UNLV Athletics and Las Vegas Raiders Partner to Train Sports Broadcasting Students at The Rebel Report

Sports broadcasting demands more than theoretical knowledge—it requires hands-on experience in high-pressure environments. At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, students in the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies are gaining exactly that kind of preparation through The Rebel Report, an Emmy-winning student-produced show that recently expanded its operations to include professional broadcast facilities at the Las Vegas Raiders headquarters.

How UNLV Journalism Students Access Professional Sports Broadcasting Facilities

For most USA journalism students, working in a professional NFL broadcast studio remains a distant goal. UNLV students, however, are experiencing this reality firsthand. Through a unique partnership with the Las Vegas Raiders, students enrolled in The Rebel Report course gained unprecedented access to the team’s state-of-the-art video production and podcast facilities.

This collaboration emerged from Jack Bridges, a graduate student in the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies who also serves as a production assistant for the Raiders. Now in his fourth season with the team’s live studio productions, Bridges recognized an opportunity to bridge his academic and professional worlds.

“All the facilities we have at UNLV are really incredible, so there wasn’t a lot of drop-off from coming to this new facility from there. A lot of the students were ready to go because of their time at UNLV,” Bridges explained. This seamless transition speaks to the quality of preparation students receive in the university’s own UNLV-TV studios before stepping into professional environments.

Schedule a free consultation to learn more about UNLV’s journalism programs and how they prepare students for careers in sports media.

The Summer Course Expansion: Covering Las Vegas Sports Events

Historically, The Rebel Report operated exclusively during the traditional academic year. However, the journalism school recognized that summer months in Las Vegas offer an abundance of athletic activities that provide ideal training grounds for aspiring sports broadcasters. For the first time in the show’s history, the program launched a summer course offering.

This timing proved strategic. Students reported live from several high-profile events:

• NBA Summer League at the UNLV Thomas & Mack Center, where students conducted impromptu interviews with players, coaches, and fans
• Mountain West Conference media day, providing exposure to collegiate athletics press operations
• “She Weekend” event, sponsored by musician Flavor Flav, which celebrated female athletic champions and required students to adapt their coverage approaches

Developing Interview Skills Under Pressure

Fatima Navarro, one of the show’s anchors who also reported from the NBA Summer League, described the challenge of on-the-spot interviews: “It’s a lot harder than it seems to have an impromptu interview with someone. It seems like a simple conversation. It’s a lot about listening and knowing what to say after. You have to learn how to flow with an interview with the other person.”

This kind of candid reflection demonstrates the practical learning outcomes that emerge when students move beyond classroom simulations. The summer course structure, according to Navarro, delivers “more hands-on experience” than traditional semester formats allow.

Inside a Live Broadcast: The Rebel Report Production Process

Producing a live broadcast requires precise coordination among multiple team members, each executing specialized roles. During the Raiders facility broadcast, the production hierarchy demonstrated professional-level organization:

Marcus Bray, a senior journalism major, served as director, counting down to airtime and cueing camera operators. Jeremiah Skillman functioned as in-studio director, monitoring Bray’s instructions through headphones and ensuring the show adhered to its planned rundown. Fatima Navarro and Yaquelin Martinez-Gutierrez anchored the broadcast, while other students operated cameras, managed audio, and handled technical aspects.

Professor Kevaney Martin, who teaches sports media courses and oversees The Rebel Report, emphasized that students must learn to adapt to new environments to succeed in fast-paced newsroom cultures. The transition from UNLV-TV studios to the Raiders’ facility tested this adaptability in real time.

Submit your application today to join the next cohort of students producing The Rebel Report.

Professional Mentorship from Las Vegas Raiders Staff

Access to facilities represents only one component of this partnership. Students also received direct coaching from the Raiders’ video and podcast teams, including producer Alex Stamas. This mentorship provided insight into the day-to-day rigors of professional sports broadcasting that textbooks cannot convey.

Journalism students Justin Young and Marcus Bray worked closely with the Raiders’ production staff, learning workflow systems, communication protocols, and technical standards employed by one of the NFL’s most visible franchises. This exposure helps students understand the expectations they will face upon graduation and entry into the professional sports media industry.

