Get Your Reb On

In the world of college athletics, the holidays sneak up on us quickly. Here's hoping we all take the opportunity to use this time of year to let the ones we love know how we feel about them. We hope you enjoy this quick update about your UNLV Rebels:

EARLY GIFT ON FRIDAY, DEC. 23

Here's a reminder to our fans that the Runnin' Rebel game on Friday, Dec. 23 against Cal at the Thomas & Mack Center will start early at 2 p.m. PT. It's a special start time for TV, to allow Cal to travel back home for the holidays and for our fans as we are sure there will be a lot of conflicting events going on that evening. We hope you plan to spend this special basketball matinee with your UNLV family before spending the rest of the holiday weekend with your family and loved ones... And we'll need you at the T&M. Cal is one of the top teams in the Pac-12 and has spent most of the season thus far ranked in the Top 25.

8-2 LADY REBELS HOME FOR INVITATIONAL STARTING SUNDAY

Our Lady Rebels are off to one of their best starts in nearly 20 years. They improved to 8-2 on the season with a game-winning shot at the buzzer to win at UC Santa Barbara over the weekend. (Click here to see video of Mia Bell's winning shot.) Head coach Kathy Olivier's team now enters a stretch of five challenging games starting at the Cox Pavilion with the BTI Invitational this Sunday-Tuesday. UNLV will take on Northwestern on Sunday (5 p.m.), North Dakota State on Monday (5 p.m.) and then Kansas State on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.). We hope you'll take the opportunity to check out the Lady Rebels and remember, kids 12-and-under are always free... After the BTI, the Lady Rebels head on the road to take on Arizona and Nevada, Reno. Remember, you can hear all Lady Rebel games on KSHP 1400 AM.

REBELS SPREADING CHEER

The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Mark Anderson had a great story today (click here to read) featuring seven of our student-athletes and head women's basketball coach Kathy Olivier visiting Sunrise Children's Hospital yesterday. It made me smile to read and the photos are really incredible. Hope you will take the time to read and look at the slideshow - it's definitely a feel-good knowing how these types of moments impact all involved. The student-athletes who made the visit were Chace Stanback and Kendall Wallace (men's basketball), Jamie Smith and Briana Charles (women's basketball) and football players Aaron Reed, Yusef Rodgers and Doug Zismann. A special thank you to them for using their platform in this community to do good things.

WELCOME IN 2012 WITH THE RUNNIN' REBELS

After being gone from the T&M for almost three weeks, your Runnin' Rebels play four home games in a span of 15 days to close 2011. The run at home continues next Monday night against Louisiana-Monroe, next Friday's matinee vs. Cal and then on Wednesday, Dec. 28 vs. Central Arkansas. To celebrate 2012, all balcony tickets to the Central Arkansas game are just $12 when purchased in advance at (702) 739-FANS or www.UNLVtickets.com.

BOYKO FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN FOR FOOTBALL

Earlier this week, UNLV left tackle Brett Boyko was named second team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele's. Boyko was one of three freshmen starters on the offensive line this season that saw UNLV have its best running attack in years with group of underclassmen running backs. Yes, progress absolutely needs to be shown in the wins column in the very near future, but the right tools are being put in place for success on the football field.

RUNNIN' REBELS ON TV, STREAMED

Please know we are working with our partners in Hawaii and Bakersfield - and locally - to try to work out possibilities for our fans to see the two remaining Runnin' Rebel road games that are not currently scheduled to be available to be viewed here in Las Vegas. We're trying to be creative to work within all of the variables. We had success getting the Wichita State game on TV - with a huge thank you to Steve Schorr and the entire Cox Communications team - and our Orleans game streamed and we know this is a priority for our fans. While we can't make any promises at this time, please know it is aggressively being addressed.

REBEL BASEBALL BUZZ

There is a buzz around the community building as head baseball coach Tim Chambers and his staff enter year two. Twenty-three of our 35 players on the roster are from Las Vegas and the Hustlin' Rebels truly are becoming Las Vegas' home team. Season tickets will be on sale soon for the season and it's easily one of the best deals in town - $90 for 29 home games and kids 12-and-under are always free. Call (702) 739-FANS for more information.

A FEW MORE THOUGHTS...

If you haven't checked out www.UNLVRebels.com lately, please make sure you do. Our team has gotten more aggressive with posting short videos for our fans...
Our department recently concluded its first semester of Step UP!, a pro-social bystander intervention program that educates student-athletes on health and safety. Classes were designed to help student-athletes learn intervention skills to make the right choices in their everyday lives. A special thank you to Sr. Associate AD Dr. Lisa Kelleher for leading the effort...
We just received our updated APR (academic progress rates) for the department and, as Rebel fans, you should be proud of how your student-athletes are representing this university in the classroom...
Speaking of our student-athletes and excelling in the classroom, 15 are graduating this week from UNLV during Fall commencement. We are so proud of their accomplishments...

Thank you so much for your continued support. Please remember to ATTEND UNLV games, WEAR Rebel gear and TELL others about UNLV Athletics. We appreciate all you do. Get Your Reb On!

For the Rebels,

Jim Livengood
Director of Athletics