALERT!! There should not be ONE CENT of public funding for this albatross. The "powers that be" have been bloviating about stadiums for years, and thankfully, none have been built.
@tigermike I agree in whole with what you posted. It is fluff or better know in the real estate world as Puffin and it's legal. Meaning it's not a lie it's so sensationalized that anyone could tell that what they are told is not true sorta like "Million Dollar View"
I also read between the lines and Notice that he didn't say there were any actual commitment's with the excerpts like the following one would have to look closer before buying into it.
1.Majestic Realty, UNLV's private partner in the project [Key word Realty and Private partner]
2.the facility is envisioned to host multiple events, generate nearly $400 million annually [Key words here are envisioned and $400 million annually] I'm a invester and if I new I could make that I wouldn't want partners.
3. UNLV Now's planners hope to draw [Hope to draw meaning no pledge commitments]
4.(pending the NCAA removing a ban that prohibits tournament games from being played here because of gambling).[ Is there even a motion on the floor.]
5.UNLV will never have a winning team at Sam Boyd Stadium -- no matter who the coach is. [I disagree that the place the games are played debase's talent]
Bottomline is just that the bottomline for the private investors. Just imagine they will be jetting across the globe visiting Paris, Rome, London in a brand new Personal jet while watching the creditors and the obligators ( Taxpayers ) negotiate a structured bankruptcy plan. Isn't that wonderful.
The plan is to Privatize profits and socialize the expences. If the taxper is involved we should pay for all of it and get all revenues too and cut the partners out they bring nothing to the table but PUFF.
If the taxpayer is involved then allocate some funds to hire an independent agency to come up with realistic revenue estimates. It's basic math. Good real estate developers figure out those numbers long before a project breaks ground.
As far as attracting soccer...hasn't the soccer "industry" frowned on playing on artificial turf? I know the World Cup doesn't allow it and I'm not even sure any teams that comprise MLS Soccer play on it anymore. It's generally akin to playing on concrete with bounces like a superball.
UNLV Football better improve the on field product a little bit before touting that draw. Don't put the cart before the horse.
All in all it looks like a beautiful facility. Just make sure the "numbers" people didn't have anything to do with the monorail estimates. That project has made any future large scale project open to "investigating minds"
@Elvegas
In fact of all the current MLS teams only one plays on artificial turf (NE) and they are planning a new soccer specific, grass field stadium. UNLV Now would hold the distinction of being the only artificial turf field (which players generally abhor to play on) in the league. MLS is currently on a mission to have ALL games played only on natural grass. Again, these issues pop up when the discussion for economic viability is proposed. Artificial turf is a no go for MLS soccer.
Of course it isn't! That's why it will need to have a grass field! We have the sun, we have water for irrigation! There is no reason, why not only soccer but also college football can be played on grass!
Get this project done. There is a huge correlation with facilities and recruiting quality college football players. There is also the fact that football drives the college athletics bus and that does not appear to be changing anytime soon.
For all of you Tea Party types, get to know what is a Tax-Increment Development District. The funding in such a taxation plan comes from the increased taxation revenue due to increased spending within the District, not from any general tax on the public. Your money is safe.
P.S.: The Desso GrassMaster Surface would be ideal for this Stadium. It is FIFA-approved.
Vegas is way overdue for a new stadium. It's time to do it and do it right!
A bankroll of $600 million would easily endow 120 professorial chairs at the university. With 120 endowed chairs UNLV would become a premier university in the nation. What do we want for our children and grandchildren? Sports entertainment or a first-class education?
@Elvegas
How can an indoor facility use real grass? It's not feasible. The system you suggested still uses real grass intertwined with artificial fibers. That will not work with this stadium. No sunlight. Any real grass will die. Again, while your idea about making soccer in Las Vegas an apex is nice...it's not happening with a true indoor facility like UNLV Now.
