UNLV backmost Jason Thomas, August 18, 2000, astatine the Rebel signifier field. Photo by: Aaron Mayes / Las Vegas Sun
By Case Keefer (contact)
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 | 9 a.m.
While the UNLV shot squad is successful the midst of its top agelong ever with 31 wins implicit the past 3 years, it’s not forgetting the agelong enactment of figures who paved the mode for the program’s caller breakout.
The champion illustration yet of the Scarlet and Gray paying homage to their past whitethorn travel 2 nights earlier a scheduled Nov. 7 Mountain West location crippled against Wyoming.
Former backmost Jason Thomas, who led the Rebels to arguably their astir memorable play earlier 2023, volition beryllium inducted into the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame successful an open-to-the-public ceremonial connected Nov. 5 astatine the Thomas & Mack Center's Strip View Pavilion.
Thomas is 1 of 7 members of the 17th people successful the Hall’s past and astir surely the astir recognizable subordinate from his clip astatine UNLV from a nationalist perspective.
Thomas arrived to play nether manager John Robinson successful 2000 arsenic a lauded Southern California transportation and instantly lived up to the hype.
The dual-threat backmost threw for 1,708 and 14 touchdowns portion rushing for 599 yards and 11 touchdowns arsenic a sophomore successful his archetypal play astatine UNLV. That squad went 8-5, the program’s champion decorativeness successful 16 years, and famously knocked disconnected Arkansas 31-14 successful the Las Vegas Bowl.
Thomas threw 3 touchdown passes successful the triumph implicit the Razorbacks.
After his highlight-laden archetypal season, Thomas drew Heisman Trophy and NFL Draft buzz, bringing UNLV unprecedented attraction connected the gridiron.
The Rebels yet couldn’t prolong the momentum successful Thomas’ last 2 seasons, but helium inactive produced his stock of breathtaking moments and large wins. None went down arsenic important arsenic Thomas’ trio of wins implicit archrival UNR, arsenic helium helped support the Fremont Cannon reddish passim his full tenure successful the program.
Thomas remains UNLV’s all-time rushing person among quarterbacks with 1,528 yards connected the crushed compiled passim his career. He besides leads the quarterbacks all-time with 24 rushing touchdowns — seventh-most of immoderate Rebel.
Thomas played astatine Sam Boyd Stadium for his location games astatine UNLV, but he’ll beryllium recognized astatine Allegiant Stadium during this year’s Wyoming crippled on with the different caller members of the UNLV Hall of Fame.
Below are the six who volition gain the grant alongside Thomas.
UNLV elder Dana Finkelstein won 3 consecutive Mountain West Golfer of the Year and has a accidental to permission the Rebels with the all-time lowest scoring average. Photo by: UNLV Athletics
Terry Cottle, staff. The erstwhile shot adjunct coiled up spending 30 years successful the UNLV athletics department, culminating arsenic subordinate diversion manager earlier moving to College of Southern Nevada successful 2015.
Dana Finkelstein Fall, golf. The eventual LPGA golfer dominated the Mountain West a decennary ago, earning the conference’s Golfer of the Year grant 3 times and getting All-American nods successful her inferior and elder seasons.
Charley Hoffman holds his trophy aft winning the Texas Open play tourney Sunday, April 24, 2016, successful San Antonio. Photo by: Eric Gay / AP
Erick Fedde, baseball. The existent Chicago White Sox starting pitcher became the No. 18 wide prime successful the 2014 Major League Baseball Entry Draft aft ascendant careers astatine some UNLV and Las Vegas High School.
Charley Hoffman, golf. A four-time victor connected the PGA Tour with $36 cardinal successful vocation earnings, Hoffman archetypal won adjacent the highest level arsenic a prima who drew All-American honorable notation connected UNLV’s 1998 national-championship winning team.
Marissa Nichols, softball. Still an enduring beingness successful the UNLV softball grounds book, Nichols was a five-time skipper for the Rebels earlier opening a vocation successful assemblage athletics that includes a existent relation arsenic a elder subordinate athletics manager astatine the University of California, Berkeley.
Bill Paulos, contributor. The longtime section gaming enforcement has been a dedicated donor, helping to physique the hoops team’s Mendenhall Center, the Fertitta Football Complex and more.
The Sun’s Ray Brewer is simply a media typical connected the UNLV Athletics Hall of Fame enactment committee.
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