In true Rebel spirit, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ led the way to develop the first specialty license plate program in Nevada. The year was 1993 and 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ was looking for a way to fund scholarships and encourage fans. They looked to their neighbors in the east in Arizona for inspiration. The Arizona legislature created its collegiate license plate program in 1990 and collected more than $268,000 in revenue with a 92 percent renewal rate.
Fred C. Albrecht, ’71 M.Ed, did his research before testifying as executive director of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Alumni Association at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Transportation on May 25, 1993. He pointed to states around the country raising funds for their universities this way and asked legislators, Why shouldn’t 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ?
Albrecht and 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ athletics staff member Sheila Strike worked closely with legislators, the Nevada Highway Patrol, and staff at University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) to generate widespread support. Bob Miller, Nevada’s governor from 1989 to 1999, recently said, “It was a creative way to raise funds for both the state and the universities.â€
With support from numerous legislators and former Lt. Gov. Sue Wagner offering testimony as well, the bill was approved in July 1993 and the Nevada DMV began issuing plates later that year.
Since its inception, the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ license plate program has raised more than $1.8 million for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ scholarships. Nevada DMV reports that 6,301 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ license plates are on the road today – that’s 45 percent higher than in 2012.
Today for each new license plate issued, $25 gets routed to 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ scholarships while each renewal fetches $20.
Redesign
From 1993 to 2010, the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ license plate featured the mountain man version of the mascot designed by Mike Miller. In 2010, the Alumni Association and 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Athletics worked closely with Nevada DMV and Nevada Highway Patrol to redesign the plate. Three key changes were made:
- Update the mark to feature the 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ logo and Hey Reb! head
- Add a tagline, “Go Rebels!â€
- Change the color of the plate lettering from blue to black (that blue, although an official color for Nevada's plates, led to some visual confusion considering UNR’s school colors)
In 2018, the plate design was updated to follow new 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ branding standards, match current colors and marks, and ensure the design is distinguishable from a distance.
A Challenge
51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's first graduate is one reason the program grew so much in the past few years. , '64 BS Business Administration, who built a successful career in mergers and acquisitions, was the first Rebel to cross the stage at a 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ's first commencement. Between 2015-17, he sponsored a matching gift program for each new 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ license plate registered. Because of Cobain's gift, the license plate fund grew — providing nine new scholarship awards for 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ students.
If you live in Nevada and would like a 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ license plate, learn more about it on the .
