ESPN Events has announced Vegas Kickoff Classic matchups for the 2027 and 2029 seasons, which features some of the top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) programs.
A historic, first-time matchup between the Miami Hurricanes and the Utah Utes was previously announced for Saturday, Sept. 4, 2027. That game will now be preceded by an FCS matchup featuring the 18-time national champion North Dakota State Bison and the three-time national champion Montana State Bobcats at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A specific date for the North Dakota State-Montana State game was not revealed, but it will presumably be played on Thursday, Sept. 2 or Friday, Sept. 3.
“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.”
A Vegas Kickoff Classic for the 2029 season was also announced, which will feature the two-time national champion Montana Grizzlies facing the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, winners of back-to-back national titles in 2022 and 2023. The exact date was not announced, but the game will be played during Labor Day weekend (Thursday, Aug. 30 – Monday, Sept. 3).
“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.”
Allegiant Stadium is the home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and also the UNLV Rebels. The stadium opened in 2020 and has a seating capacity of 65,000, which is expandable to 71,835.
Future Vegas Kickoff Classic Games
2027 – Miami vs Utah
2027 – North Dakota State vs Montana State
2029 – Montana vs South Dakota State
Football Schedules
North Dakota State Football Schedule
Montana State Football Schedule
South Dakota State Football Schedule