Allegiant Stadium

• 1. Introduction

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  Allegiant Stadium opened in 2020 on roughly 62 acres of land in Paradise, Nevada. It became the home field of the Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV Rebels college football team. Its price tag, $1.9 billion, puts it among the most expensive stadiums built anywhere in the world. The Raiders had been trying to get a new stadium built since the 1980s. They were stuck at an impasse in Oakland when a Las Vegas plan finally took shape. Inside the finished building, the desert sun still reaches the field even though the entire structure can seal itself shut. Getting from that impasse to opening day took a financing plan that fell apart more than once. It also took a construction budget that kept climbing higher than planned. What finally pushed the project through, and what does the finished building actually look like from the inside?

• 2. The Death Star

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  Mark Davis hired MANICA Architecture to design the stadium. It was the same firm behind an earlier, unbuilt stadium proposed for Carson, near Los Angeles. Davis kept much of that Carson look because he "fell in love with the overall design of it." Ten levels rise inside a silver and black exterior, with light-up strips installed by a company called YESCO. Facing Interstate 15, a media mesh video screen measuring 275 feet stretches across that exterior. On the opposite side, facing the Las Vegas Strip, large curtain-like windows can retract to open the building to the outside air. In the north end zone, an 85 foot torch holds a flame lit in memory of Al Davis, the team's longtime former owner. In 2019, that torch was reported to be the largest 3D printed object in the world. The stadium has picked up a nickname of its own, the Death Star, a nod to the Star Wars franchise. The playing surface can also change entirely depending on who is using it. A natural Bermuda grass field, similar to the one at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, rolls in on a tray for most NFL games. That setup lets the grass sit in real sunlight when the stadium isn't in use. It also lets other events happen without risking damage to it. UNLV games use a separate artificial turf field instead, laid directly onto the stadium's concrete floor. The college team prefers turf, and organizers were also wary of two teams wearing out one grass field. When the grass tray rolls back in, that turf gets rolled up and stored underneath the stadium. Around the building, 2,700 parking spots ring the stadium itself, with another 6,000 close by. More than 35,000 parking spaces in total sit within a mile of Allegiant Stadium. That much capacity would matter later, once record crowds started arriving for concerts and championship games.

• 3. A Deal That Nearly Died

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  In January of 2016, reports surfaced that Las Vegas Sands was considering a stadium project with Majestic Realty and UNLV. The plan centered on a 42 acre site UNLV owned along Tropicana Avenue. UNLV had been looking for a new stadium since at least 2011, hoping to replace the aging Sam Boyd Stadium. Raiders owner Mark Davis flew to Las Vegas on the 29th of January 2015 to tour potential sites. He met Sands chairman Sheldon Adelson during that same visit. The trip came the same month the Raiders missed out on relocating to Los Angeles. The Rams and Chargers had claimed the new stadium being built in Inglewood instead. Oakland offered no way forward, and Sam Boyd Stadium was too small to meet NFL standards. Nevada had no other stadium built for professional football at the time. The Raiders had played a preseason game in Las Vegas once before. It came at Cashman Field against the Houston Oilers, back in 1964, during the team's American Football League days. Al Davis himself had once considered relocating the franchise there. On the 21st of March 2016, Davis told reporters, "I think the Raiders like the Las Vegas plan," calling it "a very very very intriguing and exciting plan." He met Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval to discuss it. On the 1st of April, he toured Sam Boyd Stadium to see if it could serve as a temporary home. By the 28th of April, Davis had committed the Raiders to the move. He pledged $500 million toward a proposed $1.4 billion domed stadium. "Together we can turn the Silver State into the silver and black state," he said. The Sands board of directors rejected Adelson's stadium proposal that spring. Adelson pressed ahead on his own, pledging $650 million of his personal wealth. That plan hit trouble in June of 2016, when Southwest Airlines objected to the Tropicana Avenue site. The airline argued it sat too close to a runway at Harry Reid International Airport. The search widened to nine possible sites, among them the Wynn golf course and the Riviera casino. By September it had narrowed to two: the Bali Hai Golf Club south of Mandalay Bay, and a vacant lot on Russell Road west of Interstate 15. On the 25th of August 2016, the Raiders filed a trademark application for the name "Las Vegas Raiders." Renderings of a proposed design went public that same day. On the 15th of September, the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee unanimously recommended $750 million in public funding. Majestic Realty withdrew from the project that October. That same month, Governor Sandoval called a special session of the Nevada Legislature. The funding bill passed 16-5 in the Senate and 28-13 in the Assembly. Sandoval signed it into law on the 17th of October, clearing Clark County to raise its hotel tax. The Raiders filed formal relocation papers on the 19th of January 2017. They then submitted a proposed lease paying one dollar in rent, while keeping naming rights and signage revenue for themselves. Within days, Adelson pulled his $650 million out of the project entirely. Goldman Sachs, which had planned to help finance the stadium, withdrew soon after. The Raiders' own share of the cost was expected to jump from $500 million to $1.15 billion. Bank of America stepped in on the 6th of March, agreeing to lend $650 million to cover the gap Adelson left behind. Three weeks later, on the 27th of March, NFL owners voted 31-1 to approve the move. The Raiders closed on the Russell Road land on the 1st of May, paying $77.5 million for it. Ten days later, a joint venture of Mortenson Construction and McCarthy Construction was named to build the stadium. Mortenson had previously worked on U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. On the 18th of May, the stadium authority approved a 30 year lease with four five-year extension options. All that remained now was to actually build the thing.

