Oral history interview with Leon Symanski conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on July 23, 2024 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Symanski, a three-time UNLV graduate, recalls his childhood in Southern California and his early relationship with sports. He recalls playing basketball in high school, college, and being recruited by UNLV coaches, who offered him a scholarship with a well-defined role as a backup player. He understood his role and played with the Runnin' Rebels two seasons (1984-87), including UNLV's second Final Four Team. In this interview, Symanski discusses the celebrity status the team enjoyed; coach Jerry Tarkanian's work ethic and method of teaching and preaching after every practice, coach Tim Grgurich's inspirational style, and the role a coach plays in a player's life. He talks about his ten years in hospitality that began with summer jobs at Paul-Son Gaming, working at the Tropicana and Luxor Hotels, before joining the first class at UNLV Boyd School of Law. Finally, he recalls the indoor basketball city leagues run by the Clark County Department of Parks and Recreation. Digital audio, photographs, and transcript available.

Oral history interview with Peter Bernhard conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on August 13, 2024 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Bernhard recalls his Las Vegas childhood and school years, and playing both baseball and football. He remembers playing baseball at Circle Park before the City of Las Vegas Recreation Department began to organize a City municipal baseball league. They played at Squires Park, at Casino Center near 4th Street; then Cragin Park at Charleston and Hinson; Lyons Park at East Washington and Bruce Street (the first park with a home run fence), and Hadland Park at Eastern and Stewart. Bernhard also describes how the Donna Kutzen Youth Foundation (DKYF), promoted by Marty Kutzen to honor his deceased wife, facilitated team sports in Las Vegas. Bernhard talks about playing for the winning state football champions Western High School (1966-67), playing football and baseball at Harvard University, and how sports connected him to people like Harry Reid and Roy Woofter. Digital audio, transcript, and photographs available.

Oral history interview with Ron Futrell conducted by Claytee D. White and Stefani Evans on September 30, 2024 for the Game On! The Oral History of Las Vegas Sports project. In this interview, Futrell recalls arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1984 from Washington state where he had worked as a sportscaster. Growing up, Futrell shares he had a love of baseball, football, and basketball. He recalls attending Mt. San Antonio College in California as a communications/broadcasting major, and worked in sports journalism ever since. Three days after he arrived in Las Vegas, he reported on the Jazz v. Lakers game at the Thomas & Mack and interviewed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the player broke the all-time scoring record. Futrell remembers having to learn about sports betting and about emceeing a 1984 Las Vegas Gold Swim Team fundraiser with Frank Rosenthal. He describes the years-long tension between UNLV Administration, Athletic Directors, and Jerry Tarkanian in a time when sports reporters had to “choose sides.” He describes the salary scandal surrounding basketball coach Rollie Massimino and a "cam scam" in Tark's final year, when a camera was hidden in an air duct in UNLV's North Gym to film a conditioning class. Futrell's relations with UNLV temporarily soured when he broke the 1998 story about UNLV Athletic Director Charlie Cavagnaro using racist and sexist language in describing black and female athletes. However, he later taught for three years in the School of Communications. Digital audio available; no transcript available.