Saturday’s Vegas Kickoff Classic between Arizona and BYU will not only open a new chapter in Wildcats football, it will also usher in a new era for college sports in America’s entertainment capital.
According to the Pac-12 commissioner, around 57,000 tickets for the Allegiant stadium match have already been sold George Kliavkoff. That would make it the largest crowd attending a college sporting event in the history of Las Vegas or Nevada.
The geographical proximity to Provo and Tucson and the large presence of BYU graduates in the Las Vegas area explains why tickets go so fast. Another factor: Saturday’s matchup will be the first major football game to be played in front of the fans at Allegiant (with all due respect to the start of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV game against Eastern Washington on Thursday).
Allegiant has a seating capacity of 65,000, so it is possible that Arizona-BYU could fill the stadium to the brim, or at least get very close.
Arizona coach Jedd fish said Monday that he expects strong participation from Wildcats fans.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to feels really good about the way Arizona is traveling to this game,” said Fish. “Our group likes to be in Vegas. They like the opportunity of how close it is that they could go to Vegas, Arizona, California, and then of course with people who live in that area. We hope we have a really large amount of Arizona Wildcats. Hopefully it’s a shared stadium. I assume they will have a large amount too. So we need the whole Wildcat Nation out there. “
Fisch said a large group of 78 UA letter winners will be in attendance, but not So bruschi due to its contractual obligations with ESPN.
“I hope they take on our team, our program, everything that is happening here right now,” said Fisch. “It’s great, it’s what you need. I’ve said from the very first day I got hired that college football is about the people who did it before you, and it’s about the pageantry and the alumni base and the people who really do ran on this lawn and walked these fields. It is our job to respect this and show them what our program and our team are about. “
For those traveling to Las Vegas for the game, plan ahead for parking, which has been an issue at previous Allegiant events.
No COVID-19 vaccination is required to enter Allegiant Stadium, but fans must mask themselves.
Fans looking to open the tailgate should check out MGM Resorts’ Stadium Walk, which includes a Bud Light Beer Garden. Stadium Walk along the Hacienda Avenue Bridge, which runs between the Las Vegas Strip and Allegiant.
Entry is free and open to the public, and guests can purchase food and drinks at some MGM restaurants.
Arizona BYU begins at 7:30 p.m. MST and will be televised on ESPN.
