When Alex Meruelo unveiled plans for a $1 billion expansion to his Grand Sierra Resort in Reno 18 months ago — including a $400 million state-of-the-art sports arena to house the Nevada men’s basketball team — there was barely a mention of the financing.
Meruelo compared his planned venue to the privately financed, $375 million T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and said the school was off the hook.
“One thing that I made sure that I said over and over again — this arena will not cost the university one dollar,” Meruelo said at the September 2023 announcement inside a Grand Sierra Resort night club that was attended by cheerleaders, Wolf Pack mascots, school President Brian Sandoval and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.
