Pac-12 Basketball: 10 potential candidates for expansion after losing USC and UCLA

UNLV

With the Pac-12 needing to make a few additions, there are different reasons or rationales behind each of these schools. UNLV offers another unique perspective, giving the Pac-12 a team in the Las Vegas market and helping to shore up what the conference is losing in southern California.

It’s been thirty-two years since their national title in basketball, but UNLV does still have a rich basketball history. The results on the court have been lacking in recent years, as the Rebels haven’t been in the Big Dance in nearly a decade. Coach Kevin Kruger begins his second year with some momentum and intrigue around the program, but would it warrant enough to have success in the Pac-12. Beating up on Air Force and San Jose State isn’t as easy as playing schools like Arizona and Oregon regularly.

From a purely geographic standpoint, UNLV would make great sense and would pair nicely with San Diego State to not only get the conference back into that southern California market but to open new doors in Las Vegas. From a sports standpoint, UNLV hasn’t been impressive in recent years in either of the big sports, but that doesn’t mean they can’t turn things around in the Pac-12.