Las Vegas Bowl to add sports gala at Allegiant Stadium

Nothing against a pie-eating contest on downtown Fremont Street, but the Las Vegas Bowl is planning a new major auxiliary event in conjunction with its move to Allegiant Stadium on Dec. 30.

“One night, one team, OneVegas,” executive director John Saccenti said in repeating the marketing catchphrase for an annual who’s who in Las Vegas sports gala. It will be on Las Vegas Bowl Eve (Dec. 29) under the ambient light of Al Davis’ memorial torch on the Coors Light Landing at Allegiant.

Saccenti said OneVegas will be an amalgamation of the old Las Vegas Bowl end zone hospitality tent at Sam Boyd Stadium and VIP parties at other bowl games.

“When I walked through (the end zone tent) I saw executives from the Golden Knights, the Aviators, UNLV, (Las Vegas Motor) speedway, and they’re all hanging out and sharing stories from the year that was. I did not want to lose that at the new stadium,” he added.

The game day setup at Allegiant Stadium is not be conducive to such an organic and intimate gathering. “So we’re going to bring everybody in sports and entertainment in Las Vegas to this gala the night before the game,” Saccenti said.

He had few specifics to announce, other than tickets will not be cheap, limited to around 500 or 600 and that initial response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Funds generated by the affair are earmarked for local nonprofit charitable groups such as the Southern Nevada Sports Hall of Fame. A new organization comprised of representatives from the local sports entities that will work with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for the benefit of the group also is in the planning stage, Saccenti said.

“I’m excited about the stadium, the new matchup (Pac-12 vs. Big Ten or SEC) and all the other things. But this is the one thing I’ve always wanted to do,” said Saccenti, who envisions OneVegas evolving into the Las Vegas sports Oscars, only without the golden figurines and pretense.

“This is what bowl games do in communities. It’s more than just a football game.”

Around the horn

— A Montreal Canadiens fan who on her Twitter account identifies as an “American Canuck Quebecoise” living in Arizona posted a photo along with kind words about two VGK fans who bought her a beer at T-Mobile Arena. The hospitable act impressed one observer more than than the Habs’ tenacity in the first three games of the teams’ playoff series.

Wrote fellow Twitter user Sean Bates: “Wow. Considering the price of drinks at The Fortress, that was no small gesture!”

— The Golden Knights and Raiders will always be Las Vegas’ teams. But the opening weekend of the college football season here will belong to Brigham Young and its loyal legions.

A Provo, Utah, TV station reported that Cougars fans already have purchased 47,000 tickets for the team’s game against Arizona State at Allegiant Stadium Sept. 4 and that a fanfest at Craig Regional Park will be held the night before.

— Lights FC’s newest oddball promotion is “Free Traffic Fix Night,” with a ticket stub entitling one to complimentary legal representation from the De Castroverde Law Group.

The offer does not apply to those in warrant status or motorists arrested for driving under the influence, aggressively, recklessly or with a suspended license, thereby eliminating most of the Raiders’ Black Hole and myriad sports writers.

0:01

After running a fly pattern to catch his cowboy hat at the Professional Bull Riders’ Unleash the Beast event at the MGM Grand Garden, bullfighter and rodeo clown/entertainer Flint Rasmussen got in a subtle dig on the Raiders’ longstanding mediocrity:

“That might be the best pass and catch you people will see all year.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.