@Tom
Maybe I don't see this clearly, but the model of this stadium reveals an open air roof. There are only six rail-like metal stuctures as the roof, which are also used, to move the giant screen to the middle of the stadium and back to one side. The rest of the roof is air and sunlight coming in. this indeed will be enough for the Desso Grassmaster, which is in fact only 3% artificial. Look at european stadiums like the Guiseppe Meazza in Milan or the Arena auf Schalke in Germany, their floor doesn't get more sunlight than the UNLV Stadium would. If you want to see the grass growing, the critical thing is not the sunlight (and we have plenty of sunlight in Vegas. It is the ventilation of the grass.
@Elvegas
That is a "cut away" model that shows the inside. The stadium is NOT open air nor does it have a retractable roof. This facility is a true indoor facility (no sunlight for grass). Again, while your idea is nice for a different type of stadium, it is not feasible with this stadium. This is a fully enclosed stadium. MLS or World Cup will not play in this facility.
If it is not domed it is domed to be a flop. Where do these people come from! do they get off the monorail?
If you stadiu freaks want one get to gether and build one world class stadium that will handle a SUPER bowl and have public transpertation serve it with lots of parking.
@Tom: Well, indoor only and dark would indeed be a bad decision. A fully covered stadium makes no sense. It could be corrected with the field set up on a moving platform, that can be driven to the outside of the stadium for lighting and irrigation, but that would mean additional costs ... but why not keep it simple and inexpensive and just build it without that solid roof? Las Vegas is warm enough to have open air events, even end especially at night! Time about a public hearing about this project, to make a few corrections and to get this stadium done right!
@Elvegas
It is fully covered. If the expectation is to hold events in the winter time (It was 28 degrees this morning) like conventions, NCAA basketball and other indoor events, it's going to have to have a roof and be climate controlled. There is no provision for a rolled in field nor is there room for that and there is no provision for a retractable roof (add another $200 million). The field will be artificial turf. No World Cup, no MLS, No FIFA.
The stadium cannot hold a Superbowl because of seating capacity limitations.
Ray, I have no idea how you think that a new stadium will magically produce a winning team?
"While the venue's bells and whistles, such as the gigantic video board embedded in the stadium and the spacious super suites, impressed the regents, several board members wanted Don Snyder, dean of the College of Hotel Administration at UNLV and the university's point man on the project, to return with an analysis of the project's upfront costs, revenue streams, operating expenses and return on investment for the UNLV campus."
---------
And here's the most asinine move yet. Asking an in house professor to do a cost analysis of the project!!!??? Find an INDEPENDENT person or company that will do an impartial review. Asking an employee of the university to do this is like asking the rooster to watch the hen house.
You would think that a 50% return on your money for the first 2 years that every invester would be trying to get a piece of the action. That doesn't seem to be the case though. No one is lining up including the people. How about this put it to a referendum ballot?
I think it may very well be unconstitutional Article 8 Sec: 10. Loans of public money to or ownership of stock in certain corporations by county or municipal corporation prohibited. No county, city, town, or other municipal corporation shall become a stockholder in any joint stock company, corporation or association whatever, or loan its credit in aid of any such company, corporation or association, except, rail-road corporations[,] companies or associations.
Author, wouldn't it be awesome if UNLV became an academics powerhouse instead? No sports. Noworthless liberal arts. Just world class core academics.
Regarding the soccer questions: More than one MLS team plays on turf, Seattle plays on turf, they averages almost 40K a game and Portland plays on turf, which is arguably the second most popular team in the MLS. So the two most popular teams in the MLS play on turf. Is it ideal to play soccer on turf? No, but turf quality has advanced greatly over the past several years.
You can always just put temporary grass in for big soccer matches(s) such as; FIFA club world cup, international friendlies, preseason Real Madrid games. Cowboy stadium has done this.
