ESPN Events Announces Future Vegas Kickoff Classic Matchups

North Dakota State to face Montana State in 2027, Montana meets South Dakota State in 2029

LAS VEGAS – ESPN Events has announced a pair of future Vegas Kickoff Classic games at Allegiant Stadium that will feature matchups of top FCS programs from the Big Sky Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Two Vegas Kickoff Classic games will now be contested during Labor Day weekend in 2027. A historic, first-time matchup of Miami (Fla.) vs. Utah – billed as the “Battle of the U” — was previously announced and will take place on Saturday, September 4. That game will now be preceded by another neutral-site matchup earlier that weekend when 18-time national champion North Dakota State meets three-time national champion Montana State in Las Vegas.

In 2029, Allegiant Stadium will host another matchup of FCS powers when two-time national champion Montana face South Dakota State, winners of back-to-back national titles in 2022 and 2023. Game dates, times and networks will be announced at a later date.

“Labor Day, Las Vegas, College Football – it’s the perfect trifecta to celebrate the start of the season,” said ESPN Vice President of Events Clint Overby. “Las Vegas continues to attract high-caliber events and ESPN is proud to work with these great programs and our local partners to kick off the upcoming seasons.”

Last year saw the largest crowd in Allegiant Stadium history (63,969) treated to a thrilling 27-20 USC win over LSU in the second Vegas Kickoff Classic. The inaugural Vegas Kickoff Classic in 2021 featured BYU defeating Arizona 24-16.

“After the record-breaking success of our season-opening game last year, it is exciting to announce these future matchups featuring brand-new markets for us with famously passionate fanbases,” said John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic and Las Vegas Bowl. “We look to make this an annual event and we are already working on more matchups to announce.”

Steve Hill, Chief Executive Officer, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, added, “Las Vegas has firmly established itself as the premier destination for the biggest moments in sports, and the Vegas Kickoff Classic builds on that reputation. These future matchups demonstrate our city’s ability to host marquee events that not only showcase top-tier athletics but also create unique experiences and lasting memories for athletes, fans, and visitors alike.”

The Vegas Kickoff Classic is owned and operated by ESPN.

Follow the Vegas Kickoff Classic on social media:

Website: www.lvbowl.com

X/Twitter: @LasVegasBowl

Facebook: facebook.com/lvbowl

Instagram: @lvbowl

 

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 hosted NFL Pro Bowls in both 2022 and 2023, and Super Bowl LVIII in February of 2024 – the first in Las Vegas history and hosted WrestleMania 41 in April of 2025. 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.

 

About The LVCVA
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with positioning Southern Nevada as the undisputed global destination for leisure and business travel. With 151,000 hotel rooms and nearly 15 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space in Las Vegas, the LVCVA’s mission centers on attracting visitors to the area. The LVCVA owns and operates the 4.6 million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), the Vegas Loop at the LVCC, designed and operated by The Boring Company, and the Las Vegas Monorail, an elevated 3.9-mile system with seven stops throughout the resort corridor. For more information, go to www.LVCVA.com, www.VisitLasVegas.com or www.VegasMeansBusiness.com.

 

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball 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.

All of ESPN. All in One Place. Coming August 21.
For the first time ever, ESPN will offer its full suite of networks and services directly to fans, along with an enhanced ESPN App that integrates game stats, betting information, fantasy sports, commerce, multiview options and a personalized SportsCenter For You. Designed to give fans more choice, flexibility and access to all of ESPN, these new features and functionality will be available to all fans who watch on the ESPN App on mobile and connected TV devices, whether they subscribe directly or through a traditional pay TV package. For more visit the ESPN DTC Press Kit.

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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