As we inch ever closer to saying goodbye to UNLV Football's home for the last 49 seasons, most folks around town don't even realize that the Valley's original major outdoor gathering place, Sam Boyd Stadium, opened under the name Las Vegas Stadium (yes, decades before a future NFL franchise borrowed that same moniker pre-Allegiant).
A 15,000-seat facility constructed from scratch on the desert floor by the city of Las Vegas in what at the time was the middle of nowhere, the venue opened during the second month of UNLV's 1971 season after the Rebels spent their first three-plus-years competing at Old Cashman and then Butcher Memorial Field. Expanded to seat 32,000, it was rebranded seven seasons later as the Silver Bowl, coinciding with the Rebels making their way up to the NCAA Division I level under head coach Tony Knap. Then, just after the program surged to new heights behind the greatest Rebel of all in quarterback Randall Cunningham, the name was altered again, which officially linked a prominent local family with the Rebels for decades to come.
An official university release dated March 6, 1985, broke the big news. The system's Board of Regents had approved renaming the Home of the Rebels to Sam Boyd Silver Bowl. A decade later, the Silver Bowl name was phased out completely and Sam Boyd Stadium has been a nationally known brand for a quarter-century leading into this, the final go-round before the Rebels take up new digs along with the Raiders near the Strip.
So how did UNLV's stadium come to bear the name of a local self-made gaming magnate who had become legendary in the industry for his innovative ideas? Sam and his family made a major donation of $1.5 million that, along with additional funding from the LVCVA, led to upgrades highlighted by a $1.2 million retractable artificial playing field. In fact, Sam Boyd Stadium would hold the distinction of being the first in the world to have a Monsanto Corp. outdoor retractable surface. Nicknamed the "Magic Carpet," the heavy nylon turf was sewn together into one large piece and simply rolled out onto and off the field at the push of a button in a process that took five workers approximately one hour to complete. The unique playing field, which was stored in a recessed, temperature-controlled trench under the West side of the stands, changed the stadium into a multipurpose facility that was able to host major concerts, off-road races, tractor pulls and mud bogs, much to the delight of residents from across Southern Nevada and beyond.
The Magic Carpet disappeared as part of the last major renovation to SBS in 1999 as new head coach John Robinson led the charge to install natural grass for the first time while the final expansion bumped seating up to more than 36,000 with the addition of the "pie" sections in the open end of the horseshoe.
But no matter the number of seats or brand of playing turf, the legacy of the Boyd family's unwavering support of the University and its athletics department thrives to this day.
"For more than three decades, Sam Boyd Stadium has personified the relationship between the Boyd Family and UNLV Athletics," said Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois. "Although we say goodbye to this venerable facility at season's end, the foundation established by Sam Boyd sustains a modern partnership with Boyd Gaming that is nothing short of transformative. We stand on our proud past as we continue to experience the Boyd Family's legacy of leadership through the success of our student-athletes."
Because of the Boyds' generosity, the list of events hosted by the stadium over the years are stunning in both number and scope. From appearances by soccer legend Pele to the equally legendary Grateful Dead, from U2 to the UFL, from major conventions to majorly unconventional events, the stadium has hosted countless millions of cheering fans from around the world.
And for the last 35 years, the name Boyd has welcomed each and every one.
"We are honored and proud that the Boyd name has been so closely associated with Rebel Athletics for more than three decades now," said Bill Boyd, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Boyd Gaming Corporation. "While it is a bittersweet moment to say farewell to Sam Boyd Stadium, Boyd Gaming's partnership with UNLV lives on. From the Boyd Gaming Scoreboard at Thomas & Mack to the Boyd School of Law, Boyd Gaming's and the Boyd family's commitment to UNLV remains as strong as ever."