All these "special" games are a serious probability with a stadium like this. You could have 3-10 high end soccer games a year with this stadium. Many of the big Euro teams tour the US in the summer and they are begging to come to Vegas but there isn't a stadium. Real showed up to Sam Boyd to play in a 110 degrees this last year, now how many team would come with a world class stadium?
Sounds like the same math and logic used on the monorail, and city center---two recent examples of idiots who spend other peoples money and don't care who gets screwed with the debt---no doubt the students and taxpayers will get shafted with this fiasco--too bad this town seems to follow the piper down the street every time he plays his flute....you would think someone would have the balls to say no!
The stadium will generate tens of millions of dollars per year for UNLV and hundreds of millions for the economy. The money made by the stadium will further the mission of UNLV and make the school better. It will facilitate UNLV to get into the Pac-12, there is no academic slouch in the Pac-12.
@Tom
I would not give up so fast on a retractable roof. This Construction would make it possible, to install a roof made of fabric. Special membraneous fabric. This was used in the Stadium in Frankfurt, Germany and is currently in construction in Kiew, Ukraine and Warsaw, Poland. This would dramatically reduce the cost of a retractable roof down to 20 Mio. It would make climate control AND a grass field possible.
@ricemex
you are absolutely right about your comments regarding visiting european Top Teams. Las Vegas is famous for getting every big Artist to host a Show in Vegas and I doubt, that it would be different with sports. LV can easily attract teams like Real, Barca, ManU, Milan, etc. to have mini-tournaments in the summer. This would easily draw 50.000 soccer fans from all over the US to the City for each game! It would also be a venue for the international games of the us national team, even FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.
Vegas won't get an own NFL, NHL team nor an MLB team. Focus on Soccer and build a stadium, that qualifies for all the needs, the MLS is demanding!
More ridiculas pablum posted from the Sun's "I don't have a life" serial posters.
The stadium will be built and will be a great success for UNLV, tourism, and the local population.
@Elvegas
"I would not give up so fast on a retractable roof"
-------
I would. It's not part of the proposal or design. Anything can be suggested but a retractable roof and or fabric roof isn't part of the design. Besides, soccer is not the main criteria for building this. What you're suggesting in changes would be done essentially for soccer and would be prohibitive in terms of costs. As I said, the MLS wants real grass. I'm not going to speculate on what can and can't be done in changes to the present design. My comments focus on the submitted plans. While soccer can be played on any surface, a "world class" facility as you suggest is not going to begin with plastic grass that's replaced a few times a year with pallets of real grass temporarily brought in.
@Jerry Fink: If football goes away, the money the sport generates disappears. It won't be there to be given to academics.
Hey, great for UNLV, but what about the rest of the community? This does nothing to address the issue of bringing a professional sports team to the city, something locals can call their own.
I think we should hire Perini to be the Construction MGR and Mullen of MGM to supervise the construction. We need a new stadium like we need new housing and new Casinos. Let's get with the basics and improve UNLV education. U put UNLV on your resume and I don't think it is impressive.
Wow Mr. Brewer that must be some good stuff you're taking , tell the doctor to lighten up the dosage. UNLV football loses games because of the swamp smell? Really ? How bout if we just get some febreeze blown into the stadium on game day and then Rebel football will be a force to be reckoned with . ROTFLMAO ,thats a good one Brewer. The Henderson Home News called, they're missing a sports reporter. LOL
Do all you naysayers forget where you live?!?! Las Vegas - The Entertainment Capital of the World. This is what Las Vegas is all about, this is why this city exists so that it can be your home. Time to take it to another level and stay in the forefront as the #1 entertainment destination. Yes, it will breathe new life to the football program, but that is only a small part of it. Vegas became Vegas because a few crazy people saw something that no one else saw. It must continue to move forward! Build the d*\n thing!
Las Vegas was built by visionaries taking risks with their money and it's turned out really well for a majority of them. That said, it seems the people commenting here are seriously short-sighted and risk averse (maybe as a result of sitting at home commenting on the LVSUN website all day).
