The second installment of the UNLV/Wolf Pack basketball rivalry of the season is upon us, and if it’s any uglier than after the last game, the state of Nevada might end up in a civil war. As someone who was born and raised in Las Vegas and goes to college in Reno, “Beat UNLV Week” — as it is called up north — is always an interesting and conflicting time because of my history with both basketball programs.
Growing up, I attended at least 50 percent of the UNLV basketball games during my first 18 years of life. My grandparents were huge Runnin’ Rebel fans and had season tickets even before the 1990 championship that UNLV oldtimers still love to brag about and rub in the face of the Wolf Pack — and they should. Winning a national championship is a big deal and if Reno had one, I have no doubt we would do the same thing.
I attended UNLV basketball games from a very young age, and one of my first words was “Rebels,” which I pronounced “au-bowls” because I was a baby, but hearing the Rebels chant constantly clearly made an impression on me.
When my grandparents passed away, their vintage UNLV gear is something we held dearest to us. My grandpa was buried in his 1990 championship bomber jacket. After he passed away, my family made it a point to go to all of the basketball games with my grandma, and when she passed, my mom kept their season tickets and still attends every game.
I was at UNLV to witness some of the true legacies left there in the last two decades — Lon Kruger, the SDSU rivalry that might’ve been more intense than the inter-state rivalry, beating Arizona at home, Anthony Bennett, Patrick McCaw, Mike Moser — just to name a few. I remember when Jerry Tarkanian died, and I was at the game honoring his legacy.
I’ve seen the program go through its ups and downs. Right now, it’s objectively in one of those “down” places. When I come home over Winter Break, I almost always attend a UNLV basketball game with my mom and I’ve seen with my own eyes how empty the Thomas & Mack is on game days. After witnessing times when T&M would be sold out and knowing how much the program means to my family, an empty arena is hard to see. I know Vegas has the Knights now, which I love, but I hope the city figures out how to support these teams at the same time with more professional sports to come.
However, I am also witnessing history at Nevada right now with our basketball program. College basketball obviously was a huge factor in my life and I knew that when I moved to Reno, I wanted to get to know the program, and I’m glad I got to see Muss turn the program around in such a short period of time.
When I was a freshman, I was able to walk into the student section right at game time and sit near, if not in, the front row. At the time, there were plush chairs for students to sit on because space wasn’t really a concern. Lawlor Events Center was just as empty then as the T&M is nowadays. I didn’t know much about our new coach, Eric Musselman, but I didn’t care. I was there because I loved basketball and wanted to support my school and my program.
And what a year it was. We won the College Basketball Invitational after coming off numerous losing seasons since joining the Mountain West Conference. We weren’t perfect or even close to the team Muss had envisioned, but we won something. I remember being in the student section that game and Cameron Oliver running to his mom after the win, hitting me in the head along the way. It’s still one of my favorite memories as a senior.
The next two seasons brought even more recognition and reputation to our program. Losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament wasn’t a great feeling, but we made it, then turned around and advanced to the Sweet 16 for only the second time in school history. The last Wolf Pack basketball team to do that had JaVale McGee on it. This season we’ve been ranked the entire season and have only lost two games. We are projected to make it far, if not go all the way and secure a national championship.
I don’t think there’s a better time than the four years I have been here to attend the University of Nevada, Reno, and I hope to walk away with a national championship to talk about for 30-plus years. These are the Wolf Pack’s golden days, and I’m soaking in every moment of it.
Other than tournament games, the UNLV/Nevada rivalry games have been the best to attend. I’ve camped out for tickets, waited hours on end before they opened the doors and have traveled to witness the games. My sophomore year, I wore a Wolf Pack shirt in the T&M during the rivalry game and I’m pretty sure my grandma still hasn’t forgiven me for it.
And, as for the UNR versus Nevada name, I’ve heard it both ways. Both of my parents graduated from Reno. My mom says it was UNR when she attended school here, but my dad’s only advice when I left for school was, “do not say ‘UNR’, it’s ‘Nevada’.” They attended the school around the same time, so I guess it depends on who you ask and how much it matters to them. As for me, it’s Nevada when it comes to our athletics as the AP Style Guide and all journalism guides say, so I’m just being a journalist.
I can’t say I’ve been happy when UNLV won a Governor’s Series game over my last four years of attending Nevada, but in any other situation, I do not wish harm to the program. When both programs are doing well, our entire state wins because at the end of the day, for me at least, Home Means Nevada.
The Silver State Family
