Reed-Francois since arriving in April '17 has mainly focused on trying to address attendance problemsGETTY IMAGES
UNLV AD Desiree Reed-Francois is "in the driver’s seat" of an athletic department that is "very much under construction, in the literal and figurative sense," according to Mark Anderson of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The Fertitta Football Complex is "going up on campus," and the football team will eventually share the Raiders' 65,000-seat stadium that is scheduled to open in '20. UNLV’s two major revenue-producing sports -- football and men’s basketball -- also are "working on building their programs." Or, in the "case of basketball, rebuilding." The future of those two programs is "among several significant issues that face Reed-Francois." There also are "questions about where UNLV athletics fit in the local sporting landscape" with the Golden Knights, Raiders and WNBA Aces. UNLV has "become an afterthought" since the "mania spurred" during the Golden Knights' first-year success. Sections of seats in the "once-rocking Thomas & Mack Center" are now "often left unoccupied." At Sam Boyd Stadium, it has "become notable when more than 20,000 show up." Reed-Francois is "trying to address attendance problems, creating 'The FANtastic 20,' a list of steps to better engage supporters during the football season." Similar efforts are "being considered for men’s basketball." Reed-Francois said of Las Vegas' pro teams, “We don’t see them as competitors. We see them as an opportunity for our community to come together." Reed-Francois balanced the $39M budget last fiscal year under a new arrangement in which the university provides $5.1M to athletics "near the beginning of the fiscal year." Before Reed-Francois arrived in April '17, UNLV "helped close any deficits on the back end." By receiving money up front, Reed-Francois is "forced to act within the strictures of the budget" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 8/26).
