HENDERSON, NEV. (August 19, 2022) – For the first time in its illustrious history, UNLV will play a game in Henderson when the Runnin’ Rebels face Hawaii on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at The Dollar Loan Center. The game will be played during the week when the rodeo takes over Thomas & Mack Center for its annual run.
“We are excited to welcome another premier basketball event to the court at The Dollar Loan Center,” said Kerry Bubolz, CEO of the Foley Entertainment Group, which operates The Dollar Loan Center. “UNLV fans who haven’t had a chance to see our new arena will really enjoy it, and the Henderson community will appreciate the chance to cheer on the Rebels. Hawaii fans were a noticeable presence in the arena at the Big West Basketball Championships and we look forward to welcoming them back for this compelling regular-season matchup.”
The Dollar Loan Center opened in March as home to the Vegas Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. A product of a public-private partnership between the City of Henderson and a group of investors led by Bill Foley, the 5,567-seat arena is operated by the Foley Entertainment Group. The Dollar Loan Center, also home to the Indoor Football League’s Vegas Knight Hawks, NBA G League’s Ignite, Big West Basketball Championships and the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame, sits in the heart of Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas which has grown to become Nevada’s second largest city with more than 330,000 residents.
The UNLV-Hawaii game, which will be included in the UNLV season ticket package, will offer a unique experience for fans with the Runnin’ Rebels playing in the intimate venue.
“We appreciate our partnership with bdG Sports and to have the opportunity to play so close to home at the beautiful new The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson,” said UNLV head coach Kevin Kruger. “With the Thomas & Mack Center hosting the rodeo during that time, we are excited to play in front of our Runnin’ Rebel fans at a new home away from home.”
Hawaii fans are no strangers to Las Vegas or the new arena. Hawaiians affectionally call the Valley the “Ninth Island” and the Rainbow Warrior fans were out in force in March when Hawaii advanced to the semifinals of the Big West Championships, which also relocated to The Dollar Loan Center.
“We’re thrilled to make another visit to The Dollar Loan Center to face a quality program in UNLV,” said Hawaii coach Eran Ganot. “We enjoyed our experience there in last season’s Big West Tournament and this game allows our team to get acclimated to it for a return visit next March. We can’t wait to compete and we look forward to seeing all our Rainbow Warrior fans supporting us in the ‘Ninth Island’ come this December.”
Tickets for the game will go on-sale at a later date.