Why UNLV Calls Itself The Rebels: The Origin And Meaning Behind The Iconic Nickname

We are marching on our way to a new year of UNLV Rebels sports. Whether it's the Runnin' Rebels, Lady Rebels, Hustlin' Rebels, or any other variation of the name, they are all Rebels. This is important to the culture of UNLV. It's also important to understand where you've been and where your culture comes from. We did some research and found exactly why this school decided to call themselves Rebels. 

According to UNLV's official website:

"What’s in a name? At UNLV, our “Rebels” nickname reflects the tenacious attitude and relentless spirit of a university and a community that dares to be different.

Rebels are independent, resilient, and at times unconventional. Rebels aren’t tied to the past, and they’re not intimidated by the future.

UNLV’s nickname dates to the university’s origin in the mid-1950s, a time when a nation founded by rebels once again became obsessed with the idea of the iconic nonconformist. The decade of the 1950s was epitomized by young people rebelling against their parents’ middle-class American values. From popular motion pictures such as 1953’s The Wild One starring Marlon Brando and 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause starring James Dean, to “rebellious” musicians, such as Elvis Presley and the beginnings of rock and roll as it emerged from American blues music, the spirit of the times was rebellion.

The Rebel spirit lives on today at UNLV, through a community imbued with a purpose and motivation that’s greater than the individual, a community of Rebels not afraid to take risks to make things happen."

The name that they came up with in the 1950s is still as relevant today as it ever has been. This is an interesting glimpse into how this Rebel culture was created and how decades later it's just as fitting as it was when they came up with it. The Rebels once again showed their rebellious ways this past year when they would not conform with the other teams in the Mountain West Conference and decided to blaze their own path in the Mountain West instead of opting to leave for the Pac-12. Both their student-athletes and coaches all live up to the Rebels moniker.