The third annual UNLV Sport Research Summit showcased the university-led innovation that is supporting the booming Southern Nevada sports ecosystem.

More than 200 people from academia and business gathered to network, hear presentations, and celebrate how the UNLV Sports Innovation Initiative is rising to the occasion, with research and workforce development meeting the moment as sports leagues discover Las Vegas.

“The sports industry blew up overnight,” said Professor Nancy Lough, who leads the Intercollegiate and Professional Sport Management Master of Education program. She said the sports boom creates “incredible opportunities for our students; and that's the thing that we have been trying to build — a connection between industry and education.” 

Jay Vickers, chief operating officer for UNLV Sports Innovation, said innovation is more than a word in the initiative’s name, recounting how the first summit needed to be pulled together on Zoom during the pandemic.

“Fewer than 100 people participated in our first summit, and today we have this,” he said, pointing to the packed house at the UFC Apex arena. “Step by step, we’re getting closer to being the global thought leader for sports research.”

Sports Innovation is building upon UNLV's already strong sports research foundation by marshaling the university’s strengths in medicine, marketing, gaming, nutrition, and performance to develop one of the most comprehensive sports research agendas found anywhere.

Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nev., who earlier this year helped provide $3.25 million in federal funding for UNLV Sports Innovation, told attendees at the mid-April summit that sports strengthen the Las Vegas economy.

“This critical funding that I secured will help establish and to secure UNLV’s standing as a leader in sports research and innovation,” Lee said. “UNLV will be able to leverage its research to help diversify our local economy, and it is clear that sports will be a vibrant part of our future.”

Andrew Woods, director of the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research, said the sports-venue building boom that started with T-Mobile Arena and Allegiant Stadium continues. With 150,000 additional seats under construction or in development, “you can see how quickly this is shaping our region,” he said.

Graduate student Cheyne Sauceda, who attended the conference, said she “saw how quickly the sports industry was developing” in Southern Nevada, prompting her to pursue an advanced degree in sports management.

“We’re fortunate in being able to learn from the best,” said Sauceda, who earned her bachelor’s degree at the UNLV Harrah College of Hospitality. She was unavailable later in the summit to be recognized for her academic achievement because she had left for her job with the Las Vegas Aviators.