UNLV and opponent San Diego State both paying tribute to the victims of Las Vegas shooting

The UNLV Rebels will play the San Diego State Aztecs on Saturday night in Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Both teams will honor the victims and local heroes of the tragic Las Vegas shooting, which killed 59 people and injured over 500, by wearing a red ribbon helmet decal.

The Rebels will replace the logo on the side of their helmets with the decal.

"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims and the families impacted by this senseless act of violence," Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois said in a statement. "While football is just a game, it can also serve as a rallying point of unity and allow all of us to recognize the incredible heroism displayed by so many this week. We are all extremely proud of our community's response over the last couple of days."

Both schools’ coaching staffs will be wearing ribbons as well, and there will be a pregame ceremony featuring an American flag that will cover the length of the field:

The pregame ceremony will honor the victims and recognize representatives from first-responder organizations, medical personnel and other local heroes. It will also include a full-field, 100-yard American Flag during the national anthem.

Tragedies like the one we witnessed in Las Vegas are obviously bigger than sports, but sometimes sports can provide a community with healing and a feeling of togetherness after a tragic event like this. We’ve seen this happen in special moments like the New York Yankees’ first home game after 9/11, the Boston Red Sox’s home game following the Boston Marathon Bombing, and Virginia Tech’s first home football game following the shooting in Blacksburg.