UNLV athletic director Erick Harper told the Board of Regents last week that his department only has the funds to pay for the first two years of football coach Dan Mullen’s five-year contract.
At a meeting Friday in Henderson, Harper told regents that the university’s athletic department is $26 million to $31 million in debt. He then was asked by regent Joseph Arrascada how he plans to pay for Mullen’s $17.5 million contract.
“Because you have $3.5 million for five years … you’re running nearly $30 million in the red,” Arrascada said. “What is the plan to pay the coach, and how is it going to get done.”
Harper said he hopes to raise money through donations and increased revenue from football games to pay Mullen, hired in December to replace Barry Odom, for the final three years of his contract.
“We have been working with our donors to assist with philanthropic dollars,” Harper said. “We have one that has already paid their commitment, and that money is in an unrestricted line and that will be utilized in the future to help with the salaries.”
The school also is looking to lure additional donors to provide funding that would go toward future athletic staff salaries, Harper said.
Increased football exposure
Mullen’s hiring has resulted in increased interest in the football program. UNLV has sold another 970 season tickets for the 2025 season, bringing the total to 5,031, Harper said.
The university also is increasing prices for single-game tickets, suite rentals and new VIP ticket holders “to assist and generate new revenue,” Harper said. He did not say how much prices would be increased.
UNLV has received $2.5 million in revenue from football tickets sales thus far for 2025, up from $1.8 million at the same time last year, Harper said.
Arrascada applauded the progress, but said he wasn’t sold on relying on fan generated revenue as a long-term answer.
“Impressive numbers, but fans are fickle,” he said. “One bad season, those numbers can plummet.”
UNLV also is expected to receive between $19 million and $24.8 million from the Mountain West for agreeing to stay in the conference when five other schools left for the Pac-12 beginning in the 2026 academic year. The money would come from exit/poaching fees, but is the subject of litigation.
The Mountain West said last month that it has agreed to enter mediation with the Pac-12 and the three schools that filed lawsuits.
Those potential funds were not included in the athletic department’s 10-year budget analysis, but Harper told regents that some of it likely would be used to pay down the debt.
Personnel matters
UNLV is budgeted to spend a hefty sum on athletics’ personnel in the next five years. Those figures are:
— Fiscal year 2025, $26.4 million;
— 2026, $23.6 million;
— 2027, $24.1 million;
— 2028, $24.3 million;
— 2029, $24.6 million.
There is also the issue of the future of men’s basketball coach Kevin Kruger. UNLV is playing in the Mountain West tournament beginning Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center. Barring a miraculous run to the conference championship — which means winning four games in the next four days — the Rebels will miss the NCAA Tournament for the 12th consecutive season.
Kruger, in his fourth season, could be coaching for his job this week.
But the decision to fire Kruger would be costly to a department deep in debt. His contract, which runs through the 2026-27 season, includes a $2.35 million buyout if he’s fired before June.
Odom, who took the Purdue coaching job in December, had a contract buyout of $3 million. That money is being paid by Purdue in $1.5 million installments over the next two fiscal years.
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
