After waiting for nearly 9 excruciating months, college football fans will finally get to experience the sights and sounds of the gridiron action they crave. NCAA football season is upon us and UNLV fans are especially lucky, as their August 30th home opener against the Minnesota Golden Gophers of the Big Ten is one of the first games on the NCAA schedule. To make it even sweeter, it’s a rare night game with kickoff at 8 p.m. at Sam Boyd Stadium, which provides the perfect location for a good ole’ fashioned pregame tailgate. So pack up the cooler with your favorite brew, load the barbeque in the back of the pickup and get ready to embrace the roar of more than 36,000 adoring supporters chanting “Go Rebels!”
If you are a true Rebel fan, someone that bleeds scarlet and grey, then there’s only one way to experience UNLV football and that’s by tailgating. Sure, the lights and flash of the nearby Las Vegas strip are appealing and exciting, but the real action in Vegas on August 30th will take place at Sam Boyd Stadium hours before kickoff. If you love tailgating before the game, don’t worry. You will have plenty of time to enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Rebels, as well as your favorite tailgate fare before kickoff. Located just north of the stadium, Star Nursery Field is where you want to be. Featuring approximately 16 acres of fenced in grass, vehicle access and comfortably spread out parking stalls, Star Nursery Field is UNLV’s premier tailgating spot. Since the gates open four hours before kickoff, all you need to worry about is nabbing a spot before they are all gone.
Tailgating is a long-standing and popular tradition among UNLV fans, but other traditions and rituals that take place before football games make the experience special, especially for newcomers and guests to Sam Boyd Stadium. First, there’s the mascot, known simply as “Hey Reb!” Hey Reb was introduced in 1983 and has since become a fixture at UNLV home games with his long mustache and musket. Hey Reb has also become well known on the national stage as he finished 2nd in the 2004 Capitol One Mascot of the Year competition. At halftime you will get the pleasure of not only seeing the old cartoon Rebel dance about, but also the majestic and talented Star of Nevada Marching Band. The band is sure to pump up the crowd and the team for a strong second half showing with its more than 100 members. Win or lose, it’s sure to be a memorable experience at UNLV football games. Now all you have to worry about is getting to Las Vegas (if you’re not already there) and staying away from those slot machines!
Don’t forget to checkout Fandeavor’s Gameday Experiences at UNLV games: fandeavor.com/team/unlv