Once confined to the minor leagues, Las Vegas has experienced a meteoric rise in recent years, ascending to the forefront of professional sports and cementing the city’s title as the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World. The region now proudly hosts 14 diverse professional sports franchises, offering something to captivate every sports fan.
Outgoing Mayor Carolyn Goodman noted this comeback transformation of professional sports in the Las Vegas Valley during her 2024 State of the City Speech. She mentioned how her husband, then-Mayor Oscar Goodman, courted pro-sports as early as 1999.
“None like that we were a gambling state or a gambling city, and they wouldn’t even take, as you know, our TV ads every time he would try during Super Bowl; it was no to Las Vegas and no to Nevada. But times have changed,” she boasted.
Here, we provide a breakdown of the teams to root for as a Las Vegas local.
Hockey | Las Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights skated into town in 2017 as the city’s first professional sports team. The team became an instant hit and earned a passionate local fan base, proving the untapped potential of Las Vegas as a professional sports market. The VGK, as the team is affectionately known to locals, not only advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season but qualified for the playoffs their first four seasons and became the league’s youngest NHL franchise to win a Stanley Cup championship in 2023.
Hockey’s popularity in the desert extends to the Henderson Silver Knights, the Vegas Golden Knights’ American Hockey League affiliate. The team began playing in the 2020-21 season and played their home games at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson. These games are a popular outing for local families thanks to the team’s lower price point for tickets.
Football | Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders are the first NFL team to call Nevada home, moving to the city from their previous home in Oakland, California in 2020. Excitement for the team was so high that season tickets sold out a year before the first game was played. The Raiders play in the brand-new 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium, conveniently located just west of the Las Vegas Strip. The stadium is also home to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) football team and hosts other football events, including the Vegas Kickoff Classic each September, the Las Vegas Bowl in December, and most recently, Super Bowl LVIII in February 2024.
The Vegas Knight Hawks, a professional indoor football team and member of the Indoor Football League (IFL), is based in Henderson and began play in 2022 at Lee’s Family Forum. This league is also a family-friendly option, with the team offering family fun packs and kids’ days.
Basketball | Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas welcomed the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in 2018, bringing professional basketball to the market. The team quickly garnered a dedicated local following and rejuvenated interest in women’s professional basketball with their electrifying performances. To the delight of fans, the Aces won the 2022 WNBA Championship, becoming the first local professional team to win a championship, just to go on and win the 2023 Championship as well. Excitement is so high for the 2024 season that the team accomplished a WNBA first by selling out season tickets.
Rumors continue to swirl about the possibility of an NBA team coming to Las Vegas, but even without a formal announcement, the NBA already has a cozy relationship with the city. The NBA Summer League draws fans to the region every July. The inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament was held at T-Mobile Arena, and an NBA development team, the G League Ignite, played for several seasons at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson.
Even Mayor Goodman noted in her 2024 State of the City speech, “And if you still wonder, and I assure you, it’s not going to be if an NBA franchise will be here, it’s just a question of when.”
“And if you still wonder, and I assure you, it’s not going to be if an NBA franchise will be here, it’s just a question of when.”
Mayor Carolyn Goodman, Las Vegas 2024 State of the City Speech
Soccer | Las Vegas Lights FC
The Las Vegas Lights FC offers locals another reason to head to downtown Las Vegas. The USL team plays its matches at Cashman Field, just a quarter mile from the popular Fremont Street Experience. The team is 100% soccer with a Vegas flair, with a neon logo and the boldest jersey in professional soccer. The team is known for its unusual promotions, including the use of llama mascots and hosting the world’s largest water balloon fight during halftime.
Las Vegas also hosts high-profile matches between the world’s biggest soccer clubs, including the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal and 2022’s El Clasico between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Baseball | Las Vegas A’s
The city’s newest professional sports team will be Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Athletics, which will leave Oakland after the 2024 season ahead of their planned relocation to Las Vegas. The team is building a new $1.5 billion, 33,000-capacity ballpark on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas, expected to be ready for the 2028 season.
Las Vegas is also home to the Las Vegas Aviators (formerly the Las Vegas 51s), a minor league baseball team and the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The team plays their home games at the Las Vegas Ballpark, a 10,000-seat facility that opened in 2019 adjacent to Downtown Summerlin. Aviators’ games are a popular hangout spot for local families, couples, and groups of friends on summer evenings and weekends, with team promotions including giveaways and $2 beer nights.
UFC
Las Vegas is home to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world. UFC produces events worldwide that showcase 11 weight divisions, eight men’s and three women’s. In recent years, TV deals have allowed MMA to receive mainstream media coverage, and expansions to Australia, Asia, and Europe have expanded the organization’s reach. In 2023, UFC merged with the wrestling promotion WWE to form TKO Group Holdings, which is worth approximately $16 billion.
Racing | F1
Formula 1 racing returned to Las Vegas in November 2023 with the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix bringing $1.5 billion in economic impact and $77 million in tax revenues to the state. F1 and Clark County entered into a 10-year partnership to allow the race to take place on a mix of public and private roads in and around the strip the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and Liberty Media, F1’s parent company, spent $500 million on a 300,000 square foot permanent pit building, called Grand Prix Plaza.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway also hosts a variety of racing events throughout the year, including two NASCAR Cup Series stock car races. Each spring, the Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube, roars into town, followed by the South Point 400 in the fall. The speedway is also home to several National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing competitions, including the NHRA Nevada Nationals each fall.
Volleyball | Vegas Thrill
Professional women’s volleyball is the newest addition to the professional sports scene in Las Vegas, with the Vegas Thrill opening its first season in February 2024. The Thrill is one of seven teams in the new Pro Volleyball Federation, which includes teams from Atlanta, Columbus, OH, Grand Rapids, MI, Omaha, NE, Orlando, and San Diego. The team plays their home games at the Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson.
Lacrosse | Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Professional lacrosse also recently came to Las Vegas, with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs kicking off its tenure in winter 2022. The excitement takes place at Michelob Ultra Arena inside Mandalay Bay; with indoor box lacrosse, the team plays a shorter and faster game than outdoor lacrosse. And be sure to stick around for the afterparty for fans at Flankers Kitchen + Sports Bar.
Another Benefit of Living in Las Vegas as a Sports Fan
Even if you have hometown loyalty, wherever you are from, there’s a good chance your favorite team will come to Las Vegas to play. The game will be a winner no matter who scores the most! Explore our Living Here section to learn more about the benefits of calling Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, unincorporated Clark County, Henderson, Boulder City, or Mesquite Home.
