Athletic programs facing budget cuts

State funding reduced because of coronavirus

UNLV will have to trim the state funding portion of its athletic budget by 20 percent following cuts announced Friday.

The Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents unanimously approved a series of budget cuts enacted by the state’s Legislature for appropriated funding for the 2020-21 school year.

“There are a lot of variables right now, but we are continuing to adjust as everyone else is so we can advance,” UNLV athletic director Desiree Reed-francois said in a text message.

State funding is among the top annual revenue sources for the Rebels, who were scheduled to receive $7.902 million. Instead, the Rebels will receive $6.349 million in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. State funding usually accounts for between 17 and 22 percent of the athletic department’s operating budget, according to its 2019 report to the Board of Regents.

UNR also stands to lose more than $1 million in state allocated funding as well. It will operate with $4.4 million from the state instead of the $5.481 million it was originally scheduled to receive. The Wolfpack received $5.474 million from the state for 2019-20.

Louisiana Tech canceled

UNLV’S football team will not play Louisiana Tech this year. The schools are working together to reschedule the game for another season, a UNLV spokesperson said.

The Rebels were supposed to play the Bulldogs on Sept. 5 at Sam Boyd Stadium, but the Mountain West announced earlier this week that its member schools can’t begin play before the week of Sept. 26th. The conference’s amended schedule also calls for eight conference games, plus two optional nonconference games.

UNLV was supposed to play Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, on Sept. 19, but that game was rescheduled for Sept. 14, 2030. The Rebels do not have any nonconference games scheduled for this season.

They do have a full conference slate, however, beginning Oct. 3 with a trip to San Diego State.