Rebels look to Raiders facilities for a break from the heat

While the Las Vegas heat continues to be unbearable for locals, one change that Las Vegans can always count on is the transition into football season.

Fall camp began last week for the UNLV Rebels, who, after a week of practicing in the blazing sun at Bill ‘Wildcat’ Morris Rebel Park inside of the Fertitta Football Complex (FFC), moved the practice to the Intermountain Health Performance Center. The move to the practice facility of the Las Vegas Raiders was with the intention of beating the heat while warming up for the next campaign. 

During the first week of camp, temperatures reached 110 degrees or higher for five straight days, prompting the UNLV football staff to practice indoors for the day.

The Rebels held a two-hour practice after being welcomed by the President of the team, Sandra Douglass Morgan. 

“You look at consecutive days of 110 [degrees] for us; it’s a chance to have a little bit of a break, to have another good practice, change the scenery a little bit,” second-year Head Coach Barry Odom said, following the indoor practice. 

The college and professional team partnership is familiar, as the two have shared Allegiant Stadium since it opened in 2020. The Rebels also used the indoor facility before and during camp in 2021. 

The building became available for the Rebels to use after the Raiders left for Costa Mesa, California, to continue their respective preseason training camp after starting it here in Las Vegas.

During the practice, UNLV Athletics Director Erick Harper and Coach Odom made statements regarding the partnership between the Raiders and Rebels since the Silver and Black moved to the desert back in January 2020.

“On behalf of UNLV Athletics, we’d like to thank Mark Davis and Sandra Douglass Morgan and her staff for allowing the Rebels to get out of the heat and practice inside and get some good, solid work in before the season, the Raiders are a great organization and very supportive of UNLV Athletics, and we can’t thank them enough for our valued partnership,” Harper stated.

“What a great opportunity for our team and our program,” Odom said. “For us to have a working relationship with the Raiders, Sandra Morgan, and the Davis family, I’m so grateful that our kids had the opportunity. It’s good for us to be able to, at this point in camp, get a break.”

The season begins on the road against Big 12 Conference member the Houston Cougars on August 31st at 4 pm PST. The game will be televised on Fox Sports 1 as the first of a record 11 nationally televised games for the Rebels.

The home opener will take place a week later when the Utah Tech Trailblazers of the Western Athletic Conference travel to Las Vegas to open the Rebels’ home slate at Allegiant Stadium on Sept. 7.