The UNLV logo is displayed on an LED screen at Allegiant Stadium Tuesday, July 27, 2021.
Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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Scott Burk has taken plenty of UNLV supporters on their first visit inside the luxury suites at Allegiant Stadium over the past year.
Each turn of the nearly $2 billion facility produces a different, over-the-top reaction from the guests, and Burk simply sits back and smiles. He’s been there numerous times and still can’t help getting excited about how a game day will look and feel.
“There’s nothing comparable to it in college athletics,” said Burk, UNLV’s director of premium seating. “I’ve been in VIP suites in all cities across the country, and I am still wowed walking in there.”
The Rebels on Sept. 2 host Eastern Washington for the first of six home games in the second season at the stadium — but because of the pandemic, this will be the first with full-capacity fans.
After years of playing at outdated Sam Boyd Stadium, which lacked player and fan amenities, transitioning to a building with all of the modern luxuries will certainly enhance the program. If coach Marcus Arroyo has his way, having some of the best facilities in the nation will quickly translate into having the best team in the Mountain West Conference.
It will also enhance the viewing experience for fans, which certainly makes Burk’s job in luxury sales easier. His team is tasked with selling the stadium’s 127 suites, all of which are tricked out in UNLV scarlet and gray and offer prime viewing with 16-22 seats, access to suite-level lounges, private restrooms and more.
It’s a great place to watch football, officials proudly say.
“It is far and away the nicest stadium I have ever seen in college athletics and the NFL, and I have been to quite a few stadiums,” said Greg Hulen, UNLV’s chief revenue officer who was most recently at Florida State University. “It’s an unbelievable asset for the city, the Raiders and us.”
In total, there are 1,058 club seats over the 127 suites, all of which will provide a “world-class restaurant experience,” Burk said. The food offerings include a sushi bar, carving station with prime rib, unlimited non-alcoholic drinks and more. They also have game-staples such as hot dogs and popcorn.
The suites range in price from $18,000 to $30,000 for the season. They also come with multiple parking passes. Over the six-game slate, that could be as little as $170 per person.
When you factor in the food offerings and entertainment value, it’s a great bargain, officials said. Less than half of the suites are still available for single-game or season-long purchase. The Iowa State game Sept. 18 is already accounted for by visiting fans.
“Buy now. It’s a stock that is undervalued,” Hulen said. “Great location. Great experience. You might (not) be able to (get the price) 12 or 24 months from now.”
UNLV officials say luxury seating is for all types of fans, whether it’s corporations entertaining clients, businesses giving their employees a night out, or even families. The suites are each equipped with restrooms, high-speed internet access, padded-chair seats and a bartender, meaning no long lines to buy alcohol. Alcoholic beverages aren’t included.
The best part of buying a suite is simply “buy the tickets and you are done,” Burk said. “You know people are taken care of with food and drink. Just hand out the tickets.”
Arguably the most noticeable upgrade — whether fans are in the suites or stands — is the climate control setting brought by the domed stadium. Games at Sam Boyd in September, even with 7:30 p.m. start times, were often an unbearable viewing experience because of the heat.
“This is the reason, candidly, many of us came here, was the fact that there’s a new alignment to that building,” Arroyo said last month at the Mountain West media day. “To have fans come in that stadium and see us, to have our guys come out to fans and their families, we’re fired up.”
That’s the sense Burk feels on those stadium tours to potential suite-holders. Many comment about how Allegiant still has the new-building smell.
“Nobody has had a chance to get into the suites. They are still brand new,” he said.
