New UNLV men’s basketball coach Josh Pastner details how he quickly assembled his first team in the transfer portal. “I actually enjoy this,” he said.
College Sports Chaos
The Review-Journal examines all the issues surrounding the rapid professionalization of college athletics, including NIL payments, the transfer portal, conference realignment and more.
Whether UNLV will soon be invited into a Power Four conference is unknown, but the Rebels have positioned themselves nicely for such a reality.
The Mountain West and Pac-12 remain at a standstill over millions of dollars in exit fees and “poaching” fees that could decide the fate of both conferences.
The series will dissect the rampant professionalization of college sports, including NIL payments, the transfer portal and conference realignment.
The fight between the Mountain West and Pac-12 for conference superiority on the West Coast isn’t helping either league. There’s only one solution.
The Mountain West added a perennial contender from another conference as a football-only member, giving the league nine teams for the 2026 football season.
USC coach Lincoln Riley and Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said college football is still a great game but changes are needed to the transfer portal and NIL.
Colorado State and Utah State have sued the Mountain West, disputing millions of dollars in exit fees allegedly owed because of their departure to the Pac-12.
The Mountain West has reached the NCAA’s minimum of eight schools for an official conference after adding another full-time member for the 2026-27 school year.
The Mountain West took another step in its rebuilding plan Tuesday by adding UTEP, but the conference might not find another immediate partner in the state of Texas.
The UNLV athletic department somehow emerged from a raging storm well-positioned for future success after striking a favorable deal to be the Mountain West’s big fish.
With the Matthew Sluka saga behind it, the UNLV football team turned to Hajj-Malik Williams to lead their offense against Fresno State, and he was terrific.
UNLV president Keith Whitfield and athletic director Erick Harper spoke with the Review-Journal on Friday to discuss the decision to remain in the Mountain West.
A representative for Circa CEO Derek Stevens contacted UNLV with an offer to pay quarterback Matthew Sluka the $100,000 he said the university owed him.
UNLV said in a statement it expects a lump sum payment of between $10 million and $14 million from the Mountain West in 2026 as part of its agreement to stay.