brianna williamsESPN7 minute read
More than just a laid-back vacation destination with casinos, wedding chapels, and residency performances, Las Vegas has become a full-fledged sports city in recent years.
Sports organizations and fans flock to Sin City, as evidenced by the 2023 F1 World Championship, which kicks off at the newly constructed Las Vegas Strip circuit on Saturday.
This weekend’s Grand Prix will feature some of the sport’s top athletes, including reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, reinforcing Las Vegas’ status as one of the nation’s premier sporting cities. continuing.
Read more: Will F1’s $500 million Las Vegas Grand Prix live up to the hype?
Here’s a glimpse into how the city got to where it is today and what’s next.
Las Vegas welcomed its first professional sports team when the NHL expanded to 31 teams with the creation of the Golden Knights. Before the first year, owner Bill Foley set high expectations for the team to reach the playoffs within three years and win the Stanley Cup within six years.
The Knights had immediate success in their first year, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, but losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.
In its first six years, Vegas has won three district championships, two conference championships, and the 2023 Stanley Cup.
The Aces, a WNBA franchise previously affiliated with the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs, moved to the city in 2018.
After finishing ninth in their first season, the Aces have made the playoffs five consecutive seasons and finished first in their conference four times. In 2022, the Aces won the franchise’s first championship and Las Vegas’ first professional sports championship. Led by two-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, they won the 2023 WNBA Finals and became the first WNBA back-to-back champions in more than 20 years.
After traveling back and forth between their founding city of Oakland and Los Angeles, the Raiders settled in the desert.
The Raiders’ best season since the move was 2021, when they finished 10-7 and made the playoffs as a wild card. While the Raiders haven’t seen the success of their aforementioned opponents, they appear to be trending upwards under interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Major League Baseball is slated to be the city’s next sports facility acquisition.
Major League Baseball’s owners unanimously voted in favor of moving the Athletics to Las Vegas, laying the groundwork for MLB’s first team relocation since the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Details regarding the team’s relocation plans have not yet been announced, but the lease with the Oakland Coliseum expires after the 2024 season and the stadium on Las Vegas’ The Strip is scheduled to be built by 2028.