Circa founder and CEO Derek Stevens believes Las Vegas is one of four cities that should host the first round of the College Football Playoff (CFP). This year marks the debut of the expanded 12-team playoff bracket format. Under this new system, the top four seeds receive byes into the quarterfinals, while the four games between the remaining eight teams will occur either at the higher-seeded team’s home field or another site designated by that team during the week of December 21, according to the NCAA.
In an interview on the Vegas Sports Information Network (VSiN) last week, Stevens warned fans against getting too attached to the idea of playoff games on college campuses. He pointed out that there could be significant economic challenges with this plan, and weather conditions could also be a major factor. “Everybody loves the thought ‘OK, Notre Dame is going to play at home the week before Christmas,'” said Stevens. “Maybe Ohio State or Michigan is at home. But you’ve got issues with stadiums, with turf, with student bodies.”
Stevens, originally from Michigan and a passionate supporter of the University of Michigan, used his alma mater as an example. He noted that filling “the Big House” just days before Christmas would be difficult because students would be away on holiday break.
In addition to his role at Circa, Stevens co-owns the D Las Vegas and Golden Gate, all situated in downtown Las Vegas. Critics might argue that Stevens has a vested interest in promoting Las Vegas as a host city for the first round of CFP games. Nevertheless, Stevens asserts that Las Vegas is a credible alternative for such an event. In his VSiN interview, he proposed that Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, should be a host along with SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Allegiant Stadium has experience hosting college football games as the home field for UNLV and as the host of the Las Vegas Bowl. Stevens hinted that there might be initiatives underway to bring the first-round CFP contests to these four venues in the future.
Hosting a CFP game could be a significant economic boon for Las Vegas. The city hosted the Super Bowl in February, generating a positive economic impact of more than $1 billion, including over $230 million in wages and salaries for workers. While a first-round CFP game might not bring in as much revenue, it would still benefit the city by allowing casino operators to increase hotel rates for that weekend. The influx of fans would likely boost gaming and food and beverage spending.
As of now, the NCAA has not publicly considered the idea of holding the first four CFP games at neutral sites.