Why wouldn't Las Vegas be able to benefit from having a huge event center? Why wouldn't Las Vegas be a prime location for professional sports, stadium concerts, and other enormous events? All of these naysayers are coming out of the wood works with unparalleled negativity backed by absolutely zero facts. If you wan't to grow the economy and the city, you have to invest. If you sit on your money it eventually shrinks away until there is nothing left.
One other thing, the argument that UNLV should stop investing in sports and focus on athletics is insanely ignorant and I'm embarrassed that people are actually stupid enough to believe that money spent on athletics is taking away from academics. Whether you like it or not, athletics is a huge draw for private support, for university awareness, and also for recruiting students to come to the school.
Wouldn't be nice if they made the architecture interesting like the ones in China or Europe? If a bug video screen and ultra suites is your sales pitch, you got problems.
Lol. This is gonna happen no matter what u people say. It will generate revenue and in turn not only fund athletics but also fund academics.
This is a game changer for UNLV and im all for it.
I don't think it's a question of Las Vegas benefitting from this complex. The question becomes is it economically viable. We have seen first hand the problems of over inflated estimates on a billion dollar project (the monorail) before and there's absolutely no reason why taxpayers (who will be on the hook in some manner) should not have a detailed cost/revenue report from an independent agency.
Las Vegas visionaries like Kerkorian, Wynn and Adelson raised their own money. This is a different animal because these developers are asking for your money. It should be economically viable in its return on money invested and unlike the monorail, taxpayers should have some protections.
It's your money. You wouldn't just hand it over to a developer with your eyes closed because you got a wow factor presentation. Or would you? If the numbers work, then build it. Personally, my opinion is that if it's such a great investment and a moneymaker...why are they asking taxpayers for money and "protection on investment"????
Yes it is very important for the valley to spend hundreds of millions of dollar to improve UNLV college football program.
It should be our number one priority.
K-12 education....not so important.
Private funding is needed not tax payer dollars unless, the NFL agrees to hold the Super Bowl here. That "if you build it they will come" attitude is fine as long as you do it with your own money.
Soccer is a game played in other countries.....leave it there
@TomD1228
I agree with your post. That is making a well informed decision. I would like to add to that I don't have a problem building it at all it's the partnership I'm concerned with I feel that it should be either a Private project or a Public project not a Hybrid Private/Public project because when it's the latter it will always be a PRIVATIZED PROFITS and SOCIALIZED EXSPENSE PROJECT.
@Casinokid
Agreed. I also question the wisdom of the UNLV board and regents asking an "in house" professor to be the guy to provide a cost/revenue study. A guy employed by UNLV, a guy assigned to be the point man by the university president is the guy you are asking to come up with a cost/revenue study plan?????
Find an outside agency. That's just common sense.
Over 7 million annual visitors from other countries ... if someone thinks, that world football (a.k.a. soccer) does not "belong" to the United States, then he must be a redneck from Arkansas, Mississippi or Alabama, certainly not from the cosmopolitan Metropole Las Vegas. That would also explain, why this Redneck would favor brainless "sports" like Wrestling and Nascar, which are in fact intended to aim for people ages 8 and under...
15 events a year is not a lot. It should be at least 3 times that amount.
Brewer states the the facility is "designed" to attract a MLS franchise....that is really not true. If that were true this facility would have natural grass and quite honestly be an outdoor or retractable roof facility. Considering he makes that statement in his first paragraph puts everything else he says in question.
Great article Mr. Brewer. It's funny that those that are against a stadium (supposedly well educated folks) think that someone is taking away money from education and giving it to a stadium instead. What these geniuses don't understand is that with major successful sports programs at the collegiate level, significantly more money is raised for the university and research. Part of the project is building new dorm rooms on campus (that is a good thing for education at a university level). UNLV is building a great reputation for accademics with many post graduate programs including a law scool. Go Rebels and go UNLV academics (both will benefit from the UNLV Now project).