The Rise of Pro Sports in Las Vegas: UNLV Historian on Reinventing Sin City

University of Nevada, Las Vegas history professor Michael Green on the continued evolution of pro sports in Las Vegas and its road to the Super Bowl. The world knows Las Vegas by a number of names, ‘Sin City’ being one of the most prominent. Gambling and entertainment have long been the primary selling points for tourism here, but the city has now positioned itself as a sports mecca – the ‘Greatest Arena on Earth’. Featuring everything from Formula 1 championship racing to the NFL’s top prize in the Super Bowl, the events signing on are getting larger and more spectacular. That’s not by mistake, and Las Vegas isn’t swinging above its weight class. This was always the way it was trending, with the seeds to sports success planted deep in the city’s past. “Las Vegas has considered sports important from the get-go,” said UNLV history chair and professor Michael Green. “It's been something that is a tourist attraction, but also a community attraction.” Having tourists sit in race and sportsbooks for events such as the Super Bowl and NCAA Championship games has always been a revenue generator for the hotels and casinos. But the growth had to come from beyond the Strip, and Southern Nevada has grown enormously. More: https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/replacing-sin-sports-reinventing-las-vegas UNLV News: https://www.unlv.edu/news About UNLV: https://unlv.edu Ready to be a Rebel? Apply Now: https://unlv.edu/apply