Spectator Sports
Over the years, the Reno/Sparks area has seen a succession of professional and semiprofessional sports teams come and go as the area struggled to support them along with the sports programs at the University of Nevada, Reno. Recent growth in the area has made some local sports fans’ dreams come true, however, with the arrival of the Reno Aces minor league baseball team and the Reno Bighorns, a D-League NBA Development team. The Aces occupy a new state-of-the-art stadium built especially for them in downtown Reno, and the Bighorns shoot it out at the Reno Events Center. Although the shaky economy makes the success of these teams perhaps harder to achieve, many local fans are hopeful that the Reno/Sparks area finally has enough financial clout to adequately support them well into the future. The teams were new in 2008 and 2009, and only time will tell what their ultimate successes will be. Local fans have always had other outlets for watching spectator sports, which is obvious if you visit a sports book at any casino over the weekend or wander into any of the numerous sports bar scattered all over. You’ll also notice that community sports programs are well supported, with large numbers of participants and fans making good use of both indoor and outdoor sports venues throughout the year.
Also the Wolf Pack sports program at UNR does a fine job in providing high quality and variety for spectators throughout the year. Fans can choose from baseball, football, basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Once a very winning member of the Big West Conference, the university was moved to a higher level of competition in the Western Athletic Conference several years ago. Support for university sports is strong, with the fund-raising organization hosting a variety of lucrative events throughout the year. To find out how to become an active Wolf Pack booster, call (775) 784-6900. The Reno/Tahoe area is also home to two unique sporting events that attract spectators from all over the country—the annual National Championship Air Races and The Great Reno Balloon Race.
Furthermore, Reno’s National Bowling Stadium is one of the largest and best in the country, hosting numerous bowling tournaments throughout the year. And there’s always that favorite Western sports event, the rodeo, along with ski and snowboard events around Lake Tahoe.
Read on to see what the Reno/Tahoe area has to offer for those of you who like to be knee-deep in the sports action. I haven’t used the usual geographical organization in this chapter, since most of the sports action happens in the Truckee Meadows—but don’t let the drive from Lake Tahoe deter you from enjoying some great sports options.
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 4895 Texas Avenue
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 330 East Liberty Street
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
4. Reno Astros
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 851-0937
Address: 300 West Moana Lane
Description: Although the Reno Astros are a semiprofessional team, many of the players have paid their dues playing professional ball. You can see all the action several days a week during the season, which runs from April through October. And, unlike the pros, the admission prices are very affordable for the whole family.
5. Unr Baseball
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775)784-6900
Description: The Wolf Pack’s baseball schedule begins in late January and ends in May. A perennial NCAA regional qualifier, the team has a very loyal following. The quality of the program over the years is shown by the number of players that move on to pro teams. Since 1990 more than 40 UNR players have signed professional baseball contracts. As with most college baseball venues, William Peccole Park is outdoors, so check the weather and be prepared to bundle up at the beginning of the season.
6. Reno Bighorns
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 284-2622
Address: 400 North Center Street
Description: The Reno Bighorns began their inaugural season as a D-League NBA Development team in the 2008-2009 season. The 24-game schedule of home appearances is played at the Reno Events Center, which holds about 4,700 fans when configured for a basketball team. Intent on attracting families and filling the space, the league is committed to offering affordable entertainment, with general admission tickets beginning at $10. Visit ticketmaster.com or tickets@nbareno.com to purchase them.
7. Unr Basketball
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Description: Both men’s and women’s basketball programs at UNR provide exciting action for hoops fans each season. The men play about 15 home games, which attract an average of 6,000 spectators each. The men played in the Sweet Sixteen in 2005 and won the WAC championship in 2006. Average attendance for the women is around 1,000 per game. Both teams play at Lawlor Events Center, a typical college arena with about 11,500 seats.
8. National Bowling Stadium
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 334-2600, (800) 304-2695
Address: 300 North Center Street
Description: This bowling stadium is the world’s largest and most advanced. Built in 1995, this block-long masterpiece has 80 championship lanes, a circular theater, and a 450-foot-long video scoring system. The facility cost the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitor’s Authority (RSCVA) about $45 million to complete. Although only professional tournaments were held in the stadium for the first years of its operation, the stadium hosts amateur tournaments and events of all kinds. When the pros are in town (which happens every year or so), visitors are welcome to watch all the action from the 1,200 spectator seats. Because dates of the tournaments vary, contact the stadium for specific days and times. (See the Attractions and Annual Events chapters for more information.)
9. Unr Football Mackay Stadium
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Description: To die-hard football fans, autumn leaves mean one thing—Wolf Pack action at Mackay Stadium. Although most spectators come for the activity inside the stadium, some come for the events outside, where you’ll find elaborate tailgate parties sprinkled around the asphalt parking lot. The six home games are well supported, with an average attendance of around 20,000 per game. The season lasts from September through November.
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 2500 Spinnaker Drive
11. Reno Historic Races
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 575-7217
Description: Vintage cars such as Ferraris, Jaguars, and Porches race on Fernley’s 4.3-mile course, one of the nation’s longest. Sponsored by the National Automobile Museum and the Historic Motor Sports Association, the event also features guided tours of the staging area. About 150 participants enter the race. The raceway is a quick 25-minute drive east of Sparks on Interstate 80 and then 5 miles south on Alternate U.S. Highway 95.
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Address: 1350 North Wells Avenue
13. Snaffle Bit Futurity
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 787-8497 (tickets)
Address: 1350 North Wells Avenue
Description: Though not exactly a rodeo in the classic sense, the National Reined Cow Horse Association’s Snaffle Bit Futurity matches three-year-old horses from around the world against one another in contests of steer cutting. Riders and horses are judged on how well they can cut a steer from a herd, and control the steer’s movement along the fence and then into the center of the arena. Points are awarded for how well the horses respond to commands to turn and maneuver. The event is held in Reno during the last week in September and brings more than 700 horses and 750 riders to the area. The participants compete for more than $900,000 in prize money.
14. Reno Roller Girls
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Telephone: (775) 329-3472
Address: 515 East Seventh Street
Description: If you’re a fan of roller derby, you’ll be glad to know that Reno has a colorful team that competes as well as skates exhibition events, such as nonprofit fundraisers. To see the gals in action in a competitive match, contact the Roller Kingdom for their scheduled appearances.
15. Unr Soccer
City: Reno, NV
Category: Spectator Sports
Description: A relatively new sport to the University of Nevada, Reno, women’s soccer pioneered in 2000. Although the win-loss record has not been impressive so far, the team is winning a few more games each year. Players have an extensive travel schedule but play eight games on their home turf each season.