Brian Greenspun is taking some time off and is turning over his Where I Stand column to others. Today’s guest columnist is Tony Sanchez, who is entering his second season as UNLV’s head football coach.

I have a vision for UNLV football — one that is as big and bold as the place we all call home. I see a day when our football program reflects the success of this great city and helps open our university to a much wider audience.

This is an exciting and important time for UNLV football — not just because we are preparing to open our season in less than two weeks but because of the conference-realignment talks taking place across the country.

One of the steps we must take to be a part of that expansion conversation is something that has been lacking over the past few decades: investment in infrastructure. One factor Power Five conferences look at when considering new members is whether the community has bought into the program, and one of the major ways to determine that is by your facilities.

Yes, we have what we need to compete. But if UNLV is to someday join the highest level of college football, it is important, as President Len Jessup and Athletics Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy have said, to show recruits and potential suitors that we are serious about sustained success. That means building a state-of-the-art team facility on our campus and supporting the building of a stadium near campus.

UNLV didn’t open until 1957 and didn’t field a football team until 11 years later. We don’t have a century’s worth of graduates to help us financially, so it’s going to take more than just alumni to move us forward. It’s going to take businesses, lifelong residents and transplants who have made Las Vegas their home to help us make our dream a reality and help this community become even more attractive.

What better way to tell our story — about our new medical school, our young but acclaimed law school, our world-class hotel program, our impressive engineering department and the work being done to become a Tier One research university — than through a nationally televised three-hour broadcast on Saturday afternoons while playing in a Power Five conference? Those are opportunities that you just can’t put a price tag on. By displaying positive energy, work ethic and determination on all fronts, we can build this program into something that will widen the front porch of this university for student-athletes in all sports, but even more so for generations of future students.

I’m excited and grateful for the people who are stepping up to help us do what we need to do to build the program. We want to add to the success and energy that have made this city world-famous.

Building a state-of-the-art training facility on campus is imperative. We love our home at Sam Boyd Stadium, but we also hope the new stadium deal comes to fruition. Nothing would solidify the city more than being home to an NFL franchise. However, it would also have a major positive impact on this university and football program. The opportunities a new stadium would create are greater than anyone realizes.

My vision for 10 years from now sees us sharing an NFL stadium and playing in a Power Five conference. One aspect that will help make this a reality is our proximity to so many high-level recruits in the Las Vegas area. When I moved here in 2009, Las Vegas was sending seven or eight players to Division I schools every year. This year there will be more than 20, with many going to Power Five programs. What a great thing that would be if we are able to keep our kids home. A perfect example of how to do that in a short amount of time is the University of Houston. The school built a stadium, upgraded its staff and facilities, and put a symbolic fence around the city to keep the best kids at home to play for the hometown team. Last season Houston beat Florida State in a bowl game, and it’s now ranked in the preseason op 10 by some — and is suddenly being talked about as a leading candidate to join the Big 12 Conference.

Why not us, and why not now? We have the benefit of offering the keys to the world’s most exciting and vibrant city and a growing media market that will soon boast state-of-the-art facilities.

Make no mistake, I am fully aware as we approach the 2016 season that it’s important our program shows improvement on the field. And I’m confident our guys will do just that. But there are many steps that need to be taken for this vision of UNLV football to become reality.

Like all great success stories, nobody does it on their own. It all starts Sept. 1 against Jackson State. If you’re on the fence, climb over to join us and see what we can do together.

Go Rebels, and Viva Las Vegas!

The Rebels open their six-game home schedule at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. Season and single-game tickets are available by visiting www.unlvtickets.com or calling 702-739-FANS.