Las Vegas approves $40M bid to host CFP championship »

(CFP Championship Trophy Picture, Courtesy of the College Football Playoff)

By Ray Smith, Exhibition City News

Perhaps, given the efforts to bring the College Football Playoff Championship Game to Allegiant Stadium, it should be renamed the Las Vegas Conference, Visitors and Sports Authority.

With the goal of becoming a gambling and entertainment capital, Las Vegas is pouring another $40 million into its booming sports market, hoping to date the CFP Championship Game sometime between 2027 and 2031.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s board of directors approved the expense at its regular meeting on Jan. 14, authorizing CEO Steve Hill to negotiate on behalf of the influential tourism agency. Negotiating a future National Collegiate Championship Agreement.

Game costs will account for $25 million of the budget, with $15 million set aside for contingencies.

Lisa Motley, vice president of sports and special events, said Las Vegas will become the sixth U.S. city to host the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four and CFP Championship. She estimates the game will draw 70,000 fans. It will be broadcast on ESPN.

The 2025 CFB Championship will take place on January 20 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Irish, who are favored by 9.5 points.

Motley said conference authorities will play an organizational role, much like the Super Bowl. Fees include game management and event goods and services; marketing and advertising; event licensing; team practice venues and facilities; and law enforcement, security and emergency response.

This is another opportunity for Las Vegas to showcase major sporting events, including Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium for the first time, the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the National Rodeo Finals and, in 2028, T-Mobile Stadium of the NCAA Final Four.

Hill also led the push to build a 35,000-seat domed MLB stadium on the site of the former Tropicana Hotel and Casino, proposed as the future home of the ousted Oakland Athletics.

Among other agenda items:

• The Board of Trustees approved a $350,000 agreement with ASM Global to host Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) football games at Allegiant Stadium in October. Motley noted that 55 current or former Raiders players attended HBCU schools, including Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice.
• The board approved a $650,000 agreement with USA Wrestling to host the 2026 Under-20 World Championships and the 2027 Senior World Championships at the Thomas & Mack Center.
• Southwest Toyota Lift bid to purchase four forklifts for $225,000. The agency uses forklifts for various conference center operations, and some older models need to be replaced.
• KONE was awarded a $3.5 million contract for maintenance and repair of the Las Vegas Monorail and Vegas Loop elevators and escalators through January 30, 2030.
• Joel Van Over of Ailevon Pacific Aviation Consulting provides a review of Las Vegas air service in 2024. Reed International Airport set records with 35.4 million seat capacity, 46 million originating passengers and 170 nonstop routes. He counts five “iconic wins” for international flights to Las Vegas: Aer Lingus (Dublin); Virgin Atlantic (Manchester); Nordic Atlantic (London); Korean Air; and KLM. He reported a 10.4% increase in international travelers, which may be on the low side because many international travelers fly to Las Vegas from other domestic markets. He expects passenger seating capacity in Las Vegas to increase by 1.9% in the first half of this year.