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Hawaii wants to move a home game to Las Vegas. The prime candidate might not be a future Power Four opponent.
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The fire sale of Hawaii home games may have begun. Last week, the Rams and the Hawai'i Tourism Authority announced talks to move the Rainbow Warriors' 2027 home game against UCLA to SoFi Stadium. Duane Shimogawa's article for KITV also mentioned the program contacted the Raiders about hosting a game at Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium.
While the Rainbows' home games against Kansas and Arizona are logical candidates for a move to Sin City, Hawai'i's home game against New Mexico State next year deserves some consideration.
Sure, New Mexico State is one of the last programs one thinks of when headliners come to mind. Still, many factors work in their favor.
New Mexico State hardly plays games at NFL stadiums. While the Aggies played at Ford Field in the 2022 Quick Lane Bowl, it was only their seventh game at an NFL venue since 1970, third since 1974, and first since 2014. Over the last 50 years, the Aggies have played one game in an NFL stadium west of the Mississippi River, a visit to Qualcomm Stadium in 2009.
A trip to Allegiant Stadium is a "big-time" trip for a fanbase notorious for its lack of bowl appearances. While New Mexico State played in an NFL venue three years before, it was a difficult trip for several Aggies fans due to the Quick Lane Bowl occurring the day after Christmas. Las Vegas is a much more manageable trip at 10 hours away by car.
Additionally, New Mexico State head coach Tony Sanchez's local ties increase the draw for college football fans unfamiliar with New Mexico State and Hawai'i. Sanchez became a local legend after amassing an 85-5 record at Bishop Gorman. Although Sanchez could not take UNLV to a bowl in his five-year tenure, he improved the moribund program. One could argue that Sanchez makes New Mexico State more of a local draw than Hawai'i's future Power Four opponents.
Furthermore, a trip to Allegiant Stadium offers a journey to the past for Aggies fans. New Mexico State chased Las Vegas Bowl glory from 1992 to 1996 when the Big West sent its champion to the bowl. Unfortunately, the Aggies never ended their bowl drought in those years. A trip to a past bowl destination the Aggies aspired to reach could draw Aggies fans in droves.
More importantly, past WAC Basketball Tournaments make Las Vegas a cherished destination for Aggies fans. The Aggies' membership in Conference USA makes their next appearance in Las Vegas for basketball uncertain. Thus, New Mexico State fans would savor an opportunity to relive the glory days with a trip to Las Vegas, even for another sport.
Finally, a trip to Vegas presents a chance for New Mexico State to campaign for Mountain West membership. UNLV is one of the power brokers of the new-look Mountain West. The Rebels will receive 24.5% of the exit fees the conference will accumulate from PAC-12 departures. What better way to make your presence known to the conference than bringing a significant traveling fanbase and beating one of the Mountain West's teams in the conference's most important market? The Mountain West or PAC-12 is the goal for New Mexico State. Appropriate messaging could awaken the Aggies fanbase to travel en masse to Las Vegas.
Although one of Hawai'i's future Power Four home games against Kansas or Arizona could get moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico State offers an intriguing possibility for Hawai'i. Aggie fans rarely get to take trips to world-class venues like Allegiant Stadium. They also have something to prove to the Mountain West. Hawai'i should consider their former WAC foes if they move a home game to Las Vegas.
(The Playing Grounds of College Football: A Comprehensive Directory, 1869 to Today by Mark Pollak was an indispensable resource for this story. You can purchase it here.)
