By W.G. Ramirez
Special to UNLVRebels.com

This is the first in a series of feature stories looking back at the 49 years of what is now known as Sam Boyd Stadium. UNLV Athletics has launched a season-long campaign – Sam Boyd Stadium Farewell – to help fans commemorate the final year of the facility before the program moves in 2020 to Allegiant Stadium, which is currently being constructed closer to campus.



Former Rebels Nate Hawkins, Denny Robinson and Joe Lupo all said the biggest game of UNLV's 1971 season was when the team played nationally ranked North Dakota and came away with a 17-17 tie.

But the truly special moment of the campaign, undoubtedly, came October 23 when the city's young university saw its four-year-old football team play in the school's very own stadium for the first time.

After a few years playing at old Cashman Field and then Butcher Field at Las Vegas High School, the Rebel program finally moved into the sparkling new Las Vegas Stadium, which would be renamed the Las Vegas Silver Bowl in 1978, Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in 1984 and finally Sam Boyd Stadium in 1994.

Construction delays kept the Rebels from getting into their new home until the middle of the season and photos provided by the Las Vegas News Bureau show that half of the bleachers on one side of the stadium were not yet installed that first night.



Still, the opener was a big deal to the emerging town, including attracting first-year Governor Mike O'Callaghan (pictured, below), and the announced crowd of 10,200 stood as the team's biggest for two years. And even though UNLV was handed a 30-17 loss by Weber State in that very first game, one of only two home losses for the Rebels that season, Hawkins said it was one of the two biggest thrills for him that season, along with the 80-yard touchdown he scored against North Dakota on the first play of the game.

"It was fantastic," said Hawkins, who was UNLV's first NFL draft pick when he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 and went on to play one season with the Houston Oilers. "Everybody was excited to be in a new stadium."

Hawkins, who travels annually from Texas to Las Vegas for UNLV's homecoming game, was a senior when Las Vegas Stadium opened its doors, and vividly remembers the home field advantage the Rebels enjoyed on blustery days in the desert.

"The stadium was in the desert, and the wind would just whip across the field," Hawkins said. "If you were kicking toward the end that wasn't built, the ball would go up and the wind would push the ball all the way back."

Robinson recalled the simmering heat on the artificial turf during that opening season, not to mention having to stare into the sun, as the Rebels used to stand on the east sidelines.

"That was a big advantage, getting teams to come down and play in the heat, on that AstroTurf; that and the wind," said Robinson, who was a junior during the first season in the new venue. "If it was 105 degrees here, it was 120 on the AstroTurf. And we used to play there at one o'clock in the afternoon."

For Lupo, the feeling was a bit different. He graduated from Bishop Gorman High School and had been playing at Cashman Field for years. And after playing for the Rebels from 1968 through 1970, he suffered a season-ending injury before the team was able to move into the stadium and never got to actually play there.

But that didn't dampen his love for the program and the anticipation to see his teammates play in their first game just beneath the Frenchman and Sunrise Mountain.
 

"It was overwhelming, it was over the top," Lupo said. "For me it was a dream come true. We had a good team, we were all close, no issues, great coaching staff and it was just a positive, great experience."

Since he couldn't play, Lupo said he helped the coaching staff, led by Bill Ireland, with basic duties, not only against Weber State, but the rest of the season.

"I can remember distinctly filming the game with a 16-millimeter movie camera on a platform," Lupo said. "I also did some spotting for Roger Barnson. We were doing all kinds of things on the sideline. It was just a great experience. It was college football at its best."

As proud as he is every year, upon returning to UNLV home games, Robinson said moving to Allegiant Stadium is a big steppingstone, and that the program will benefit with recruiting top players from around the country.

For Hawkins, he said he is proud to know he was able to play on that historic night, and that it will be an emotional moment when the Rebels play their final game at Sam Boyd Stadium against San Jose State on Nov. 23.

"I'm glad for the team because every year I go back, and they're making progress," Hawkins said. "And I just hope that when they leave, they leave on a rising note. They leave Sam Boyd Stadium with good memories for everybody."



Individual, season and mini-plan tickets for UNLV's 2019 home football games are now on sale. Season tickets, which start as low as $99, are still available and as part of UNLV's Faithful Fan Pricing initiative, fans purchasing season tickets this year may purchase season tickets for the same per-game price in the new Las Vegas Stadium opening in 2020.
 
This year's mini-plan allows fans to purchase tickets for the games vs. Boise State, San Diego State and Hawai'i for one low price that includes a meal combo and the commemorative giveaway T-shirt each week. Prices for the mini-plan are $99 for end-zone locations and $150 for sideline seats. Mini-plans, as well as full season tickets are available now by calling (702) 739-3267 (FANS) or visiting unlvtickets.com.