The annual Las Vegas Bowl will shift to the upcoming Las Vegas Stadium in 2020, with the games to feature a PAC-12 team vs. either an SEC or Big Ten program. The six-year deal was announced Tuesday at the Palms Resort.
“This is a ground-breaking development for our game and for our city,” said John Saccenti, Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl executive director. “In less than three decades the Las Vegas Bowl has grown into a must-see event each December and this collaboration takes us to the next level in not only the bowl world, but also the sports landscape as we will welcome three of the top conference brands in the nation to our event, which will be played in a stadium that is second-to-none.”
The new agreement will run from the 2020 game through the 2025 game and the Las Vegas Bowl will be move to a post-Christmas date for the first time. During those years, the Las Vegas Bowl will get the No. 2 selection (after the College Football Playoff selection) from the Pac-12 and share that position with the Holiday Bowl.
“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Las Vegas Bowl and to join with the SEC, Big Ten, Las Vegas Stadium, ESPN and LVCVA to take the Las Vegas Bowl to the next level of success in the years to come,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “The experience of hosting some of our premier Pac-12 events in Las Vegas has been tremendous for our student-athletes, universities and fans, and to have the opportunity to play in such an incredible stadium against top quality competition on a national stage through ESPN will be welcomed by our student-athletes and fans.”
The Las Vegas Bowl will share a spot with the Belk Bowl in the SEC “pool of six” that follows the CFP and Citrus selections and host a team here in 2020, ’22 and ’24.
“We are pleased to add the Las Vegas Bowl to the SEC bowl lineup,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “The Las Vegas Bowl provides the SEC with a new and exciting destination for our student-athletes and traveling fans at a location outside our traditional geographic footprint and in a much-anticipated matchup with a Pac-12 Conference opponent. We enjoy great relationships with some of the best bowl games in college football. With the addition of the Las Vegas Bowl, the SEC continues to provide a wide array of rewarding bowl game experiences for our student-athletes and fans in celebration of a successful season.”
The Las Vegas Bowl will share a Big Ten spot with the Music City Bowl after the CFP, Citrus and Outback selections and host a team here in 2021, ’23 and ’25.
“We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Las Vegas Bowl through 2025 and to add to our longstanding bowl ties with the Pac-12 in a new location,” Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said. “The city of Las Vegas is a world-class destination that will be attractive to the participants and fans from our schools, and the support provided by the Raiders organization and ESPN will create a tremendous opportunity to elevate this game into a must-see event during the bowl season.”
Since the game debuted in 1992, every Las Vegas Bowl has been played at UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium, which is located seven miles from the World Famous Las Vegas Strip. In 2020 the event will move to the $1.8 billion Las Vegas Stadium currently under construction near Las Vegas Boulevard. Also the new home of the NFL’s Raiders franchise and UNLV football, capacity will be approximately 65,000, including 128 suites.
“The Raiders are proud to partner with the LVCVA and ESPN Events to bring the tradition of the Las Vegas Bowl to Las Vegas Stadium, which will provide an exciting destination for fans from the Pac-12, SEC and Big Ten conferences,” said Raiders President Marc Badain. “The Raiders are committed to working with the LVCVA to continue to attract elite sporting events to the newest world-class venue in the Entertainment Capital of the World.”
“We’re pleased to welcome the 2020 Las Vegas Bowl’s new partners, the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten,” said Steve Hill, CEO and president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “The matchup against the Pac-12 Conference will excite fans across the country, highlight our new stadium and serve as a great economic boost for Southern Nevada.”
The 2019 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl will be played Saturday, Dec. 21, at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) at Sam Boyd Stadium. The game will be televised nationally during primetime on ABC, featuring the top choice from the Mountain West against a team from the Pac-12 Conference.
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