Vegas Kickoff Classic to feature Big 12, Pac-12, SEC teams in 2028, 2030
Allegiant Stadium will host two future Vegas Kickoff Classic college football games, ESPN Events announced.
BYU of the Big 12 Conference will battle Oregon State from the Pac-12 Conference in 2028. That game will be a rematch of the 2009 Las Vegas Bowl that was won by the Cougars, 44-20. The Beavers won the last meeting between the teams in 2013.
In 2030, Arkansas of the SEC takes on Texas Tech of the Big 12. Those teams faced off in last season’s Liberty Bowl, where the Razorbacks prevailed, 39-26.
Arkansas and Texas Tech have a long history dating to the old Southwest Conference, with Arkansas holding a 30-8 lead in the all-time series that started in 1957.
This will be Texas Tech’s first appearance in Las Vegas, while Arkansas lost to UNLV in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl.
Dates for the games, times and broadcast networks have not been announced.
“We’re excited to have two regional rivalries involving national programs help fill our upcoming slate of games,” John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic and Las Vegas Bowl, said in a statement. “We have a successful history of both BYU and Oregon State competing in our city and know Las Vegas is a perfect location to match two old rivals to kick off the 2030 season when Arkansas and Texas Tech come to town.”
The Vegas Kickoff Classic previously announced three matchups, including two during Labor Day weekend in 2027.
Miami (Florida) meets Utah on Sept. 4, 2027, and North Dakota State takes on Montana State in Las Vegas. In 2029, FCS powers Montana and South Dakota State square off at Allegiant Stadium.
In the 2024 Vegas Kickoff Classic, USC defeated LSU 27-20 in front of 63,969 fans at Allegiant Stadium.
The inaugural Vegas Kickoff Classic in 2021 saw BYU defeat Arizona, 24-16.
“Las Vegas continues to be an ideal setting to kick off the college football season in a meaningful way,” ESPN Events vice president of events Clint Overby said in a statement. “In the previous Vegas Kickoffs, we have set records both in attendance and viewership.”
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.
