A group of late-arriving fans slithered through the standing-room-only crowd before UNLV’s hockey game against San Diego State on Jan. 24, unable to find a gap along the railing at City National Arena.

As the choir from Goolsby Elementary School prepared to sing the national anthem, the newcomers eventually settled for a spot against the wall in front of MacKenzie River Pizza. They watched most of the Rebels’ 6-0 victory on their tiptoes while peering over the shoulders of the fans in front of them.

Had it been the night before, they might not have been able to get into the jam-packed rink at all.

“It was electric,” UNLV hockey coach Anthony Vignieri-Greener said of the Jan. 23 Midnight Madness game.

The 11:59 p.m. puck drop also was promoted as Greek Night, and many of the school’s fraternities and sororities started tailgating in the parking lot at 8 p.m. Fueled by the alcohol-charged atmosphere, UNLV blasted San Diego State 16-2.

“It was rowdy,” Vignieri-Greener said. “I love having that college feel, where the crowd is dominated by students.”

In a saturated Las Vegas sports scene, the Skatin’ Rebels just might be the best-kept secret.

Despite holding club sport status, UNLV routinely draws sold-out crowds of close to 1,000 fans and has outgrown its home at City National Arena.

The Rebels (23-4-2) are No. 2 in the latest American Collegiate Hockey Association M1 poll and stunned defending NCAA champion Denver in a shootout Dec. 28.

That victory sent shock waves through the hockey world and was the latest jolt in the club powerhouse’s ongoing push to become a Division I program.

“I think we proved playing against Denver that we’re right there, and I think it’s time for this program to go Division I,” forward Preston Brodziak said. “When it does, I think it’s going to take off at a crazy rate.”

‘Monumental win’

UNLV has made a steady climb under Vignieri-Greener, now in his 10th season. With an operating budget near $700,000, the Skatin’ Rebels are run like an NCAA program despite minimal funding from the school as a club sport and no athletic scholarships.

To help offset costs, the Rebels receive a sizable contribution from the Englestad Foundation, along with other donors. They hold fundraising events and also sold jersey sponsorships for the first time this season. Players are required to pay dues of $3,000, Vignieri-Greener said.

“We’ve kind of sold out in ways we probably didn’t want to, but we’ve got to find a way to make money to stay afloat,” he said.

As the team has improved, so has its talent level. UNLV’s most recent recruiting class included Division I transfers Brodziak (Long Island) and goaltender Jeremy Forman (New Hampshire).

Brodziak had two goals and Forman made 58 saves in the exhibition game against Denver, which had 12 NHL draft picks in its lineup. The Rebels led 5-1 after two periods before Denver scored the tying goal with 3:23 left in regulation.

The final result officially goes down as a 6-6 tie, but Rebels captain Mattias Dal Monte scored the lone goal in the three-round shootout to break the deadlock. Video of Dal Monte’s celebration went viral, and the shocking upset received widespread coverage from sports media across the U.S. and Canada.

“They said on ‘Spittin’ Chiclets’ it was probably the most monumental win in college hockey in the past two decades,” Dal Monte said, referring to the popular hockey podcast. “Stuff like that just makes you proud to be a part of this moment and proud of where we are as a program. And to do it with these guys is really special because we’ve come together really tight-knit this year.”

The shootout win also caught the attention of UNLV athletic director Erick Harper.

“It’s a credit to their hard work and dedication,” he said.

Feasibility study needed

The Skatin’ Rebels have a long-standing desire to attain Division I status, and the publicity from the shootout win over Denver certainly helped their cause. Still, obstacles remain, namely funding and Title IX.

When Arizona State made the jump from club level to Division I starting in 2015, the program was funded by $32 million in donations. Penn State received more than $100 million from the Pegula family, owners of the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres, to support its move to Division I in 2012.

The Rebels have yet to find a similar deep-pocketed donor.

“Right now for us, we’re going to continue to win at this level and then whenever the check does come, we’re ready,” Vignieri-Greener said.

There would also be Title IX implications for UNLV if it makes men’s ice hockey a varsity sport. By adding 26 male scholarship athletes, the school would need to add proportionally on the women’s side to remain compliant.

“Or you would have to drop a men’s sport,” Harper said. “And there’s never been a mindset from me to drop a sport.”

The next step in the process, according to Harper, is a feasibility study. That would help show if UNLV can support the additional athletic program and whether men’s hockey would be a revenue-generating sport with the Golden Knights and minor league Silver Knights already in town.

“For most ADs in the country, when you make decisions for your sports programs, you’re always trying to look at what makes the most sense and the experience that your athletes have right now,” Harper said. “If you add something, does it take away from others’ experience?

“But again, you can’t really make those decisions till you truly have all the facts and all the information to make a true and well-informed decision.”

Title aspirations

Since the Denver win, the target on UNLV’s back has increased in size.

Fifth-ranked University of Jamestown rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat UNLV 5-4 in a shootout Jan. 11, its first loss to an ACHA opponent since Oct. 18 at Arizona State, which still has a club team. No. 11 Utah knocked off the Rebels 3-2 in overtime in Salt Lake City on Friday.

The Rebels lead the Western Collegiate Hockey League with 48 points. Three of UNLV’s four regulation losses came against Division I programs.

“Obviously beating Denver was another nice goal to hit along the way. But at the end of the year, we want to win a national championship,” Forman said. “We believe we can do it. We’ve still got work to do, but I think it’s possible.”

The Rebels reached the ACHA national semifinals in 2022 before falling to Central Oklahoma and made the quarterfinals in 2023. Last season, UNLV lost in the national title game to Adrian College of Michigan.

UNLV has two-game series remaining against San Diego State, Grand Canyon and Arizona State. The Rebels will then head to the postseason knowing a national championship would further aid their quest to go Division I.

“The feasibility study could come back and say, ‘Hey, it’s just not going to work here.’ And then we know we’ll be the best at the ACHA Division I,” Vignieri-Greener said. “But from what people are talking about … they want to grow hockey in the West. I think this is a great hockey market. We have a great brand, we have a great product. It makes sense it will work.”

Contact David Schoen at [email protected] or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.