The 1994 Las Vegas Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game played on December 15, 1994, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. The contest featured the UNLV Rebels of the Big West Conference and the Central Michigan Chippewas of the Mid‑American Conference. UNLV defeated Central Michigan, securing the Rebels’ first bowl victory in program history.
Overview
- Date: December 15, 1994
- Venue: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
- Attendance: Approximately 26,000 spectators (reported)
- Broadcast: Televised nationally in the United States
Participating teams
| Team | Conference | Season record (before bowl) |
|---|---|---|
| UNLV Rebels | Big West | 7–4 |
| Central Michigan Chippewas | Mid‑American | 8–3 |
Game summary
UNLV opened the scoring early and maintained a lead throughout the game. The Rebels’ offense, led by quarterback Jeff McArthur, accumulated a total of 52 points, while Central Michigan managed 24 points. Defensive play by UNLV limited the Chippewas’ scoring opportunities in the second half. The final score was UNLV 52, Central Michigan 24.
Aftermath
- The victory marked UNLV’s first bowl win since the program’s inception in 1968.
- Central Michigan’s participation contributed to the growing prominence of the Las Vegas Bowl as a destination for teams from the Mid‑American Conference.
Historical significance
The 1994 edition was the third Las Vegas Bowl, a postseason event inaugurated in 1992. The game helped establish the bowl’s reputation for featuring competitive matchups between mid‑major conference teams and contributed to the eventual expansion of the bowl’s sponsorship and television coverage in subsequent years.
References
- Official game statistics archived by the NCAA.
- Contemporary newspaper accounts from the Las Vegas Review‑Journal (December 1994).
- Team media guides for the 1994 UNLV Rebels and Central Michigan Chippewas football programs.