Sam Morris / Las Vegas Sun

UNLV players won’t be the only students working hard during Thursday’s game at 7 p.m. against La Verne at the Orleans Arena.

UNLV-TV, a part of the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism & Media Studies, has joined VegasTV (KTUD-TV) to broadcast the game live locally, it was announced Tuesday. The game’s production crew will consist mostly of UNLV students, while the broadcast team will feature VegasTV’s David Briggs on play-by-play and Las Vegas Sun sports editor Ray Brewer doing the color analysis.

“It's our pleasure to be able to support this first-of-a-kind broadcast,” said Bruce Spotleson, a senior executive with VegasTV, which is part of Greenspun Media Group, publisher of the Sun and lasvegassun.com. “This is an ideal way to show the caliber of television work UNLV journalism students are producing. Viewers will get the chance to see how both the Runnin' Rebels and the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism & Media Studies perform on game night. I'm confident that both teams are up to the task ahead.”

KTUD can be found on Cox Communications channels 14 and HD 1014, DirecTV channel 25, Century Link Prism TV channel 25, Nellis Cable channel 6 and over the air on channel 25.

Since last spring, UNLV-TV had produced live productions of UNLV baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball, which have been streamed at UNLVRebels.com

“We enjoy an outstanding relationship with the leadership of UNLV-TV and the Hank Greenspun School of Journalism & Media Studies,” said D.J. Allen, UNLV Athletics' senior associate athletic director of communications. “Feedback from our fans across the nation has been tremendous because of the added access the productions have given our fans to their Rebels. This is a perfect example of a win-win relationship. UNLV-TV is able to offer its students real-world experience all while providing something our fans appreciate and have sought.”

Allen and Brewer both earned degrees from the Greenspun School. Allen said this is the great step in a partnership that university leaders, including president Neal Smatresk, provost John White, athletic director Jim Livengood and Lee Bernick, the interim dean of the Greenspun School of Urban Affairs, believed would benefit both the students involved and UNLV fans.

“The collaboration that has occurred over the past year has been incredible,” Allen said. “And to get VegasTV involved — because they want to showcase the work of our students and showcase our university — takes this to another level. We're excited our UNLV students get to show their work to the community.”

Thursday’s game between No. 20 UNLV and Division III La Verne will also be streamed online at UNLVRebels.com. Advance tickets for Thursday’s game are $10 and can be purchased only through the Orleans Arena. The Thomas & Mack Center is hosting the National Finals Rodeo.

UNLV 4505 Maryland Parkway Las Vegas , NV 89154

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.