UNLV Approves Vegas Loop Station, Reversing Previous Denial
Posted on: June 23, 2026, 01:45h.
Last updated on: June 23, 2026, 01:46h.
- UNLV voted near-unanimously to approve an underground Vegas Loop station on the UNLV campus, overturning a denial it issued last year
- The Boring Co. will entirely fund and construct the station near the Thomas & Mack Center, transferring final ownership of the facility to UNLV
- To secure approval, the deal lets the university monetize unused campus parking during major stadium events
UNLV has approved a multimillion‑dollar Vegas Loop station on its Las Vegas campus, reversing a decision in which the university declined a similar offer last year.
The vote by the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Board of Regents on Monday clears the way for a new underground transit station on UNLV property operated by the Boring Co., the Elon Musk‑founded tunneling and transportation company.
The planned station will be built on the western edge of the UNLV campus, in a portion of the parking lot surrounding the Thomas & Mack Center. The project timeline has not been finalized, but the Boring Co. said it would be completed within 12 months of groundbreaking.
U-Turn for UNLV
The approval comes six months after a Dec. 4, 2025 NSHE meeting at which UNLV rejected the Boring Co.’s proposal for a campus station. At the time, university leaders were concerned the station didn’t provide enough of a benefit to students and faculty.
There was also concern that a Vegas Loop station could transform UNLV lots into free parking for travelers to Harry Reid International Airport, who might leave their cars on campus and use the station to reach the airport. (On Monday, Harry Reid officials announced a $1-$2 fee increase to hourly and daily rates across all lots — adjusting its daily caps to $38 for short-term, $20 for long-term, and $14 for economy.)
A revised proposal, presented in June, was deemed more attractive because it stipulated that the Boring Co. would fund and build the station on UNLV land, with UNLV gaining usage rights and the ability to monetize parking during high-demand events at Thomas & Mack and elsewhere in Las Vegas.
“Being able to monetize unused parking availability at the Thomas & Mack Center for high-demand events would essentially help offset the parking costs that UNLV students have to pay to sustain the parking across the entire campus,” UNLV interim president Chris Heavey said during the meeting. “It will also help improve access to the Thomas & Mack Center during some of our most high-profile events, such as the National Finals Rodeo, when the parking lot is extremely full and we have thousands of tourists coming into town wanting to access that event from the resort corridor.”
The Boring Co. also sweetened the pot by offering a 25% Vegas Loop ticket discount to students, in addition to a 10% discount for faculty and staff.
The station was approved with only one regent voting against it.
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