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Sam Boyd Stadium
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Sam Boyd Stadium
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Facility HistorySam Boyd Stadium is Southern Nevada's premier outdoor facility located eight miles east of the famous Las Vegas Strip. As a part of the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Sam Boyd Stadium hosts some of the most popular entertainment and sporting events in the country.
Named after a prominent Las Vegas hotel owner and gaming pioneer, the facility has evolved over the years not only in size (from 15,000 to 32,000 to 40,000 seats) but in the way it handled event bookings, marketing and sponsorship opportunities.
Thomas & Mack Center and Sam Boyd Stadium
Promotion's & Public Relations Department
Mr. Clifford T. Clinger, thanks Cliff
Sam Boyd face lift hits snag
By Steve Carp
LAS VEGAS SUNUNLV may have lost out on a golden opportunity to give Sam Boyd Stadium a badly needed face lift because of a technicality.
Thomas & Mack Center officials from UNLV are planning to withdraw their request for a $2 million loan over 10 years from the Board of Regents, after the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said it would not commit funds toward permanent seating at the 31,500-seat stadium.
The LVCVA's bylaws prohibit expenditure of funds for capital improvements. But the Convention Authority has agreed to commit $250,000 toward the installation of 8,000 temporary seats in the north end zone of the stadium for the Western Athletic Conference's inaugural football championship game Dec. 7.
"Our attorney said the statute regarding the use of funds from the hotel room tax can only be used for promotions, advertising and special events," said Rossi Ralenkotter, the LVCVA's vice president for marketing. "Those funds can't be used for capital improvements.
"However, we will follow through on our commitment to provide funds for temporary seats at the stadium for the event. We'll be meeting in the next week or two to finalize those arrangements."
Part of the WAC's decision to play the game here was based on having an upgraded stadium with improved amenities. WAC commissioner Karl Benson was not happy upon hearing the news.
"I'm disappointed," he said. "The stadium was an issue when we considered Las Vegas and we were led to believe some suitable improvements would be made.
"I just hope there will be some reconsideration on the matter. This is important to the WAC, not only on the field, but in terms of putting our best foot forward from an image standpoint. We're trying to lure national corporate sponsors, bowl officials and national media and network television people to the WAC and this is our showcase event."
Had the $2 million been available, it would have paid for construction of 6,500 permanent seats along the west side of the stadium, a refurbished press box, six to eight VIP suites, a new ticket office and repaving of the west parking lot.
Instead, the only improvements that will be made are extending the height of the scoreboard at the north end of the stadium while adding two mini-boards to allow fans sitting in the temporary seats to keep track of the score.
Thomas & Mack director Pat Christenson was perplexed by the LVCVA's decision.
"This was a sound plan," he said. "It didn't cost (the LVCVA) a dime more. In fact, it would've been less, because it's probably going to cost more than $250,000 to put in the temporary seats, raise the scoreboard in the north end and put in the additional scoreboards.
"But without the money from the Convention Authority, I can't go to the regents and ask them to loan us $2 million. It just wouldn't be right."
Had the LVCVA agreed to let its money be used by UNLV, the funds would have been used to repay the $2 million loan for the first three years. If the game remained in Las Vegas beyond 1998, the annual seating money would have been used to continue payment on the loan.
In addition, Christenson said UNLV would have rebated the LVCVA $6 for each of the 6,500 permanent seats used for other events at the stadium, such as concerts.
Las Vegas regent Mark Alden, who sits on the regents' finance and planning committee, said the plan was solid. But without the LVCVA's assistance, it would have been tough to approve.
"Pat's plan made sense," he said. "Instead of renting seats, which is a waste, the Convention Authority should allow us to use the money where it would bring about the best use.
"I'd like to see the Convention Authority reconsider its decision."
The regents are scheduled to meet next Wednesday. Alden said the item would be dropped from the agenda unless something dramatic happens in the next day or two.
UNLV athletic director Charles Cavagnaro said given the athletic department's budget problems, he would be hard pressed to ask for additional stadium funding. The athletic department already has borrowed $800,000 from the university to balance its 1995-96 budget.
"We've got to get our house in order first," he said. "And with the (proposed downtown) domed stadium still up in the air, everything's still spinning.
"I think we have to wait and see what happens there first before we commit funds to Sam Boyd (Stadium). Obviously, if they build the dome, that's something we want to be part of for our football program, and the WAC championship would probably be looking at that, too.
"If they don't, then we'll want to revisit improving Sam Boyd."
Tucker DiEdwardo, President of Las Vegas Events, which helped lure the WAC title game to Las Vegas, also was surprised to see the original plan of temporary seats implemented.
"My sense of the matter is the Christenson proposal appeared to be a plausible way of using the WAC budget to pay for the leasing of seats," he said. "And it was like any other leasing of seats.
"We're getting seats, but it's not as good as what Pat proposed."
Benson said the WAC can live with the 8,000 temporary end-zone seats for now. But he said the improvements for the press box and the VIP areas must be addressed.
"I maintain that the status quo in those areas are not acceptable to the WAC," he said. "The press box improvements are necessary to not only accommodate the media, but more importantly, to project a positive image of the WAC."
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