Regent questions priorities behind UNLV Now stadium project

By Paul Takahashi

Saturday, April 20, 2013 | 10:20 a.m.

Regent Allison Stephens accused UNLV officials on Friday of catering to the resort community at the expense of students.

The first-year regent urged UNLV officials to think about building a student village first – before embarking on a new on-campus stadium. Both are included in plans the university and regents are considering.

Stephens argued that UNLV ought to be thinking more about its students' education and less about whether the proposed UNLV Now stadium meets the needs of the resort industry.

"We are talking about a university campus," she said. "We are an institution of higher education."

After the meeting, UNLV Now project leader Don Snyder called the stadium a "game-changer" for UNLV that benefits its students.

The university may gain financially from the stadium proceeds, but its students can benefit from increased opportunities in the business and hospitality industries, Snyder said.

"You can't build a great community without having a great university," he said. "You can't improve your university without a really viable economy."