Talking With Ron Futrell – September 7, 2026
8NewsNow sports anchor and reporter
Las Vegas has undergone one of the most remarkable transformations in the world of sports—and few people have had a better view of that evolution than longtime sports anchor and reporter Ron Futrell of 8NewsNow.
This week on Talk About Las Vegas With Ira, Ron returns to the podcast for a fascinating conversation about the people, events and decisions that helped transform Southern Nevada into one of the world’s premier sports destinations.
Ron discusses the remarkable success of Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nevada, including its extraordinary run of four appearances in the Little League World Series during five years. He also talks about Carsynn Meyer, who made history as the first girl to play in the Little League World Series—and whose gloves were requested by the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The conversation also explores the explosive growth of professional sports in Las Vegas. Ron explains why the city’s emergence as a major sports market “didn’t happen by accident,” the impact of the landmark 2018 U.S. Supreme Court sports betting decision, and how that ruling helped open the floodgates for major league sports and sports-related investment in Las Vegas.
Ira and Ron also discuss the role of private-public partnerships, the debate over when public funding may be necessary for major sports projects, and the remarkable coalescing of arenas and stadiums on or near the Las Vegas Strip.
Having covered Las Vegas sports since arriving in the city in 1984, Ron shares his choices for the three biggest sporting events he has witnessed—including the unforgettable moment when the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup.
And what happened to boxing?
Ron reflects on the glory days of boxing in Las Vegas, why the sport no longer holds the same position it once did in the city, and how MMA has emerged as a major force in the modern Las Vegas sports landscape.
From Little League dreams to championship celebrations, from sports betting to billion-dollar stadium projects, this episode is a compelling look at how Las Vegas became a global sports powerhouse.
Listen to “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira” and discover why the biggest game in Las Vegas may be the city’s continuing rise as one of the world’s great sports capitals.
ABOUT RON:
Ron Futrell is a longtime journalist who has worked at a number of local TV/radio stations throughout the western United States. He has covered sports in Las Vegas since 1984.
Ron began his broadcasting career in the early ’80s in Salt Lake City at KSXX radio and KTVX TV. From there, he covered sports and news at KNDO TV in Yakima, WA.
He has covered Stanley Cup Finals, Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals and NCAA Championships. Ron has reported on virtually every major sporting event in Las Vegas over the past three decades, including major boxing and MMA events, NASCAR races, the rise and fall of UNLV basketball, the careers of local athletes like Greg Maddux, Andre Agassi, Randall Cunningham and Mike Tyson, along with many others. Ron is also well known for covering local high school and club sports in Las Vegas.
Ron is perhaps best known in Las Vegas for his work covering UNLV basketball throughout its glory days. As host of the Jerry Tarkanian TV show for 10 years, he was able to get the inside story on one of most remarkable teams in college basketball history.
Ron is also a journalism professor at University of Nevada Las Vegas and was the first to teach Sports Broadcasting classes at UNLV.
He says some of his greatest moments covering sports have been sitting ringside at the Hagler/Hearns fight in 1985 at Caesars Palace, watching the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels win the basketball National Championship in 1990 and witnessing the tremendous success of the inaugural season of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18.
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