July 13, 2000
LAS VEGAS -
The UNLV Department of Athletics has signed a five-year deal with ESPN Regional that encompasses the marketing rights for all Rebel athletics, the school announced Thursday.
"It is with a great deal of excitement that UNLV announces a marketing affiliation with ESPN," UNLV Director of Athletics Charles Cavagnaro said. "ESPN has rapidly grown into the No. 1 brand in intercollegiate athletics and we are proud of our new partnership with the Worldwide Leader in College Sports."
Based in Charlotte, N.C., ESPN Regional Television (ERT) is the world's largest supplier of syndicated college sports programming with more than 2,000 hours of programming each year. ERT produces the annual Las Vegas Showdown men's basketball doubleheader and has rights to Mountain West Conference football and men's basketball.
"We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with UNLV," ERT Senior Vice President Pete Derzis said. "We are truly excited about the opportunity to work with the Las Vegas corporate community and building long-term equity with Rebel Athletics."
The University Projects Division is the fastest growing part of ERT and currently has similar partnerships with five other schools: University of Kansas, University of Oregon, University of South Florida, University of Alabama-Birmingham and Texas Christian University.
Utilizing its expertise in the production, distribution and development of collegiate sports marketing rights, ERT works with each school to enhance the value of its numerous sports marketing opportunities.
Included in the UNLV inventory is advertising sales, radio rights, in-stadium and in-area signage opportunities, Internet partnerships and local- market promotions. For the past four years, the Thomas & Mack Center's Sports Marketing group oversaw the athletics department marketing rights and broadcasting.
The ESPN Regional at UNLV office will be managed by Tina Kunzer-Murphy and located on campus inside the Thomas & Mack Center.
ESPN Regional Television is a wholly owned subsidiary of ESPN, Inc., which is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.
