Does UNLV Football Get It With Locals?

Would Auburn hire an Alabama Alumni President to be a part of their football marketing? Would Michigan hire someone from Idaho State to be their face of their program? The answer is no. So why is it that UNLV can not understand that how they present themselves to local football fans can be viewed as an insult. Never to mind the comments made about local talent by former players?

First off no one wants to see UNLV lose. No one on this site is rooting for UNLV to be playing in front of meager crowds either.

At the same time, there is something that needs to be said regarding being an Alum of the school and being a part of the Las Vegas community. With any product, you are always looking to market your goods to people that should have an expected affinity to your product. Look at how Nike sponsors youth sports programs - hoping to get the kids to buy their products. Look at how Findlay sells to locals by being a part of the community of those they are selling their products to by backing all types of local events. Take a look at any good product and they know how to connect with people who are in their target as potential buyers.

UNLV talks about their sufferring football program in a matter of just being patient. They talk about sticking with Coaches - like Wake Forrest and Rutgers. Those schools struggled before they broke through. Ok - I understand struggle. At the same time, did these schools try to alienate parts of their base by how they handled their business decisions?

I am sorry Rutgers was getting recruits from Florida that they had no right to get. Their Coach made the difference and you could see the possibilities. These programs also went around their state to make sure that everyone knew that Rutgers was THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL team in New Jersey. They did everything to solidify their base instead of ignoring it.

So when I read Ahmad Briggs' comments about how UNLV struggled and why it continues I found myself just perplexed. He says that Las Vegas does not have a deep enough base of potential college football players? Huh? I remember Richard Seigler, Jon Pollard and the other 7 Las Vegas athletes at Oregon State kick the tar out of UNLV when they played! These athletes made no bones about the fact that UNLV ignored them when they were playing in Las Vegas. Sad to say that nothing has changed on this front, as too many parents and players are contacting us at this site talking about the same situation that is still happening! This is a program that won their first road game in how many years last night? Where does anyone in this program past and present start a conversation that Las Vegas or Reno does not have talent? Jeff Rowe went to McQueen and was in bowl games the past 2 years for Nevada!

Even when UNLV scores they still find a way to blow it. Torie Coleman was a major RB talent that UNLV stole away from top PAC 10 schools. Where is he now - up at Oregon State because he did not get any love from the UNLV staff. They have a big back and do not use him? Programs create plays for their talent to succeed and UNLV decided not to do this - so the talent walks. When Nate Weiderquist played at Foothill, he was a great slot receiver. So when UNLV struggled at WR - did they look his way and get him away from the defense and switch him to offense? No they burried him in the secondary to never play again. Coach Cink is the local guy that understands what is going on locally. But, his comments must fall on deaf ears at UNLV.

How about having a BYU Alumni President and Colorado player as your radio broadcast team? How about when Bruce Snyder had his daughter work as a sideline reporter? How did that work out? Where is she now? Who doesnot turn on the radio and not say to themselves how are these people really vested in the program? They are vested due to what they provide to UNLV when you and I are not at the game. Mike Pritchard is a nice guy who played at Rancho. Fair question - has Mike gone to a practice at Rancho to work with his former school's players? You are trying to tell me that there is not a former UNLV player - IE Randall Cunningham - that wouldnot be a better choice to connect Alums with football team? Any good program brings back players from the past to make them involved in the current program. Does UNLV do this?

So can you make the deduction that if you play at UNLV - you will be passed over by a Coaches Daughter to become a part of the program? Many can say yes.

So how should recruits look at this? Nevada has former players involved in their marketing and their program. Coach Ault connects the past with the present. When they had a former player pass away - Coach Ault and the Staff were at this player's service. Would UNLV do this?

We are going to get to see the chance to watch several programs that have great alumni support come to Las Vegas this year in Wisconsin, Hawaii, BYU and Utah. These are programs that truly represent their Alums and their former players. They make their presence known so that players in their state want to strive to play for their programs.

With over 50 D1 programs with Nevada kids on them this year, one has to wonder how UNLV would be better if they could have kept them at home? But, UNLV continues to not provide a case for local athletes to be loyal and want to stay at home. They have yet to make a case and their business practices are not helping them any.

Either win with out of towners or recruit locals. Pretty simple. But, when you lose with out of towners and ignore locals - you can not make a program happen.

Ahmad - that is the issue. Just look at the Oregon State tape and you can see there is plenty of talent that could be in the Rebel Red to make a difference.