Las Vegas Bowl announces Power 4 matchup for New Year’s Eve game

No. 15 Utah will make a record-setting seventh appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

Its opponent will be playing in the Dec. 31 game at Allegiant Stadium for the first time.

The Utes (10-2) will meet Nebraska (7-5) at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN, bowl officials announced Sunday.

“It was an easy decision with them being 10-2, 15th in the country and a drivable school during a holiday week,” Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti said of the Utes. “It’s hard to pass on that, and then add Nebraska and you have two great traveling fan bases. This was a really important year for us to make sure we filled the hotels and the stadium.”

Saccenti said he thinks the game will have no problem breaking the event’s all-time attendance record of 44,615, set when BYU played Oregon at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Nebraska has already sold its initial allotment of tickets, according to Saccenti.

Utah, which features the No. 2 rushing attack in the nation at 269.8 yards per game, is 4-2 in the Las Vegas Bowl. Its last appearance was in 2023, a 14-7 loss to Northwestern.

The Utes’ four victories are tied with Boise State for the most in the history of the game, which dates to 1992. Utah also has won two conference title games at Allegiant Stadium.

“At first, I was worried about maybe some ‘Vegas fatigue,’” Saccenti said of selecting the Utes again. “But I talked to (Coach Kyle Whittingham), and I think there are only one or two players who were on this roster two years ago, so it’s a fresh experience for just about every player on the roster.”

The game could be the last for Whittingham, 66, who has yet to announce whether he will retire after the season.

The Utes’ losses were to BYU and Texas Tech, who played for the Big 12 championship Saturday.

The Cornhuskers are 4-0 against Utah, but the teams haven’t played since 1992.

Nebraska lost polarizing starting quarterback Dylan Raiola to a season-ending broken fibula last month and struggled down the stretch.

Star running back Emmett Johnson declared for the NFL draft last week and is not expected to play in the Las Vegas Bowl.

“Our football team has played from coast to coast this season, and Husker fans have flocked to each stop along the way and filled the stadium with red,” Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said. “I am sure that the bowl game at Allegiant Stadium will be no different.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.