2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic to Feature Historic First Meeting Between Utah and Miami

LAS VEGAS – The University of Utah will meet the University of Miami on the football field for the first time in ESPN Events’ 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium.

The historic, interregional matchup between the Big 12 Conference and ACC powers is set for Labor Day Weekend 2027. Game date, time and network will be announced at a later date. It will be the third Vegas Kickoff Classic, following Arizona vs. BYU played in 2021 and the much-anticipated USC vs. LSU blockbuster will make up the second edition on Sunday, Sept. 1 at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET) on ABC.

“One of the great things about college football is that there are still first-time matchups like this one to capture the attention of fans across the nation,” said John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic and SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. “We have a frequent visitor to our city in Utah playing a national brand like Miami for the first time ever at one of the world’s greatest football venues. The Battle of the ‘U’ — the ‘U’ of the West against the ‘U’ of the South facing each other in the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World — and we cannot wait.”

The Vegas Kickoff Classic is owned and operated by ESPN.

Mark Harlan, Director of Athletics, University of Utah

“This is a tremendous showcase for our football program and our university to open the 2027 season on a national stage in the Vegas Kickoff Classic. We are excited for this opportunity to match up against the Miami Hurricanes, and we extend our thanks to the Las Vegas Bowl and ESPN Events for the invitation. It is a testament to our program and our great fans to participate in this type of event, and when the time comes, we will paint Allegiant Stadium red once again.”

Dan Radakovich, Vice President/Director of Athletics, University of Miami:

“We are excited to kick off the 2027 season against Utah in the Vegas Kickoff Classic. It not only gives our program an opportunity to play a great non-conference opponent on a national stage, but also gives our fans the chance to cheer on the Hurricanes in a world-class venue at a destination location.”

Follow the Vegas Kickoff Classic and SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on social media:

Website: www.lvbowl.com

Twitter: @LasVegasBowl

Facebook: facebook.com/lvbowl

Instagram: @lvbowl

About Allegiant Stadium

Located adjacent to the world-famous Las Vegas Strip and home to the Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium is an award-winning global events destination. A state-of-the-art, multipurpose venue with a capacity of 65,000, Allegiant Stadium has hosted world-class music artists such as Garth Brooks, The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Taylor Swift and BTS with more legendary concerts to come. The fully enclosed stadium is also home to the UNLV Rebels football team and has hosted premier sporting events such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Pac-12 Championship Game, Las Vegas Bowl, and WWE SummerSlam. The venue also hosted the NFL Pro Bowl in both 2022 and 2023, and has been selected to host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024. Allegiant Stadium is committed to giving back to the community through numerous diversity, inclusion, and community outreach initiatives. In addition, Allegiant Stadium is proud to be both LEED Gold certified and powered by 100% Nevada-sourced renewable energy, and is dedicated to implementing sustainable practices and programs. For more information on Allegiant Stadium, visit www.allegiantstadium.com or follow us at @allegiantstadm on X and @allegiantstadium on Instagram.

ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In 2024, the 34-event schedule includes four early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, the premiere regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube.

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Vegas Kickoff Classic contact: Mark Wallington at [email protected] (702) 528-6291

ESPN Communications contact: Danny Chi at [email protected] (213) 405-4400