Cowboys fans make themselves at home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas | Raiders News

The Dallas Cowboys first regular-season game at Allegiant Stadium against the Raiders Monday night looked like more of a home game in Texas at fans traveled from around the country to see America’s Team Las Vegas debut.

There were at least as many Cowboys fans, if not more, as Raiders fans in attendance for the Monday Night Football showdown, something that doesn’t surprise Jack Miller of Star Sports Tours.

“I think it goes to show the loyalty of the fan base,” Miller said. “We’re 3-5-1 and you see all these Cowboys fans; they love their team. … I’ve been to away games all over the country, and I will tell you this is typical. I expected this.”

Star Sports Tours offers fan trips to most Cowboys away games outside of games against their NFC East division rivals. The Las Vegas trip included airfare, hotel, a get-together and on Sunday, including a meet-and-greet with Cowboys’ kicker Brandon Aubrey and a private pregame party at WSKY Stadium across Polaris Avenue from Allegiant Stadium.

The game is the second-most expensive game of the NFL season on secondary ticket marketplace TickPick, with an average purchase price of $687.

John Blessing, who hails from just outside of Baltimore, Maryland, made the trip to Las Vegas via a Star Sports Tours package, marking Las Vegas as his 13th city he’s attended as a Cowboys fan. Aside from his favorite team playing here, Blessing is a big Sin City fan who enjoys hitting the card tables in the casinos and taking in shows across the Strip.

“I’m lucky enough to be Row 10 behind the Cowboys’ bench,” Blessing said. “As far as Vegas, I’m excited for the stadium, when I saw the Cowboys’ schedule, it was a no-brainer for me to come. … I was already sold before this. Vegas is great for me. Me and my wife come out a couple times a year, and we will definitely come back any time the Cowboys play.”

Danny Marlow traveled to Las Vegas with his brother from Plainfield, Indiana, and said looking around at all the white and blue in-around-the-stadium, that it was giving the feel or more of a home game than a road affair.

“It shows they (Cowboys fans) love to travel,” Marlow said. “I’ve been to Cleveland, Ohio, Chicago, obviously Dallas and other places, and I have not seen this big of a turnout from Cowboys Nation. This is awesome.”

Marlow said one of the best decisions that the NFL has made in recent years is greenlighting the Raiders’ relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. Marlow and his brother not only spent the weekend on the Strip, but they explored other areas including Fremont Street and other spots in downtown Las Vegas. He said the kinds of experiences one can have in Southern Nevada are the kind you can’t replicate on other NFL cities.

“It helps out not only the Raiders who make money off this obviously; the Athletics are moving here. So that alone, this is the best thing in all of sports,” Marlow said. “Now they just need an NBA team.”

Ismael Zuniga, from Sacramento, California, has traveled to several cities to watch his favorite team of over 40 years; seeing the sea of Cowboys fans is nothing new for him on the road.

“We show out everywhere we go,” Zuniga said.

Zuniga made the trip to see the Cowboys in Las Vegas a seven-day stay, as he is also here celebrating his 54th birthday. He used his long stay in Southern Nevada to get the full Vegas experience. Zuniga and his wife travel to Las Vegas at least once a year, and this time adding a Cowboys game in the mix took it to a whole other level.

“Oh my God, it adds to the excitement and to the thrill,” Zuniga said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.