What Students Learn from NFL Production Teams

Professional broadcast environments operate under strict time constraints and quality standards. Students observing and working alongside Raiders staff learn:

• Efficient pre-production planning and rundown creation
• Real-time problem-solving when technical issues arise during live broadcasts
• Professional communication patterns between control room and on-air talent
• Post-production workflows for repurposing live content across digital platforms

Las Vegas as a Sports Broadcasting Education Hub

The collaboration between UNLV and the Raiders reflects broader changes in Las Vegas’s sports landscape. Bridges, a Las Vegas native, observed this transformation firsthand: “Growing up playing basketball, some of the players I used to play against thought I lived in a casino. They didn’t know that Vegas had homes.”

That perception has shifted dramatically. With the Raiders, the Golden Knights (NHL), the Aces (WNBA), and the incoming Athletics (MLB), Las Vegas has established itself as a major professional sports market. Bridges predicted continued expansion: “I don’t think the growth is stopping anytime soon. I’m sure we’ll have an NBA team before we know it. Vegas, the sports capital of the world—no doubt.”

For UNLV athletics and the university’s journalism programs, this evolving landscape creates unparalleled opportunities. Students can now gain experience covering professional and collegiate events without leaving the city, building portfolios that compete with graduates from traditional sports media hubs like New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles.

Explore our related articles for further reading on UNLV’s experiential learning programs and student success stories.

The Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies: Building Career-Ready Graduates

The Rebel Report operates within the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies, part of the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The school’s curriculum emphasizes practical experience alongside theoretical foundations, preparing students for immediate entry into media careers.

UNLV-TV, the school’s production facility, serves as the primary training ground where students develop technical competencies before advancing to external partnerships like the Raiders collaboration. This progressive structure ensures students build confidence in familiar settings before facing the additional pressures of professional environments.

The Emmy recognition earned by The Rebel Report validates the program’s approach. Student-produced content that meets professional broadcast standards demonstrates that academic programs can deliver industry-quality outputs when properly structured and resourced.

Connecting Coursework to Career Outcomes

Sports broadcasting careers typically require demonstrated experience, not just degrees. Programs like The Rebel Report address this requirement by ensuring graduates enter the job market with:

• Live broadcast credits on their resumes
• Portfolio pieces produced in professional facilities
• References from industry professionals who have observed their work
• Experience covering diverse events, from NBA Summer League to NFL media operations

Advice for Aspiring Sports Broadcasting Students

Based on the experiences of UNLV students involved in The Rebel Report, several principles emerge for those pursuing sports broadcasting careers:

Seek programs with external partnerships. The Raiders collaboration did not happen by accident—it resulted from a student’s initiative and institutional relationships. When evaluating journalism programs, investigate whether they maintain active partnerships with professional sports organizations, broadcast networks, or local media outlets.

Value adaptability over comfort. Professor Martin’s emphasis on adapting to new environments reflects an industry reality. Broadcasters regularly work in unfamiliar venues with different equipment configurations. Students who practice this skill during their education transition more smoothly to professional roles.

Develop interviewing as a learned skill. Navarro’s acknowledgment that impromptu interviewing “is a lot harder than it seems” reminds aspiring broadcasters that conversational fluency requires deliberate practice. Seek opportunities to interview subjects in uncontrolled settings, not just scripted studio environments.

Understand the business side of sports media. The Raiders’ involvement exposes students to workflow systems, production budgets, and content distribution strategies that extend beyond on-air performance. Career advancement often depends on understanding these operational dimensions.

Have questions? Write to us! We can connect you with current students and faculty to learn more about the sports broadcasting experience at UNLV.

The Future of Sports Broadcasting Education at UNLV

The successful summer pilot suggests potential expansion of The Rebel Report’s external partnerships. As Las Vegas continues attracting professional sports franchises and hosting major sporting events, the demand for trained local broadcast professionals will only increase.

UNLV’s position—both geographically and institutionally—positions the university to serve as a primary pipeline for sports media talent in the region. Students who participate in programs like The Rebel Report gain advantages not available elsewhere: direct experience with NFL production teams, coverage of NBA events, and exposure to the operational realities of a rapidly growing sports market.

For USA journalism students evaluating their options, UNLV’s approach demonstrates that location matters. A university situated in a thriving sports market can offer experiential learning opportunities that simply do not exist in other regions. The Rebel Report’s evolution from a campus-based student show to a multi-venue production operation illustrates how academic programs can leverage their environments to enhance student outcomes.

Those interested in following The Rebel Report’s work can find the show on YouTube and Instagram, where student-produced content continues to demonstrate the program’s commitment to professional standards and real-world sports broadcasting preparation.