Las Vegas Bowl to be played after Christmas for first time
The Las Vegas Bowl used to promote itself as the unofficial opener of the college football bowl season. Now the game is moving into more of a prime-time spot and will be played on Dec. 30.
The game will pit teams from the Pac-12 and Big Ten at Allegiant Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets go on sale July 1. Visit lvbowl.com for more ticket information.
“Playing so close to New Year’s Day for the first time is a great way to highlight our new home at Allegiant Stadium in the sports and entertainment capital of the world,” bowl executive director John Saccenti said. “New Year’s Eve is a marquee holiday in Las Vegas, and what better way to kick off the celebration than a sensational bowl game.”
The bowl will have the second choice of Pac-12 and fourth choice of Big Ten teams. A Pac-12 team faces a school from the Big Ten in odd years and an SEC representative in even years.
This is technically the second year of a six-year contract with the Pac-12, Big Ten and Southeastern Conference. Last year’s game was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Though the bowl has never been after Christmas, it has twice played on that day. Utah beat Southern California 10-6 in 2001, and UCLA defeated New Mexico 27-13 the following year.
The Pac-12 has been associated with the bowl since 2001. No Big Ten team has played in the game, and the SEC has appeared once, when Arkansas was beaten 31-14 in 2000 by UNLV.
Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.