Nevada
Jon Wilner: Are UNLV and Nevada a package deal in Pac-12 expansion? Depends on who you ask
UNLV would not be “structurally” tied to Nevada in the event the Pac-12 offers membership to the Rebels during the second wave of its expansion phase, according to a member of the Nevada Board of Regents whose comments contradict the public sentiment following a major shakeup in college sports on the West Coast.
Immediately after the announcement last week that four Mountain West schools would join the Pac-12 starting in the summer of 2026, speculation surfaced that UNLV would have a difficult time leaving behind its sister campus in Reno.
One member of the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents went so far as to say it would be “very difficult” for the campuses to separate if the Pac-12 comes calling for the Rebels.
But Heather Brown, who was elected to the board in November 2022 and represents District 6, told the Hotline on Tuesday that UNLV and Nevada would not be an all-or-nothing deal.
“If (UNLV) were approached by a conference and it makes sense,” Brown said, “my understanding is they would have to get board approval. But there’s nothing we would have to untether. There is no package. Nobody talks about them as a package … There is nothing structurally that ties them together.”
A source who has spent decades working with officials in the Nevada System of Higher Education said there has “never been a discussion about them being in the same league” and that several regents were dumbfounded by the narrative that the Rebels would be held back by Nevada.
The Las Vegas and Reno campuses have spent most of their athletic histories in different conferences, with a recent 12-year overlap in the Mountain West. (UNLV was a founding member of the conference in 1999; Nevada joined in 2012.)
Comments by regent Byron Brooks added to the belief that separating the two campuses would be tricky for the Pac-12.
“It would be very difficult for UNLV to make a move into another conference without UNR because that should be a package deal,” Brooks told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week following the Pac-12’s decision to add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State.
“And then the financial obligations that these campuses have in moving from one conference to another … I’m not sure that UNLV and UNR are in a place to spend that kind of money to move into another conference.”
But Brown, who grew up in Las Vegas and attended UNLV, took exception to Brooks’ position.
“One of the regents was quoted publicly,” she said. “He lacked an understanding of the historical context. They have only spent 12 years in the same conference.”
She believes Pac-12 expansion could provide the Las Vegas and Reno campuses “the opportunity to go down the path that makes the most sense for their futures. They serve different communities and should act accordingly.”
The Pac-12 isn’t finished expanding — at least two more schools must be added by the summer of 2026 to remain in compliance with NCAA rules.
Washington State, Oregon State, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould and the four new members are considering an array of options, including schools in the American Athletic Conference (Memphis, Tulane and UTSA) and other members of the Mountain West.
They also have not ruled out schools that don’t play football, like Gonzaga.
The intra-state political situation in Nevada wasn’t the only reason the Pac-12 declined to offer UNLV an invitation during its first expansion wave. But the conference chose to act with “an abundance of caution” with regard to the Rebels, according to an industry source, in part to avoid a messy situation similar to what recently happened in California.
When UCLA announced its departure to the Big Ten in the summer of 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced his disapproval of the secretive process. The University of California Board of Regents then spent five months debating whether the Bruins should be allowed to leave Cal behind.
Eventually, the regents let UCLA make the move but required the Bruins to make a $10 million annual “contribution” to Cal for at least three years.
However, there are several critical differences in the state education systems:
• Under California law, the governor sits on the UC board and appoints the regents. The governor of Nevada does not serve on the board or appoint the regents; they are independently elected.
• Nevada’s Board of Regents is “nestled into the state constitution,” Brown explained, which effectively makes the board a fourth branch of government independent of the governor.
Asked if Gov. Joe Lombardo, who attended UNLV, would attempt to block the Rebels from leaving Nevada behind, Brown said: “I don’t think he would, and I don’t think he could. Not even the attorney general has authority over the board.”
Lombardo’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Brown is not ready to support a move to the Pac-12 if the invitation arrives in the upcoming weeks.
The financial component is critical because UNLV has no means of paying a buyout that could approach $30 million when all the penalties are assessed, Brown said.
And she would want to weigh the move against UNLV’s options.
But if joining the Pac-12 makes sense in all respects, including the financial component, Brown said, “I think the board would support it.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.
Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.
“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.
Book tour stop
The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.
Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.
It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.
“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”
He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.
“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”
That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.
“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”
‘You’re giving us a voice’
Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.
“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”
The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.
“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”
The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.
Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.
Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – It’s time to “free your heels” and embrace Tahoe’s winter recreation at the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival on March 7. Whether you’re a seasoned pro at cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or you’re trying to get your feet wet, Saturday’s event is teeming with nature, brews, and camaraderie.
Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) is teaming up with Nevada Nordic, Tahoe Multisport, Alibi Ale Works, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation and other local partners in the wondrous Tahoe Meadows, providing attendees a chance to engage with outdoor recreation experts, check out free cross-country and snowshoe rentals, and more.
“We’re excited to see the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival enter its second year, building on last year’s strong community response. In collaboration with our local partners, this event is thoughtfully curated with residents in mind – offering free equipment for the day, expert instruction, locally crafted brews, and other experiences in a welcoming setting,” said Andy Chapman, President and CEO of Travel North Tahoe Nevada. “It’s designed to make it easy for residents to get outside, try something new, and bring people together. Events like this reflect the spirit of North Lake Tahoe and what’s possible when our community comes together.”
Along with opportunities to test out free demos and rentals, there will be live music, beer tasting and races.
Tahoe Meadows is known for its gentle trails, and is a popular spot for snowshoeing due to its flat terrain. This event, located near Chickadee Ridge, will offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
This family-friendly event is on the second to last day of the 10-day SnowFest winter festival that’s been taking place in the North Lake Tahoe area. It starts bright and early at 9 a.m. and will close out at 2 p.m.
“Nevada Nordic is thrilled to be a part of SnowFest again this year,” said Meghan Pry, Nevada Nordic Board Member. “We love sharing our passion for cross-country skiing and watching our community grow. We are proud to keep winter recreation accessible by offering free access to our 20km trail network. This is the perfect opportunity for our community to gather together and free our heels!”
For more information about the Nevada Nordic Freeheel Festival or to check out the SnowFest schedule, visit tahoesnowfest.org.
A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.
Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.
The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.
What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.
For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.
Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.
Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.
Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.
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