The UNLV Rebels celebrate after defeating the California Golden Bears in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

UNLV AD Erick Harper Eyes Bold Future Amid Challenges In Realignment And Revenue

Originally posted on UNLV Rebels on SI
By Mark Morales-Smith | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 11:30 AM ET

UNLV Rebels athletic director Erick Harper took over an athletic program with a lot of potential but also a lot of challenges over the past few years. Just in this past year they have hired multiple new coaches including new head football coach in Dan Mullen after former head coach Barry Odom left to take the Purdue Boilermakers job. UNLV has also been dealing with financial issues and have been forced to watch a mass exodus of some of the top teams in the Mountain West Conference for the new-look Pac-12. However, Harper is still very optimistic about UNLV athletics and expects big things in the near future.

Erick Harper On Expecting Major Attendance For A Football Program On The Rise:

“There’s no reason we can’t get 40,000 to 60,000 people to come to UNLV football games on a regular basis,” he said.

Erick Harper On Generating Revenue:

“We definitely want to be in the upper echelon of the G5, but also we have to be the best we can possibly be. The same challenge of getting there with every institution in the country is always going to be financial. That’s just the matter of the business. To weather the storm, the best way to generate more revenue is to win, and win at a high level consistently.”

Erick Harper On Concerns About The School Being Able To Pay Coaches:

“We work with the generated dollars, we work with state and institutional support and we work through our endowments. Our salaries and payroll for all coaches and staff is generated through revenues on an annual basis. What was missed is the fact I said, ‘and we also generate ticket sales, donor contributions, multimedia rights partners with Learfield, all those self-generated revenues that pay for salaries.’”

Erick Harper On Conference Realignment:

“We all know conference realignment has not ended. It will not stop. So where we land is the fact there is no buyout for UNLV out of the Mountain West, to be able to have your opportunity to have free agency and always be able to position UNLV in the best possible space for its growth as an institution. We’re one of the top markets that’s not in a (Autonomy/Power 4) conference right now.”