Las Vegas became the destination for at least two of the National Football League’s key post-season events Tuesday when the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium was named as the site for the 2021 Pro Bowl in January.
The nationally televised event – the NFL’s all-star game which pits players from the NFC and AFC – will take place on Jan. 31 at the under-construction stadium, which is expected to be completed on July 31 and will serve as the home for the relocated Las Vegas Raiders.
The Pro Bowl, which has a weeklong schedule of events that concludes with the game, joins the NFL’s lineup in Las Vegas, which includes 2022 NFL Draft.
The league announced Las Vegas as the 2022 draft’s location on April 23, the same day the 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to begin behind the Linq Promenade and other sites along the Strip. The spreading coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown of the casino industry caused the draft to be changed to a virtual format. The 2021 NFL Draft will be held
What awaits Las Vegas football proponents is an announcement of a Super Bowl at the new 65,000-seat glass-domed stadium.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has hinted at Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl sometime in the future. The next available date for the Super Bowl in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Pro Bowl, which is played the week before the Super Bowl, will move to Las Vegas from Orlando, Florida. The NFL will work with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority in hosting the Pro Bowl.
“We’re appreciative of the NFL’s leadership and commitment to bring the 2021 Pro Bowl to Las Vegas,” LVCVA CEO Steve Hill said in a statement. “We look forward to hosting the best NFL players and their incredible fan base for a weeklong celebration that could only happen in Las Vegas.”
LVCVA spokeswoman Lori Nelson-Kraft said the organization wasn’t publishing projected economic or visitation estimates because the Pro Bowl is a first-time event for the destination at a new venue “that has yet to open, making it difficult to make accurate projections.”
The 2021 Pro Bowl will feature various activities in Las Vegas including the NFL Flag Championship games, AFC and NFC team practices, and, for the fifth consecutive year, Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, where the NFL’s top players from each conference compete in unique tests of their skills.
“Pro Bowl week is a celebration of the best the NFL has to offer and there is no better place than Las Vegas to celebrate and honor the league’s biggest stars,” said Las Vegas Raiders President Marc Badin. “The NFL, the LVCVA, and the Raiders look forward to a world-class event that will set the standard for future NFL events in Las Vegas.”
The 2021 Pro will follow the traditional AFC versus NFC format and feature 88 players – 44 from each conference – as determined by a consensus of votes by fans, players, and coaches. Both teams will be led by retired offensive and defensive NFL players who will serve as captains representing each conference.
Caesars Entertainment, the NFL’s Official Casino Sponsor, will use its casino properties for fan experiences during Pro Bowl.
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“We expect the Raiders presence here is a much bigger consideration for the league, but we’re pleased if our association with the NFL played even a small part in the Pro Bowl decision, as well as being the host city for the NFL draft in 2022,” Caesars spokesman Richard Broome said in an email. “The Pro Bowl and Draft will be national showcases for Las Vegas emerging as a top professional sports city, and we’re excited to be part of that evolution.”
Howard Stutz is the executive editor of CDC Gaming. He can be reached at hstutz@cdcgaming.com. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
