Las Vegas Is Becoming A World Center For Sports (Photos)
For much of the modern history of Las Vegas, the region’s sports landscape largely focused on two distinct areas of competition, boxing and UNLV athletics, particularly during Jerry Tarkanian’s decades of success as coach of the Runnin’ Rebels men’s basketball program.
With this in mind, for many years, Las Vegas’ most significant sporting events almost exclusively were held at the Caesars Palace Sports Pavilion, a temporary outdoor boxing venue erected on the grounds of the iconic hotel (pictured below), or within the walls of the 18,000-seat Thomas & Mack Center, constructed on the campus of UNLV in 1983.
Photo Courtesy: Boxsoup
While the Thomas & Mack Center still serves as a very active venue, the days of makeshift outdoor arenas has come and gone in Sin City. With the Las Vegas metro area gaining more than 1.5 million residents since 1980, the famous gambling and resort destination has found itself in the midst of a local sports boom, both in terms of seasonal and full-time athletic endeavors.
Earlier this year, a record 127,843 fans attended the annual 11-day Las Vegas NBA Summer League. Played between the Thomas & Mack Center and adjoining Cox Pavilion, the 67-game event has evolved into the summer gathering spot for current and former NBA players, coaches, administrators, owners and broadcasters, as well as many luminaries from the college game. In addition, annual NBA players association and owners meetings are scheduled during the event, with many USA Basketball practices also occurring in conjunction with the assembling of players to Vegas, during this time period.
Beginning this fall, Las Vegas will debut its first-ever big four sports league franchise, when the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights take the ice. The team will play its home games at the $375 million T-Mobile Arena, located just north of Tropicana Ave., between I-15 and the New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Opened in 2016, the 17,500-seat hockey venue (18,000 for basketball and up to 20,000 for ring sports/concerts) will also be the ongoing home of the Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament, along with the majority of major Las Vegas based boxing and MMA events, including the recently held Mayweather vs. McGregor extravaganza.
The Golden Knights’ headquarters and practice facility (pictured below) sits 11 miles west of the T-Mobile Arena, in the upscale western Las Vegas community of Summerlin. The 146,000-square-foot, $30 million City National Arena will also be home to area youth hockey leagues and the UNLV hockey program.
Five miles southwest of the T-Mobile Arena sits the brand new world headquarters of the UFC. Found immediately north of Highway 215, on Torrey Pines Drive, the 24-acre mega complex includes the hub of the company’s business operation, as well as a 40,000-square-foot year-round training center for UFC fighters.
Perhaps the most significant Las Vegas professional sports accomplishment will occur in 2020, when the now Oakland Raiders begin play at a 65,000-seat football stadium, just across I-15 from the Mandalay Bay/Delano Resort & Casino, off the Russell Road exit. The $1.9 billion venue will be the full-time home of the Raiders, along with the UNLV football program. The Rebels currently play their home games at the 46-year-old, 35,000-seat Sam Boyd Stadium, located 10 miles east of the Las Vegas Strip. Below are a series of photos chronicling the massive plot of land that will eventually house the tentatively titled Las Vegas Stadium.
With the Las Vegas metro area (Clark County) expected to add another 300,000 inhabitants, during the next 20 years, it will be interesting to see if other professional sports leagues decide that it is time to lay claim to the fast-growing desert municipality. Due to the NBA’s strong summer presence, along with the existence of Triple-A baseball, dating back to 1983 (Las Vegas 51’s), it is possible that the NBA and MLB believe their respective sports possess a significant enough representation in the Las Vegas landscape. Only time will tell.
When assessing Las Vegas’ and Nevada’s growing passion for sports, one also has to consider the amount of money wagered on games, each year, at the area’s many sportsbooks. In 2016 alone, nearly $5 billion worth of sports bets were placed, with $132.5 million changing hands just during Super Bowl 50.
As the Las Vegas metro area’s foray into the sports world continues to grow, one thing appears to be absolutely certain. Few places in the US offer such a unique and wide array of consumption options for those who enjoy investing both time and money into their passion for sports.
