Las Vegas sports history

Las Vegas sports grew in six eras. It was a fight-and-college town for decades: Caesars Palace super-fights and Jerry Tarkanian's 1990 national champion Runnin' Rebels. Pro leagues stayed away until the Golden Knights arrived in 2017. Since then the city has added the Raiders (2020), Aces titles (2022, 2023, 2025), a Stanley Cup (2023), a Super Bowl (2024) and F1 on the Strip, with the A's due in 2028. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026

Era 1: How did sports start in Las Vegas (1947–1972)?

With a ballpark and a college. The original Cashman Field was built in 1947, and its first baseball game was on May 21, 1948 [10]. In 1964 the Raiders played the first pro football game in Las Vegas, a preseason game against the Houston Oilers at Cashman. Al Davis even considered moving the team there [11]. UNLV football played its first game in 1968, and Las Vegas Stadium, later Sam Boyd, opened in 1971 [12][13].

Era 2: When did Las Vegas become the fight capital (1973–1992)?

Caesars Palace turned big fights into Las Vegas events. Holmes–Ali (1980), Holmes–Cooney (1982), Hagler–Hearns (1985) and Leonard–Hagler (1987) all happened there [1][14]. Caesars even ran Formula One in its parking lot in 1981 and 1982 [15]. At the same time Jerry Tarkanian, hired in 1973, built UNLV into a national power [16]. The Rebels reached Final Fours in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991 and won the 1990 title 103–73 over Duke [17][2]. The NFR arrived at the Thomas & Mack in 1985 [18].

Era 3: Why did so many teams come and go (1993–2015)?

Plenty of teams came and went. The Thunder (IHL hockey), the CFL's Posse, the XFL's Outlaws, the Wranglers (ECHL) and the UFL's Locomotives all played here [19][20][21][22][23]. Meanwhile the MGM Grand Garden Arena became the home of mega-fights, from Tyson–Holyfield to Mayweather–Pacquiao in 2015 [24][25]. NBA Summer League started at UNLV in 2004 [26], and the 2007 NBA All-Star Game made Las Vegas the first city without an NBA team to host one [27].

Era 4: How did the Golden Knights change everything (2016–2019)?

T-Mobile Arena opened April 6, 2016, and the NHL awarded Las Vegas a team on June 22, 2016 [28]. The Golden Knights' first home game came nine days after the Oct. 1, 2017 shooting, and they went on to reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first season [3]. In the same stretch NFL owners approved the Raiders' move (2017), the WNBA's Aces arrived (2018), Lights FC debuted (2018) and the Aviators opened a new ballpark in Summerlin (2019) [29][5][30][31].

Era 5: When did Las Vegas start winning titles (2020–2025)?

Allegiant Stadium opened in 2020 [11]. Then the titles came: the Aces in 2022, 2023 and 2025, and the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup in 2023 [5][6]. The big events followed: the NFL Draft (2022), F1 on the Strip (2023), Super Bowl LVIII (2024) and Canelo–Crawford's record crowd of 70,482 (2025) [32][8][7][11].

Era 6: What's next (2026 onward)?

This is happening now. The Golden Knights reached a third Cup Final in 2026 [33]. PWHL Las Vegas opens Dec. 6, 2026 [34]. The NBA is formally exploring a Las Vegas team [35]. The A's ballpark is targeted for completion in February 2028 [9]. Allegiant is booked for the 2027 College Football Playoff title game and Super Bowl LXIII in 2029 [11]. Follow along on the timeline and the changes log.

Open the full timeline (137 entries) →

Frequently asked questions

What was the first major pro team in Las Vegas?

The Vegas Golden Knights, who started play in the NHL in 2017. [3]

What was Las Vegas's first major pro championship?

The Aces' 2022 WNBA title. The Golden Knights followed with the 2023 Stanley Cup. [5][6]

When was the first pro football game in Las Vegas?

In 1964, when the Raiders played the Houston Oilers in an AFL preseason game at Cashman Field. [10][11]

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Sources

  1. Caesars Palace — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  2. 1990 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  3. Vegas Golden Knights — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  4. Las Vegas Raiders — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  5. Las Vegas Aces — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  6. 2023 Stanley Cup Final — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  7. Super Bowl LVIII — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  8. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  9. A's Las Vegas ballpark cost rises to $2.1B, public funding delayed (Sept 30, 2026) — Sports Business Journal. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  10. Cashman Field — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  11. Allegiant Stadium — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  12. UNLV Rebels football — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  13. Sam Boyd Stadium — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  14. Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  15. Caesars Palace Grand Prix — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  16. Jerry Tarkanian — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  17. UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  18. National Finals Rodeo — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  19. Las Vegas Thunder — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  20. Las Vegas Posse — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  21. Las Vegas Outlaws (XFL) — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  22. Las Vegas Wranglers — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  23. Las Vegas Locomotives — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  24. Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  25. MGM Grand Garden Arena — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  26. NBA Summer League — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  27. Thomas & Mack Center — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  28. T-Mobile Arena — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  29. Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  30. Las Vegas Lights FC — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  31. Las Vegas Ballpark — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  32. 2022 NFL draft — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  33. 2026 Stanley Cup Final — Wikipedia — Wikipedia. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  34. PWHL Las Vegas announce historic home opener December 6 at T-Mobile Arena — PWHL. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.
  35. NBA Board of Governors approves exploration of expansion to Seattle, Las Vegas (Mar 25, 2026) — NBA.com. Accessed Oct. 8, 2026.