The 2009 UNLV Rebels football team was the 42nd varsity football team to represent the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The Rebels play in the Mountain West Conference, and compete each season against the remaining eight members of the conference and one permanent interstate rival: UNR. In 2009, UNLV also played non-conference games at home against Sacramento State, Oregon State and Hawai'i. Mike Sanford entered his fifth and final season as UNLV's head coach and the Rebels played their home games at Sam Boyd Stadium in East Las Vegas, Nevada