November is almost here and there are some exciting things going on with UNLV Athletics we want to share with you:

VOTE Runnin' Rebel Basketball - It's hard to believe your Runnin' Rebels tip-off the season this Tuesday (Nov. 2) at 7 p.m. in the first exhibition game of the season vs. Grand Canyon. Coach Lon Kruger is returning a group of talented players from last year's NCAA Tournament team and it should be a fun year in a very competitive Mountain West Conference ... So after you cast your ballots next Tuesday (it is Election Day), head over to the Thomas & Mack Center and put your support behind UNLV basketball. Great season tickets are still available. Call 739-FANS ... We are the Runnin' Rebels and we approve this message.

Rise N' Shine this Saturday with the Lady Rebels - If you haven't had the chance to meet Lady Rebel head coach Kathy Olivier, you need to find a way to make it happen. Her energy and passion is infectious. And, as a former UNLV student-athlete, she absolutely loves this school and it's going to be fun watching her grow the program in the upcoming years. Her team is young and talented ... The Lady Rebels are holding their annual Rise N' Shine practice event this Saturday (Oct. 30) at 11 a.m. at the Cox Pavilion and it's absolutely free. The first 100 people will receive a free continental breakfast and there will be a Q&A with coaches and players at 11:30 a.m. Please get a chance to meet the young women on the team. They are great ambassadors for UNLV.

More exposure - Yes, that was a TV spot for UNLV baseball in the American League Championship Series. And, yes, that is a Lady Rebel billboard on one of the busiest freeways in the valley ... We are working hard - and smart - to give all of our sports as much exposure as possible.

"Get Your Reb On" Fridays - Want to help UNLV Athletics grow to the next level? Here is a simple way to start - Get Your Reb On every Friday. Join all of us by wearing UNLV Rebel gear every Friday of the year. It's an easy way to say, "I support UNLV." ... And one more thought: Why not give UNLV gear to as many people as possible this holiday season? The more people we have wearing UNLV apparel, the more UNLV Athletics benefits. Sure we benefit financially (which supports our student-athletes), but more importantly, you are helping us to spread the word about this blossoming school known as UNLV. It's simple - Get Your Reb On.

Homecoming on the horizon - Homecoming week is right around the corner and there will be a definite UNLV Athletics feel to the week. Obviously, the biggest part is the annual Homecoming football game as coach Bobby Hauck and his Rebels will take on Wyoming at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 ... But Tuesday-Friday, basketball will take center-stage. On Tuesday (Nov. 9), the Runnin' Rebels will take on Washburn at 7 p.m. at the T&M with the annual Runnin' Rebel Legends game starting at 5:30 p.m. We hope you will come out and watch some of your favorite Runnin' Rebels from the past take the court ... Then on Wednesday night (Nov. 10), former Runnin' Rebel Greg Anthony (Outstanding Alumnus of the Year) and UNLV coaching great Jerry Tarkanian (Silver State Award) will be honored at the annual UNLV Alumni Association Homecoming Dinner. Dr. Pradip K. Bhowmik will also be honored as the Outstanding Faculty Member. Cocktails and silent auction start at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7:30 p.m. in our gorgeous UNLV Student Union. Dinner is $150 per person. To RSVP, please click here.

Opening Night at The Mack - Homecoming week will continue on Friday (Nov. 12) with Opening Night at the Thomas & Mack Center for both the Lady Rebels and the Runnin' Rebels. The Lady Rebels will tip-off at 5 p.m. against Southern Utah in the first game of the double-header while the Runnin' Rebels will officially tip-off the 2010-11 season at 7:30 p.m. vs. UC Riverside. It should be a great night of basketball in Las Vegas. If you are planning on coming to the Runnin' Rebel game that evening, be sure to come early and check out your Lady Rebels (your ticket will get you in for both games). We think you will like what you see.

Bring the family out - Just as Coach Hauck and his staff are working to redefine UNLV football, we are working on the atmosphere at the stadium trying to make it as family-friendly as possible for our football games. We know neither one of these efforts will happen overnight, but we are making progress every day ... Our vision is to have all UNLV Athletics sporting events be the place to be in Las Vegas for people of all ages. It's a place where we can be a community. That said, all children ages 12-and-under get in free to all UNLV home games (except men's basketball and football - and we have great offers for these through our ever-growing Rebel Kids Club). That means women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, women's volleyball, baseball and softball are absolutely free for kids. We hope you will take your family out to see some of the hardest working young men and women in Las Vegas - our student-athletes. Check out UNLVRebels.com for schedules.

TCU in town - Our tremendous football schedule continues this Saturday (Oct. 30) as No. 4 TCU comes to town at 8 p.m. It is the highest-ranked opponent to ever come to Sam Boyd Stadium to face the Rebels. We hope you will join us out at the stadium. We're in for a battle, but we can promise you we are going to fight. And you never know...

Special events support our athletes - Did you know the revenue generated by the special events held at the Thomas & Mack Center, Cox Pavilion and Sam Boyd Stadium goes to help support our student-athletes? That's right. The revenues UNLV Athletics produces through hosting and promoting special events helps support our mission in serving our student-athletes. So if you see an event you might want to check out, please do so. We have Alan Jackson and Chris Young scheduled to be at the T&M on Nov. 6 and Trans-Siberian Orchestra scheduled for Nov. 27. Visit www.unlvtickets.com for more information on upcoming games and events.

Competition Goals - In our last update, we outlined UNLV Athletics' Academic Goals for the year. Below are our Competition Goals:

• Have representation from 14 teams in NCAA postseason competition.
• Win four MWC (or equivalent) team championships.
• Win one NCAA team championship.
• Place in the top 60 nationally in the Directors' Cup.

Meet D.J. Allen - Sr. Associate Athletics Director of External Affairs
D.J. Allen officially joined UNLV Athletics in August of this year and is overseeing all of the department's marketing, communications, creative services, community relations and ticketing efforts for both athletics and our special events. Allen - a native of Southern Nevada and a respected businessman and community leader in the valley - has been involved with the marketing and community outreach efforts for men's basketball for the past five seasons, with an intensified role the past two seasons. He holds a bachelor's in communications and a master's in business administration from UNLV. We are excited to have his private sector experience and existing community relationships benefitting UNLV Athletics. As important, D.J.'s passion for UNLV and education will not only benefit our department, it will benefit the entire university as UNLV Athletics serves as a gateway to the community for UNLV. D.J. is married to Stacey (who also holds two degrees from UNLV) and they have two children: Bailey, 9, and Daniel, 7 ... The leadership team within external affairs includes: Andy Grossman (assistant athletics director of communications), Chuck Soberinsky (assistant athletics director of ticketing), Nevada Colwell (director of multimedia) and Bridget Byrne (director of community relations). Byrne is a former softball player for UNLV.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about UNLV Athletics. We look forward to seeing you soon. Go Rebels ... And Get Your Reb On!!!

Sincerely,

Jim Livengood
Director of Athletics