LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The 35th Las Vegas Bowl kicked off celebrations ahead of its New Year's Eve game.
Community leaders gathered Wednesday at Virgin Hotels to announce the Las Vegas Bowl Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Five former stars are being honored, including Troy Polamalu — the first Las Vegas Bowl alum to later become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
WATCH | Alex Eschelman has the latest from the kickoff Wednesday:
Local honoree Marc Ratner, an officials executive, spoke about what the recognition means to him.
"It means that I'm an older guy that's been around for all these years, but I have a love for football and being involved with UNLV in different ways, and it's a big honor for me," Ratner said.
A national conversation also took center stage at the ceremony. This week, LSU head coach Lane Kiffin added undrafted free agent Dae'Quan Wright to his roster, making him the first player to jump from the NFL back to college.
The Power Four conferences quickly moved to ban professional players from returning to compete on collegiate teams.
Three-time national champion Urban Meyer weighed in at the event.
"There's no enforcement right now in college sports," Meyer said. "We don't need more laws or rules; we just need ones that are enforceable. You find a friendly judge and guys are eligible."
One member of the Mountain West Conference said the conference will also discuss how it wants to move forward regarding this situation, and a similar statement from the conference is likely in the near future.
Big Ten Conference statement:
A statement from the Big Ten on student-athlete eligibility. pic.twitter.com/Hote5wYsMU
— Big Ten Conference (@bigten) August 25, 2026
SEC statement:
Following meetings with the Presidents, Chancellors, and Athletics Directors of the Southeastern Conference, the SEC will enforce the following policy: pic.twitter.com/LohWnb7G1J
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) August 25, 2026
Big 12 Conference statement:
Official statement from the Big 12 Conference. pic.twitter.com/QWiHdvoZ4N
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 26, 2026
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