Paint the Town Silver and Black: Las Vegas Adds Pro Football to its Lineup of World-Class Experiences
Las Vegas is already known as a mecca for luxurious hotels and casinos, unforgettable shows and events, as well as incredible dining and nightlife.
But are you ready for some football? Las Vegas surely is as they welcome the Raiders to Sin City. First, they were the Oakland Raiders. Then they were the Los Angeles Raiders. But after 12 years, the team pulled a Lucy and took their football back up to the East Bay. Starting in 2020, they stepped onto the gridiron as the Las Vegas Raiders. They’ve unpacked their bags and settled at Allegiant Stadium, a brand-new state-of-the- art arena located at 3333 Al Davis Way. The venue, which remained empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, is now ready to host throngs of football fans for the 2021 season.
Fun Fact #1: Most fans know Al Davis as the former owner of the team. But he was originally hired as the team’s head coach in 1963.
If you’re looking for a sports fan’s ultimate weekend getaway, then pack your black jerseys and silver face paint and head north on the 15. Or you could fly, but we’re not sure if you can get your spiked shoulder pads past the TSA.
The Raiders’ home schedule offers several exciting matchups:
• Sunday, October 10, 1:05 p.m. PDT vs Chicago Bears
• Sunday, October 24, 1:05 p.m. PDT vs Philadelphia Eagles
• Sunday, November 14, 5:20 p.m. PST vs Kansas City Chiefs
• Sunday, November 21, 1:05 p.m. PST vs Cincinnati Bengals
• Sunday, December 5, 1:05 p.m. PST vs Washington Football Team
• Sunday, December 26, 1:25 p.m. PST vs Denver Broncos
• Sunday, January 9, 1:25 p.m. PST vs Los Angeles Chargers
Fun Fact #2: In the history of the team, the Raiders have retired 0 uniform numbers.
The Las Vegas Raiders will play their home games at Allegiant Stadium, which promises to live up to the team’s “commitment to excellence.” It’s fully enclosed and climate-controlled with a capacity of 65,000, and it offers fan-friendly amenities, great sightlines along with easy ingress and egress. Also, it’s close: The stadium sits directly next to the 15 and is a 5-minute cab or rideshare from the closest Strip resorts, like Luxor or Mandalay Bay. (Or, if you’re up to it, it’s an easy 20-minute walk).
The stadium cost $1.8 billion and took over 2.5 years to build, requiring 105,000 cubic yards of concrete, which is the equivalent of a 257-mile sidewalk that could stretch from Los Angeles all the way to Vegas! If you can’t get to the game itself, Las Vegas also offers some of the best places to watch Raider games and, for that matter, any sporting event. And because sports betting is legal in Nevada, you can even place a wager or two on the outcome of any game. Several of the larger casinos offer sports bars with fan caves, VIP seating and massive video walls displaying several games simultaneously on a multitude of high-definition screens.
Fun Fact #3: The Raiders are the only team to play in the Super Bowl in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Speaking of other sports, the Raiders aren’t the only game in town. The other professional sports team is the Vegas Golden Knights. This NHL expansion team has called Las Vegas home since 2017. Their home ice is at the T-Mobile Arena, which is located adjacent to the Park MGM. In their inaugural season, the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup finals, ultimately losing to the Washington Capitals, one game to four. The puck drops on their 2021-22 season on October 12. The Knights have become a favorite of Vegas locals, who have rallied around the team - even Celine Dion was seen sporting a jersey at her live shows. Las Vegas is always evolving and there’s never a shortage of things to do, places to go and people to see. And now with the added thrills and excitement of an NFL team in town, there’s no excuse not to plan your next Vegas experience. Just go, baby!
-David Chee