Athletics
With world-class facilities and a prime location in the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World, it’s no surprise that 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ long ago set the bar for the fan experience. But our game plan is tied to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s Top Tier 2.0 strategic plan. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Athletics is making sure student athletes are supported holistically, both on and off the field. Because we all win with the Rebels!
At the Head of the Class
Linebacker Jackson Woodard was the first player in team history selected as a First-Team Academic All-American. A transfer from the University of Arkansas, Woodard completed his kinesiology degree in May. This fall, he will pursue both his graduate certificate and opposing quarterbacks — the latter as a team captain and a candidate for multiple national honors including the Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker.
Welcome to Rebel Immortality
The 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Athletics Hall of Fame welcomed a diverse class of inductees including athletes Hunkie Cooper (football), Kevin Lofthus (baseball), Christine Parris (softball), and Talance Sawyer (football); the 1991 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ softball team; national championship-winning golf coach Dwaine Knight; and beloved equipment manager Paul Pucciarelli. Longtime 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ athletics supporter Bruce Bayne was inducted as a Distinguished Contributor, while one-time quarterback Steve Stallworth received the Silver Rebel Award.
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Wrestling Makes History
The only collegiate wrestling team in the state of Nevada, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ’s Wrestlin’ Rebels celebrated a historic milestone in 2024: a five-peat of NCWA West Coast Conference Championships (men's team), three national NCWA All-Americans (two from the men's team; one from the women's team), including 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's first-ever woman wrestler to reach the championships and become an All-American. 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Wrestling was resurrected in 2017 within the NCWA, perpetuating the tradition established by its NCAA Division-I team from the '70s and '80s.
