We all know how the saying goes. What happens in Vegas… stays in Vegas. However what about if you change the phrase into a question; “what happens in Vegas?” The first answer that will probably pop into your head is gambling, obviously. However in just a few months, you will be able to say, “NHL hockey happens in Vegas,” and a few years after that, “NFL football happens in Vegas.” That’s right – the moment the American sports world has been waiting for has finally arrived. Upper level professional sports are finally coming to Sin City.
For many people this is a long time coming. The NHL will expand from 30 teams to 31 teams this fall with the addition of the Vegas Golden Knights. With an odd amount of teams in the league, it is likely (in my opinion) that there will soon be another expansion team in the league. The home of the Golden Knights will be T-Mobile Arena, which was funded entirely by private funds. Meanwhile, the new Las Vegas home that will be built for the current Oakland Raiders team of the NFL will utilize $750 million in local taxes. And this will only cover approximately half the amount of money needed to build the stadium! The stadium will fit right in with the extravagant buildings lining Las Vegas Boulevard. However, many taxpayers are upset by the exorbitant amount of funds going into the stadium. Even the owner of the Vegas Golden Knight was critical of the move, saying the city, “could have spent Raiders money on ‘police, firefighters and teachers.’” This was clearly a move solely based on greed. While it might see great short-term returns due to all the hype, the franchises will face serious challenges in the future.
In all honesty, I think the move and the expansion to Las Vegas will not be successful in either sports. I had the pleasure of attending a professional sporting event in Las Vegas four years ago. Yes, Las Vegas is already home to the Las Vegas 51s, a AAA (highest level of minor leagues that feed to the MLB) baseball team. When I attended the game, it seemed as if there were about as many people there as at games played by my local minor league baseball team, the Harrisburg Senators. This is somewhat discouraging as Harrisburg has one-twelfth the population of Las Vegas. Furthermore, by looking at attendance records for teams in the Pacific Coast League, which consists of 16 AAA teams including the 51s, the 51s have consistently ranked 13th or worse in average attendance per game over the past five years. I think there is not a big enough local fan-base to support large scale professional sports teams in Las Vegas. In addition to the city having a somewhat small population, it is in the middle of the desert so the surrounding area’s population is pretty small as well. Only time will tell if the Vegas Golden Knights and the Las Vegas Raiders made a bad gamble or hit the jackpot.