Oct. 15, 2010
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The Runnin' Rebels officially began the season Friday night with thousands of fans getting a glimpse of this year's team and celebrating the accomplishments from last season.
Photo Gallery from FirstLook 2010
The tradition of Midnight Madness allegedly began at the University of Maryland in 1971, when then head coach Lefty Driesell had a reported 3,000 fans show up at midnight to watch the Terrapins run 1.5 miles around the track on the first night the NCAA allowed practice. A decade later, the Kentucky Wildcats added more theatrics to their first open practice with live entertainment. And in the decades since, most every major college basketball program has opened its first practice to fans.
The NCAA sets a schedule that all Division I schools must follow and this year, Oct. 15 marked the first day teams could start official practice. The midnight start time of the early events was the first possible minute a team could practice. In recent years, the rules have been shifted (teams now can start at 5 p.m.) to allow the first practice events to be in primetime so more fans have the opportunity to attend and bring the whole family.
Throughout the years, UNLV has had various public events to open the practice season, but current head coach Lon Kruger has started a new tradition. FirstLook debuted in 2008. It should come as no surprise that there is great interest in the first official practice event of the season for a program that had the 18th highest attendance in all of college basketball last season.
In the past four seasons the Rebels have won more than 100 games, one of only five teams in the West to accomplish such a feat.
"It's great to see the fans come out and get excited about the upcoming season," Kruger said. "The fan turnout at FirstLook really sets the tone for the next month of practice. It lets the team, especially the new players, see how passionate our fans are."
UNLV went 25-9 last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the past four seasons. It returns seven key players (seniors Derrick Jasper and Tre'Von Willis, juniors Oscar Bellfield, Brice Massamba and Chace Stanback, and sophomores Justin Hawkins and Anthony Marshall), including the entire starting lineup from last year's NCAA Tournament game.
Friday night's season kick off event was presented by RebelSwag and was free to the public. The first 4,000 fans received a limited edition poster of the 2010-11 Runnin' Rebels courtesy of the presenting sponsor.
Rebel fans got their first look at several new players during the festivities. The only time the fans saw redshirt freshman Carlos Lopez on the court last season was during FirstLook. Fans also got their first chance to see sophomore Quintrell Thomas - a transfer from Kansas - freshman Karam Mashour, and UCLA transfer Mike Moser, who will redshirt this season.
Following the scrimmage, fans were invited onto the floor to meet the Runnin' Rebel players, get autographs and take pictures.
FirstLook also offered fans the opportunity to see the best seats available in the lower level of the Thomas & Mack Center for season ticket purchases. Ticketing and Rebel Athletic Fund representatives were on hand to answer questions and/or take orders.
Season tickets are currently available for purchase for the 2010-11 Runnin' Rebel season. Seating is available in the lower level in both donor and non-donor areas and starts at $485. Balcony season tickets for 16 home games at the Thomas & Mack Center are available for $175 and $90.
For more information on purchasing season tickets, call 702-739-FANS (3267).
