The NFL will bring the Pro Bowl to Las Vegas for the first time in 2021, the league announced Tuesday.
The Raiders’ new Vegas home of Allegiant Stadium will host the game Jan. 31 and the week of festivities leading up to it. This year marks the first season an NFL team will call Sin City home.
“We look forward to partnering with the Raiders and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to bring the excitement of Pro Bowl week to our Las Vegas fans and community for the first time,” NFL executive VP of club business and league events Peter O’Reilly said in a statement.
After the annual all-star game was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, every year from 1979 to 2008, the league has experimented with bringing it around to different locations. The Dolphins’ Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens and the Cardinals’ University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale each hosted one Pro Bowl before the game was brought to Orlando, Florida, where it’s remained since 2016.
Las Vegas would have hosted the 2020 NFL draft if not for the coronavirus pandemic forcing it into a virtual-only format. The city is also practically a lock to be awarded a Super Bowl this decade, thanks to the Raiders’ new stadium and the warm climate.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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