A sign welcomes attendees to the Big 12 Media Day at Allegiant Stadium Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
Friday, July 12, 2024 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas’s dreams of becoming a major player in college football appears to be coming to fruition sooner rather than later.
Thirty-two years after Bowling Green defeated Nevada in the first-ever Las Vegas Bowl, which was contested at Sam Boyd Stadium, officials here have submitted a bid to host the 2027 College Football Playoff National Championship at Allegiant Stadium.
With UNLV football and the Las Vegas Bowl moving to Allegiant Stadium in 2021 and the Good Sam Vegas Kickoff Classic becoming a triannual event since 2021, Las Vegas has quickly become one of the hottest markets to host college football games.
The Big 12 Conference for the first time hosted its annual football Media Days on Tuesday and Wednesday at Allegiant Stadium. It was the product of a short-notice venue change as AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, where the event is usually held, was undergoing renovations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The sudden change seemed like fate. The Big 12 has had a major expansion west, welcoming Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado into the conference after the folding of the Pac-12 Conference.
Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said Media Days had been a great way for the conference to continue to establish itself further west.
“We need to be here in Vegas for all the right reasons,” Yormark said. “It’s the entertainment and sports capital of the world. It’s a critically important market for us in the future.”
Building the Big 12’s presence in Las Vegas could bring with it a bonus: The conference establishing “a formal relationship” with the Las Vegas Bowl.
Now that the Pac-12 has all but folded, the bowl’s only current affiliation is with the Big 10 Conference. However, Yormark is confident that the Big 12 will be a part of the game in the coming future.
I’m confident at the right time we will have a formal affiliation with the Las Vegas Bowl,” Yormark said. “This market is critically important. … But I’m very comfortable and confident in what that outcome will bring for our conference.”
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham raved about the Las Vegas Bowl. As both the Utes’ defensive coordinator and now head coach, he’s seen Utah go 4-2 in the Las Vegas Bowl dating to 1999.
“Vegas has always treated us great. It’s a great city,” Whittingham said. ““In particular, John (Saccenti), does a great job with the bowl and the experience for the players. So nothing but very positive memories and experiences here in Las Vegas.”
“And of course, this is one of the best venues in the country right here, this Allegiant Stadium,” Whittingham added
Utah is slated to play Miami in the Vegas Kickoff Classic in 2027.
Saccenti, executive director of the Las Vegas Bowl, has played a major role in establishing Las Vegas as one of the rising cities in the country to host college football events.
Saccenti is bullish on the growth of college football in Las Vegas and what could be next.
“Given the fact that the Big 12 is expanding and they are going West, I think everybody’s eyes are on Las Vegas,” Saccenti said. “Everybody’s paying attention to Las Vegas. There’s not an event that we can’t handle.”
Las Vegas being on the docket as a prime venue is a change to the college football landscape, but it fits the theme of what’s going on with the College Football Playoff.
“The NFL said after the Super Bowl that Vegas has to be on a consistent rotation,” Saccenti said. “I think you’re gonna see the CFP say the same thing once they see it. They see the infrastructure, how we handle events, how we do events, and they’re gonna see that this needs to be on a consistent rotation in a short period.”
It’s been a long time coming for Las Vegas.
When the NCAA finally lifted the ban on championship events being hosted in states with legal sports betting in 2019, it opened the floodgates for Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has long played host to conference championship basketball tournaments, but in 2022 the NCAA West Regional in men’s basketball was contested at T-Mobile Arena. Then, Las Vegas was awarded the 2026 NCAA Frozen Four hockey championship and the 2028 Final Four in the men’s basketball tournament.
Lisa Motley, vice president of sports and special events for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority , said Las Vegas had submitted more than 58 bids to host various NCAA championships since the ban was lifted.
Las Vegas has successfully landed several NCAA championship events in the next three years:2024 Division III men’s and women’s soccer championships (at Peter Johann Memorial Field); 2025 women’s bowling championship (at Suncoast Bowling Center) and Division II women’s golf championship; and 2026 Division III men’s golf championship (at Boulder Creek Golf Club), in addition to the men’s ice hockey championship (at T-Mobile Arena).
“College football is the 800-pound gorilla. That’s the one we want,” Motley said. “That’s the first conversation because that’s the one that is so glamorous, but then that trickles down into what else could we host.”
“It just offers us more things to host by having these great relationships with football.”
While Las Vegas is well equipped to host major sporting events, Motley said that the city sometimes “becomes a victim of its success.” Hotels and conference venues are 85% to 90% full nearly year-round.
Motley said Las Vegas had to turn down the NFL Draft in 2020 because the space it wanted to use at Caesars Palace was already booked for a dental conference.
“We have all these great amenities but we’re full a majority of the time,” Motley said. “That’s a true testament to everybody in this destination that just rolls up their sleeves and says, ‘Let’s make it happen.’ ”
With so much interest in the city, Las Vegas is prepared to take on whatever comes its way
Next up will arrive Sept. 1 when Southern California — newly ensconced in the Big 10 — takes on Louisiana State, a perennial Southeast Conference power, at Allegiant Stadium.
“I like the fact that we’re involved in multiple conferences,” Saccenti said. “It gives us flexibility and puts the best matchup for the best tourism team here in Las Vegas.”