• 4. Dynamite and a Buried Flag

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  Site preparation on the Russell Road lot began on the 18th of September 2017. A formal groundbreaking ceremony followed on the 13th of November. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell attended, alongside Mark Davis and his mother, Carol Davis. Raiders legends Howie Long, Jim Plunkett, Tom Flores and Ray Guy stood alongside Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman. Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak and stadium authority head Steve Hill also attended. George Lopez hosted the event, which also featured Carlos Santana and longtime Las Vegas entertainer Wayne Newton. Howie Dorough and Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys performed as well. The ceremony paused for a tribute to victims of the mass shooting that had struck Las Vegas one month earlier, in October 2017. Judith Hill and the Las Vegas House of Blues Gospel Choir performed "Rise Up." Organizers lit 58 beams of light, one for each of the 58 people killed in the attack. By January, construction crews were blasting caliche rock with dynamite to carve out the stadium bowl. That December, a construction worker had quietly buried a Kansas City Chiefs flag near what was expected to become the new stadium's 50-yard line. Clark County renamed the site that August, changing its address from 5617 Dean Martin Drive to 3333 Al Davis Way. Two years later, on the 24th of May 2019, the Raiders added 20 more suites in the south end zone. Six went on the main concourse and 14 on the lower suite level. The goal was to make the building more attractive to a future Super Bowl. On the 27th of January 2023, with Super Bowl LVIII already awarded to the stadium for 2024, the Raiders announced still more suites on the 100 level sidelines. Those additions came on top of a budget that had already grown far past its original estimate.

• 5. The Budget That Kept Growing

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  The stadium's original construction budget was set at $1.8 billion. That figure grew twice in 2019. The first increase came in May, when the roof trusses had to be retrofitted. The second came in September, after extra work shifts were needed to fix a broken truss. Contractor Don Webb received an additional $40 million at a Stadium Authority Board meeting on the 23rd of May 2020 to cover the first round of overages. He received another $90 million to cover the second. Those increases pushed the budget to $1.97 billion, roughly $200 million over the original estimate. The finished stadium ultimately came in $25 million under that revised figure. It was still $175 million over the original $1.8 billion plan. Of the roughly $2 billion spent, $78 million went to the land itself and $1.33 billion went to construction. Another $123 million covered furniture and equipment, $234 million covered design and engineering, and $31 million covered utilities and infrastructure. Public money covered $750 million of the project. Clark County raised it through municipal bonds issued against a special hotel room tax that took effect in March of 2017. The Raiders covered the remaining $1.1 billion themselves. That included $200 million from the NFL's stadium loan program and $300 million raised from personal seat license sales, naming rights, and sponsorships. On the 5th of August 2019, the Raiders reached a naming rights deal with Allegiant Travel Company, the Summerlin-based owner of Allegiant Air. The deal covers the building's first 30 years of use, beginning in 2020. Local governments don't collect any rent or revenue share from the stadium. That arrangement would conflict with the tax-exempt status of the bonds that funded it. Supporters argued the deal would pay off through increased economic activity and tax revenue. Critics countered that those projections leaned on overly optimistic assumptions. When Clark County put $645 million of construction bonds up for sale in April of 2018, they sold out in 90 minutes. That kind of demand for a stadium nobody had used yet hinted at how much appetite there would be once the doors actually opened.

