UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) was originally established as Nevada Southern. This name was eponymous as this institution was formed as a southern expansion of the University of Nevada in 1958. Until ten years later, the Rebels didn’t have a nickname or mascot for its teams. UNLV had to get creative with its name to give each team an individual identity. While the men’s basketball team was named the Runnin’ Rebels, the baseball team was branded as the Hustlin’ Rebels. 

The Rebels have won six individual national championships across three sports: men’s golf has two titles, men’s tennis has secured two championships, and women’s track and field has won two as well.

Among the 16 teams involved in amateur sports, the Runnin’ Rebels has the most plaudits. This team plays their home games at the Thomas & Mack Center at Jerry Tarkanian Court, an 18.7k-capacity venue on the UNLV campus. This facility was named in honor of Jerry “Tark the Shark” Tarkanian, a former coach who managed UNLV for 19 years. Sometimes, they play at the T-Mobile Arena, which is an even bigger venue with a seating capacity for 20k fans. 

In 2008, the Runnin’ Rebels clinched a spot among the top 10 when ESPN released its Prestige Rankings. This was an impressive feat considering that 300 teams were ranked. 2 years later, the men’s basketball team was ranked the 20th most valuable college basketball team.  

The Runnin’ Rebels enjoyed great success in the NCAA tournament, making it to the Final Four on four occasions and winning the national title in 1990 in what’s still regarded as the most dominant victory in the history of the tournament. They have 25 conference championships to their name. 

Support the scarlet and grey – purchase your tickets to see the UNLV Rebels in action across various sports!