The $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium—just off the Las Vegas Strip with its sleek black exterior, massive video boards, and skyline-facing glass end zone—wasn’t built just for football. Since opening in 2020, it’s hosted Super Bowl LVIII, WrestleMania, Raiders home games, international soccer matches, and sold-out concerts. But in sharp contrast, UNLV football has yet to make the stadium its own. That’s the challenge Rebel head coach Dan Mullen inherited.

2024 was a step forward. UNLV drew 139,747 fans across home games—its highest total since moving into Allegiant and a 28% increase from 2023. A top-25 ranking and a second straight bowl appearance helped. The Boise State game saw 33,918 actual attendees, far beyond the typical turnout. But even with those gains, the Rebels averaged under 20,000 fans per game, leaving much of Allegiant’s 65,000 seats empty on college Saturdays.

That’s the disconnect Mullen is now trying to close, not with new construction, but with rethinking how UNLV fits into a stadium—and a city—built for bigger moments. And as he explained on Cofield & Company at Circa Las Vegas, that strategy is as much about economics and optics as it is football.

The new Rebels head coach is not afraid to call up Vegas high rollers like Derek Stevens. “A lot of it is building the program, too, and a lot of it’s business people,” he says on the show. “I met with Derek Stevens and said, Hey, you know, if we can bring big-time college football here. Tell me about that game last year. ‘Oh, that was unbelievable. The excitement, what it did, the business, the money it brought to the town.’ I said, ‘What if I can find a way to try to make that happen six times a year?’ He’s like, ‘Okay, hold on. Let’s talk.’ I said, I want to build a program, right? I mean, I think the economic impact of this city if somehow we can win the Mountain West, get a playoff bid, and we’re high enough to host a home playoff game, so there’s some return to the city.”

According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, a major sporting event can bring tens of millions into the local economy in a single weekend, with tourism, food, tables, and ticket sales all getting a slice. And with the season UNLV had last year, they are not going to stop. Now, six-pack Saturdays, and you’ve got a mini economic surge for the city. Las Vegas all-inned on the $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium for the Raiders, but for the exact scenario, Mullen’s pitching. And that stadium is capable of hosting anything from the Super Bowl and WrestleMania to a Canelo fight. For Mullen, that’s the “x-factor” in his pitch.

If you want fans to come out, you’d better produce a spectacle. From day one, his strategy has been boisterous. Bring championship football to the heart of the Strip and make UNLV games the ticket south of the Sphere. He continues, “We’re going to try to build a program that is going to help this city and make the city proud of what it’s going to do and bring a level back to what it was.” And it won’t be that hard either. Mullen’s roster purge was as drastic as a midnight game of roulette. He pulled over 30 transfers from the portal. Which includes legitimate talents such as Michigan’s Alex Orji and Virginia’s Anthony Colandrea. And both are preparing to battle for the all-important quarterback position.

The difference Mullen makes is that he markets the “Vegas difference.” He’s not selling recruits on stale, barren stadiums. He’s recruiting them into Allegiant, marketing the glamour of the city, NIL revenue potential, and pro facilities. And Mullen puts it like, “For the family of four out there that wants to go to see a UNLV game, it’s going to be a lot more cost-efficient than going to a Raiders game.”

Dan Mullen isn’t shy about contrasting the cost of supporting the Rebels with the wallet-draining experience of a Raiders game. And then he adds on to give a bright future look, “You never know, that three-year-old that starts coming to a game, UNLV games this year, right? 15 years from now might be a five-star number one player and his dream was to go to UNLV his whole life.” 

Mullen’s out here pitching Mountain West championships and College Football Playoff aspirations like they’re just another faucet turn away. And it’s not crazy talk. UNLV was a half of football away from making actual playoff noise last season. With Boise State losing their Heisman-worthy running back, the door is wide open for UNLV to strut right on through. Is pressure there? Sure is. The Rebels should be competing this season, not next decade. Both fans and Vegas decision-makers will crave early results. But that’s the bargain Mullen made.

Dan Mullen’s Vegas Comeback

Dan Mullen isn’t just any coach. He’s a winner with 103 career victories, 13 seasons in the SEC, 11 straight bowl games, and four New Year’s Six appearances. Most folks in his position might cruise into TV retirement and cash checks. Not Mullen. It’s him trading the comfort of ESPN’s studio for a seat at the high-roller table with the UNLV Rebels. And that’s when Mullen finally opened up about his enormous $17.5 million deal with UNLV. “You know what, it was hard. It was a tough decision. I really enjoyed TV. A big family decision.” Mullen says.

“You know, we started talking, and, you know, the last couple of years I just—nothing, you know—I’d get calls, and I would just say it’s not going to interest me. And then in October, I said, all right, I talked to my wife. I said if people call, we’ll listen. Maybe we’ll have some conversations this year (sic).” Mullen’s contract is more than double what his predecessor made—a $3.5 million annual bet that UNLV can shake up the Mountain West and maybe, just maybe, make national headlines.

But that kind of payday comes with pressure. Mullen left security for suspense, betting big on Vegas—and UNLV followed suit, banking on more than just a coach. It’s a shot at making Saturdays on the Strip matter like never before.