ESPN’s Las Vegas Bowl Canceled Due to COVID

The 2019 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl
The 2019 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl (Image credit: Isaac Brekken / ESPN Images)

This season’s Las Vegas Bowl has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic which has been forcing numerous college football games to be called off or postponed.

The Las Vegas Bowl is one of 17 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events.

This year’s game would have been the first played at the new Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

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“Unfortunately we will have to wait another year to present the Las Vegas Bowl in its new home,” said John Saccenti, Las Vegas Bowl executive director. “This was a difficult decision but the right one considering that our game was founded nearly three decades ago to help drive tourism to the Entertainment Capital of the World during the month of December. We are looking forward to making our bowl week bigger and better than ever in 2021.”

The Vegas Bowl features teams from the SEC, Pac 12 and Big Ten on a rotating basis. This season’s game would have pitted an SEC squad against one from the Pac-12.

"The Pac-12 is disappointed for our teams and fans that the Las Vegas Bowl has been forced to cancel this year's game,” said Larry Scott, Pac-12 commissioner. “We look forward to next year's game, which promises to be a fantastic national stage in one of the world's best football stadiums, to showcase Pac-12 football.”

The decision to cancel came as Nevada officials ordered a statewide pause that includes restrictions on the size of public and private gatherings.

“We are disappointed the Las Vegas Bowl has been cancelled for the 2020 football season and will miss the opportunity for SEC student-athletes to experience an exciting new venue,” said Greg Sankey, SEC commissioner. “We have no doubt the Las Vegas Bowl will be a great part of the future SEC bowl lineup and look forward to our partnership in the years ahead.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.