• 6. Playing to an Empty House

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  Clark County certified that the stadium had reached substantial completion on the 31st of July 2020. That cleared the way for a certificate of occupancy and formal leasing to the Raiders, though project closeout work was scheduled to continue into October. The team held its first closed-door practice inside the finished building on the 21st of August. The pandemic had already forced a change of plans. What was meant to be the stadium's opening event, a Garth Brooks concert, was pushed back to 2021. The Raiders played their entire 2020 season without spectators, saying the decision reflected "our commitment to protect the health of our fans and the entire community." Davis went further, vowing not to attend a single game himself until fans were allowed back in. The first event held inside Allegiant Stadium was a Monday Night Football game on the 21st of September 2020, a 34-24 Raiders win over the New Orleans Saints. Saints kicker Wil Lutz scored the building's first points with a 31-yard field goal on the opening drive. Running back Alvin Kamara ran in the first touchdown from one yard out at the 3:55 mark. The first Raiders touchdown came in the second quarter, a three-yard catch by fullback Alec Ingold. It was one of three touchdown passes that night from quarterback Derek Carr. UNLV played its first game at the stadium on the 31st of October 2020, losing the Battle for Nevada to the Nevada Wolf Pack 37-19. That game marked the first time fans were allowed inside the building. Under a delayed Mountain West Conference schedule, UNLV capped attendance at 2,000 people, about 3 percent of the stadium's 65,000 seat capacity. Fans were split into zones of no more than 250 people, spaced 25 feet apart. The Raiders played their own first game in front of fans on the 13th of September 2021, beating the Baltimore Ravens 33-27 in overtime on Monday Night Football. Everyone entering had to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, or get vaccinated on site, and wear a mask. Long before any of this, the Pac-12 Conference had already announced in July of 2019 that its football championship game would move to Allegiant Stadium starting that same year, one of many outside events already lined up for the building.

• 7. A Stage for Everything

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  The Las Vegas Bowl moved to Allegiant Stadium from Sam Boyd Stadium, pitting a Pac-12 team against an SEC or Big Ten opponent each December. Its planned 2020 debut was cancelled by the pandemic. The first edition actually played out in 2021, with Wisconsin defeating Arizona State 20-13. A newer neutral-site game, the Vegas Kickoff Classic, launched in September of 2021. BYU beat Arizona 24-16 in front of 54,541 fans. By September of 2024, that kickoff game drew 63,969 fans for a USC win over LSU, 27-20, a record crowd for any college football game played in Nevada. The East-West Shrine Bowl arrived in February of 2022 as part of NFL Pro Bowl week. Organizers moved the all-star game to Frisco, Texas, after just two editions at Allegiant. Notre Dame brought its Shamrock Series to the stadium on the 8th of October 2022, playing BYU as the designated home team. The stadium was also meant to host the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship. A scheduling conflict with the Consumer Electronics Show forced it off the calendar. That game will instead come to Allegiant Stadium on the 25th of January 2027. The NFL's 2021 Pro Bowl was awarded to Allegiant Stadium in June of 2020. COVID-19 pushed the game itself back to 2022, when the AFC beat the NFC 41-35. A second Pro Bowl Games event followed on the 5th of February 2023, with the NFC winning 35-33. The stadium's biggest NFL moment came on the 11th of February 2024. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in Super Bowl LVIII, in front of 61,629 fans, with Usher headlining halftime. Allegiant Stadium is set to host Super Bowl LXIII on the 11th of February 2029. Soccer arrived early too. The stadium hosted the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final on the 1st of August 2021 in front of 61,514 fans. A Leagues Cup final between León and the Seattle Sounders FC followed weeks later, a 3-2 León win. Club friendlies became a regular fixture, drawing crowds like the 61,299 who watched Barcelona beat Real Madrid 1-0. In 2024, the stadium hosted three matches of the Copa América tournament, two group stage games and a quarterfinal. Music took over the building starting on the 3rd of July 2021, when Illenium played the very first concert there as part of his Trilogy tour. Garth Brooks followed a week later with what promoters called the stadium's first "major" concert, drawing a sellout crowd of 68,000. Some of the biggest nights since have set records of their own. BTS sold out four Permission to Dance on Stage shows in April of 2022 for a combined $35,944,850. Taylor Swift became the venue's first female headliner with the Eras Tour in 2023. Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour pulled in over $25 million across two nights that August. George Strait's concert on the 7th of December 2024 became the most expensive stadium concert in history, with tickets averaging $490.29 each. Luke Combs set the stadium's concert attendance record instead, drawing 70,921 fans on the 21st of March 2026. Professional wrestling made its Allegiant debut with WWE's SummerSlam on the 21st of August 2021. Roman Reigns defended the Universal Championship against John Cena in front of 45,690 fans. WrestleMania 41 followed in April of 2025 and became the highest-grossing event in WWE history, headlined by a triple threat match between Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins. Combat sports finally reached the stadium on the 13th of September 2025. Terence Crawford beat Canelo Álvarez by unanimous decision in front of 70,482 fans, setting the venue's single-day live gate record at $47,231,887. Rugby league crossed an ocean to reach Allegiant Stadium. On the 2nd of March 2024, the stadium hosted two National Rugby League matches, the first regular-season NRL games ever played outside Australia or New Zealand. More games followed in 2025, including a women's test between England and Australia. The venue is booked to keep hosting the sport for five years. The Academy of Country Music got to the building earlier still, holding its 57th Awards show there on the 7th of March 2022. The NCAA announced in November of 2022 that Allegiant Stadium would host Las Vegas's first Final Four and National Championship games, set for the 1st through the 3rd of April 2028.