UNLV trying to raise homefield advantage for championship game

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Is the Mountain West championship game going to be played in a sea of Scarlet and Gray?

UNLV football doesn’t have a good history when it comes to drawing crowds, but this is an unprecedented situation. Not only are they playing for their first conference championship on Saturday, they’re hosting the game at Allegiant Stadium by virtue of their first-place finish in the regular season.

Head coach Barry Odom wants to see a record number of fans decked out in UNLV colors, rooting for the home team and creating a homefield advantage against visiting Boise State.

“For us to be able to host this event, in the 25^th year of the Mountain West Conference, against a great opponent and have an opportunity to win the first conference championship,” Odom said, “it ought to be rockin’.”

Odom may get his wish.

Since moving into Allegiant for the 2020 season, UNLV has mostly played in front of modest crowds. The dome holds upwards of 60,000 for football, but UNLV’s average home attendance in three years there (not counting the Covid-affected 2020 season) is just 22,710.

And even that average is brought up by the 35,193 that came out for Iowa State’s visit in 2021, which played more like a Cyclones home game. Aside from that outlier, the high attendance for a UNLV home game at Allegiant is 25,568.

The good news for Odom and his squad is that attendance trended up late in the season as UNLV made its unlikely push for a spot in the championship game. The two biggest crowds of the year came in the final two home games, against Wyoming on Nov. 10 (25,568) and San Jose State on Nov. 25 (25,554).

According to a UNLV spokesman, the university has already sold 15,000 tickets since the Mountain West announced the game on Sunday. That figure doesn’t include tickets sold through the Boise State website.

In an effort to get more people into the building, UNLV is offering each student one free ticket, as well as an additional guest ticket for $15. As of Sunday, 1,200 students have taken advantage of the free-ticket offer.

Odom implored more students to claim their freebies and fill up the stadium.

“The last time I checked for UNLV students, it’s free of charge,” Odom said. “And then they can get another ticket for $15. So, for two tickets, simple math, that’s $7.50 apiece.”

Season ticket holders were able to purchase their regular seats for the championship game at a discounted rate.

While it’s unlikely to sell out, it’s looking like UNLV could actually have a partisan crowd on its side in the biggest game of the season, even against an opponent that historically travels well in Boise State. If that comes to fruition, it would stand out as one of the greatest accomplishments of Odom’s short tenure.

Senior running back Donavyn Lester believes he and his record-setting teammates deserve a good crowd.

“We just want everyone to come out and support us,” Lester said. “This is a big deal.”

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.