Airline closure has UNLV calling audible

Steve Guiremand

Thursday, Nov. 7, 2002 | 10:06 a.m.

As if he didn't have enough off-the-field distractions to deal with this week while trying to prepare his team for Saturday's key Mountain West Conference game at Utah, UNLV football coach John Robinson learned just before practice on Wednesday that National Airlines was going to cease operations that evening.

That's the same National Airlines that was to fly Robinson's Rebels to Salt Lake City and back this weekend.

Anybody for hitchhiking up I-15?

"We have every confidence that things will work out," Robinson said. "We're looking for another plane. (National Airlines) is helping us out in that regard."

Erik Schwarz, UNLV's director of operations who sets up everything from team hotels to transportation, said for a brief moment he thought someone was joking when he was informed that National, which has flown the Rebels for the past four seasons, had decided to shut down on Wednesday.

"Then (National) called me and said that they had ceased operations," Schwarz said. "They then put me in touch with what is called a logistics management company. That company will hopefully get us a 757 like the one that we've been using to charter on."

Schwarz was confident that the matter will be resolved today.

"Hopefully America West is going to come through and charter us up and back," Schwarz said. "Hopefully we'll still leave around the same time (1 p.m.) on Friday."

If not?

"You can always find a way to get there," Robinson said. "You can fly commercial. You can bus. You can hitchhike. ..."

Stay tuned.