UNLV could receive about $1 million for moving Arizona football game

By Taylor Bern

Wednesday, May 8, 2013 | 4:20 p.m.

UNLV may be in for a $1 million payday for moving its home opener, according to Rebels Athletic Director Jim Livengood.

At a media gathering Wednesday to announce his retirement, Livengood was asked about the negotiations for the Sept. 7 game that is scheduled to open the UNLV football team’s home slate this season. The Rebels recently contacted Arizona about moving that game to University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Livengood had said the deal could be done as early as today, and despite his impending departure it’s still moving forward and could be finalized “any day.”

When asked if it would be in the neighborhood of the $750,000 UNLV took to play at West Virginia in 2010, Livengood said “it’s way north of that.”

“If I had my first choice we’d never move a game like that,” Livengood said. “But from a fiscal standpoint, we don’t want to be laying people off or dropping programs and this is one of the ways that can help us right now.

“Bobby (Hauck) has been an absolute saint in terms of looking at it through those things.”

Livengood said lawyers for the involved parties are working on the final details. The exact payment plus the plan for Rebels fans who already bought season tickets are expected to be announced at the same time as the game’s movement.

If it goes through, UNLV would open the season with back-to-back games outside of Las Vegas against BCS conference teams (at Minnesota, Aug. 29) before hosting its first of six home games on Sept. 14 against Central Michigan.

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.