UNLV stadium project deserves support, now and later

Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014 | 2 a.m.

Don Snyder, UNLV’s acting president, has recommended pushing off plans for a campus stadium until 2017. He recently told a board guiding the project that the university needs more time to put together plans to finance and build it.

That raises the question of whether the proposed stadium, which would seat at least 40,000 people, ever will be built on the campus, given the history of such proposals.

We have lost count of all of the proposed stadium projects in Southern Nevada that have come and gone without ever turning a shovel of dirt. There have been proposals for nearly every part of the valley and for nearly every major sport.

Yet despite all the talk and rumors, including the latest report suggesting the National Hockey League may be planning to come here, nothing has happened.

Why so many stadium plans?

Developers say the arenas are fun to plan and command attention, but they’re incredibly difficult to carry from dream to reality. Although Las Vegas is appealing to many professional sports leagues, no one has been able to make a stadium deal work financially.

How would this stadium be different?

Unlike other plans, this one doesn’t directly involve a professional sports team. The stadium, which would be the largest in Nevada, would play host to UNLV’s sports programs, but it also would be suitable for concerts, conventions and other sporting events.

Because it’s not linked to one resort, it would be available for the entire Strip to plan major events that can’t be held here now because of the lack of a suitable facility.

Does UNLV need a stadium?

Universities throughout the country — including UNR to the north — value stadiums on campuses for many reasons, and not just because they help in recruiting players and elevating sports programs.

More holistically, they complete a campus, bringing it credibility, anchoring collegiate life, serving as a catalyst for student pride and enthusiasm. It means we’re serious about providing a quality experience that will earn the loyalty of students, alumni, faculty and community philanthropists.

Shouldn’t the university move quickly on this?

The region has been without a stadium for this long; a few more years shouldn’t hurt. This should give Snyder and university leaders time to line up support for the project and its financing in time to present to the 2017 Legislature.

Delaying the stadium plan also allows UNLV to focus on building a medical school in Southern Nevada, an idea that will face scrutiny in the Legislature next year.

Aren’t there risks to waiting?

The risk of moving ahead appears to be greater. The university isn’t ready, and going to the Legislature prematurely could erode support.

Plus, any attention taken away from the medical school could hurt that project, as well.

Bottom line

Delaying the stadium project at this point makes sense, but it can’t be shelved. The stadium is vital not only for UNLV’s future but also for the future of the region and the state.

Las Vegas is Nevada’s economic engine, and a stadium would help bring more tourists and boost the economy.

That’s something that should gain the support of everyone, from the governor to the university regents to local officials. That support should start now and grow over the next two years.