UNLV Rebels

Infobox college athletics
name = UNLV Rebels

university = University of Nevada-Las Vegas
conference = Mountain West Conference,
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (Men's Soccer) | division = Division I
(Division I FBS in Football)
director = Mike Hamrick
city = Las Vegas
state = Nevada
stateabb = NV
teams = 7 men and 9 women
stadium = Sam Boyd Stadium
arena = Thomas & Mack Center (Men's)
Cox Pavilion (Women's)
arena2 =
mascot = Hey Reb!
nickname = Rebels
fightsong = "Win with the Rebels"
color1 = Scarlet
color2 = Grey
hex1 = FF2400
hex2 = 808080
pageurl = http://unlvrebels.com/
pagename = www.unlvrebels.com

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' sports teams are called the Rebels. The Rebels participate in NCAA Division I (Division I FBS for football) and in the Mountain West Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The school's colors are Scarlet and Grey. The Rebels' main rivals are the Wolf Pack of the University of Nevada, Reno. As the only two major colleges in the state of Nevada, the two schools celebrate a heated rivalry in several sports. The most well-known of these games is the Battle for Nevada, a football game held each year in which the winner takes home the Fremont Cannon, a refurbished 19th century howitzer that is the largest and most expensive trophy in collegiate football. Many of the Rebels teams have variations of the team name, such as the Runnin' Rebels for men's basketball; Hustlin' Rebels was an unofficial nickname for the baseball team, but it's not used any longer.

The 1990 Runnin' Rebels basketball team defeated Duke University, in the biggest blowout in college basketball championship game history, 103-73, to win the NCAA National Championship, UNLV's first and only Division I National Championship in one of the three major sports.

Football

The UNLV Rebels football team plays at Sam Boyd Stadium off of the UNLV campus in Henderson, Nevada. The Rebels were once a powerhouse in Division II before jumping to Division I-A (now Division I FBS) and have seen some trouble since their promotion. Although the Rebels have faced some adversity, they are one of the only teams to be undefeated in bowl games, winning the California Bowl in 1984 (subsequently forfeited due to ineligible players) and the Las Vegas Bowl twice in 1994 and 2000. The Rebels have only won 1 conference championship in their history, the Big West Conference football championship in 1994, which it shared with Southwestern Louisiana and UNR. UNLV's football rivals include UNR, with whom UNLV plays an annual trophy game in which the winner is awarded the Fremont Cannon and BYU, because of the large Mormon population in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Famous Rebels football players include Randall Cunningham, Suge Knight, Kenny Mayne, Keenan McCardell, Adam Seward, and Ickey Woods.

Basketball

Men's Basketball

Pageantry

School Songs

UNLV has two common songs that can be heard at various athletic and academic events. These two songs are the alma matar and "Win With the Rebels," the school's official fight song. The lyrics for UNLV's alma mater were written by UNLV Music Professor Thomas Leslie and graduate student Robyn Lemon. The music was composed by UNLV Alumnus Eric Whitacre, a nationally recognized leader in choral music.Whitacre completed the alma mater in April 1998. It was formally presented and publicly performed for the first time by the UNLV Runnin’ Rebel’s Pep Band and UNLV Concert Choir during the halftime of the UNLV vs. Wyoming basketball game in January 1999. [cite web | url=http://www.unlv.edu/main/history/symbols/almamater.html | title=Alma Matar| publisher=University of Nevada, Las Vegas | accessdate=2008-07-09]

Alma Matar

Alma Mater, we praise you
For spirit, the eternal flame,
Strength which never falters,
A tribute to your name

Alma Mater, we thank you,
Exalted Scarlet and Gray.
Truth and wisdom from your standard
In our minds and hearts will stay

Alma Mater, we cherish you.
And in our days that are yet to be,
Our voices let us ever raise
In honor, U-N-L-V

Win With the Rebels

Win with the Rebels a victory today!
Win with the Rebels, the Scarlet and Gray.
From mountains that surround you to far across the sea
We'll win with the Rebels of UNLV.
U-N-L-V UNLV Go, Fight Win.
We'll win with the Rebels of UNLV.

Star of Nevada Marching Band

The Star of Nevada Marching Band is the official marching band for UNLV and was established in 1978. The band is comprised of more than 100 members which include undergraduate and graduate students at UNLV and performs at all UNLV Rebel home football games, university sponsored events and has even made special performance engagements on the Las Vegas Strip. The band is currently directed by Music Department faculty member, Anthony Labounty. [cite web | url=http://www.unlvbands.com/star/star.shtml | title=Star of Nevada Marching Band| publisher=UNLV Bands | accessdate=2008-07-09]

Hey Reb!

Hey Reb! is the official mascot of UNLV Rebels athletics. Hey Reb! made his first debut in 1983 as a long mustached, musket carrying cartoon rebel. Hey Reb! was given a make over in 1997 becoming more muscular and taking away his musket. Hey Reb! is the third mascot in the Rebels short athletic history. The first mascot was a black and white anthropomorphized wolf in Confederate gray uniform, named Beauregard and was used as a jab at the mascot of in-state rival the University of Nevada, Reno which had a similar mascot but in Union uniform. Beauregard would stay until the 1970s, when a group of black athletes voiced their displeasure with the mascot. The athletic department introduced a colonial-like rebel as the logo and mascot and there was consideration towards rebranding the athletic teams at UNLV the Minutemen, until Hey Reb! was introduced. [cite press release | title = Rebel History | publisher = UNLV Rebels Football Media Guide | date = 2007 | url = http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/unlv/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/07-gameday-46-54.pdf | format = PDF | language = | accessdate = 2008-07-09 | quote = ]

References

External links

* [http://www.unlvrebels.com Official UNLV Athletics website]