From Mirage to Major Leagues: Why Vegas Finally Got Teams And If They’re Ever Welcome

When a city built on transient glamour became a testing ground for fandom, franchise economics and what "home team" really means in a town without roots.

Las Vegas has never waited for permission.

In 2016, it dropped $375 million on T-Mobile Arena, a gleaming NHL/NBA-ready venue with no NHL or NBA team. MGM and AEG didn’t ask leagues; they dared them. It was peak Vegas logic: If you build it, they will come… or at least the tourists will.

The NFL, NBA, and MLB clutched their pearls. Gambling! Transients! Distractions! (Never mind that leagues happily took casino ad money and hosted drafts on the Strip.) But Vegas had a hunch: this town doesn’t just consume entertainment, it weaponizes it.

And then, like a blackjack player hitting on 16, it got dealt a miracle.

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Bill Foley didn’t buy a hockey team. He bought a miracle.

When Foley dropped $500 million on an NHL expansion fee in 2016, the consensus was that it’d take a decade to see any real return. New teams are supposed to struggle, right? That’s the script. But Vegas doesn’t follow scripts. It sets them on fire and writes its own.

Their debut season in 2017–2018 wasn’t just a Cinderella story, it was a revenge arc for every city that was ever told "you’re not a sports town."

Nicknamed the "Golden Misfits," the team was stitched together through the 2017 Expansion Draft, a group of players that other franchises had considered expendable. But those castoffs made history. They sold out every home game. They won the Pacific Division. They went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

They didn’t just play hockey. They made the sport matter in the desert.

And this wasn’t some polite underdog run. They smashed expectations:

• Division Champions in their first year (unheard of)

• Most wins and points by any expansion team in NHL history

• Multiple playoff series victories

• Marc-André Fleury became a city icon in a mask (we still love flowers)

• William Karlsson and David Perron racked up goals and fan bases like they were born here (Wild Bill is my hero)

All while healing a city in mourning.

Days before their first regular season game, Las Vegas endured the Route 91 Harvest music festival massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. This hits hard for me as I sold my Route 91 tickets at the last minute due to a work function that I couldn't get out of; otherwise, my wife and I would have been there, specifically to see Jason Aldean. I’ll never forget hearing it unfold and thinking how that could have been us, and our hearts go out to all the victims.

The Knights opened with a 9-minute tribute. No glitz. No fireworks. Just silence, names, and respect. And then they gave Vegas something to believe in.

They became our team in a way no brand campaign could engineer. Local kids were wearing Golden Knights gear instead of Lakers jerseys. Bars turned into hockey shrines. Locals who didn’t know a puck from a pickle started watching.

And it wasn’t a fluke. In 2023, they demolished the Florida Panthers 9–3 to clinch the Stanley Cup. Six years after creation. That’s Vegas math: skip the rebuild and go straight to the parade.

Compare that to:

• The Florida Panthers (30 years, one Finals win… eventually… after decades of irrelevance)

• The Seattle Kraken (still figuring out if they’re a hockey team or a craft brewery)

• The 10 NHL Teams that have never won the Cup (Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets, Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, and Utah Mammoth (formerly Arizona Coyotes, Utah Hockey Club)

But the real story isn’t stats, it’s soul.

Vegas wasn’t supposed to care about sports. The leagues said we were too transient. Too distracted. Too drunk. Well, ok, maybe Too Drunk is sometimes accurate. I don't think many would argue against Wild Bill’s speech being one of the greatest in history, and when most cities would have talked fines, we printed T-shirts. Love that guy!

But VGK proved them wrong. With noise that broke sound meters at T-Mobile, and a fanbase that showed up early and stayed late, even if they didn’t understand icing.

The Golden Knights didn’t just win games. They exposed the lie that Vegas wouldn’t show up for something real.

They didn’t just build a franchise. They built belonging.

And they did it before anyone else even believed it was possible.

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Raiders - A Stadium Full of Tourists, a Void of Loyalty

The Raiders headline by 2020: a $2B Allegiant Stadium, $750M in public money, looming over the Strip. But the promise of a new NFL crown jewel masked a deeper concern: Vegas doesn’t adopt inherited fandom.

In 2024, Allegiant hosted an average of 54,843 fans per game—with 68% of them coming from outside the town, according to stadium data. Insider reporting confirmed that around one-third of the stadium was filled with opposing fans, from Cowboys to Chiefs, turning “home games” into neutral zones. And you know what, it feels that way. I know a California transplant and long-time Raiders fan who often says that it never feels as if the Raiders have home-field advantage.

Raiders faithful grumbled in forums:

“This is complete and utter bull**t” - a fan lament about the sea of non‑Silver-and-Black at Allegiant . -LVRJ

Owner Mark Davis reportedly fumed: he was “embarrassed” by stadium FOMO and rival fan overtake . PSL holders (Personal Seat Licenses) priced Vegas locals out, starting near $15K and rising to $75K in some cases. That’s a harsh touchdown call in a city where median income doesn’t match NFL pricing. The result: a stadium packed, but not with loyalty.

Relocation didn’t yield roots. The Raiders in Vegas feel like tourist attractions with football, not a team with town pride. They retained Oakland branding, even shipping the pirate ship to training camp. But without community DNA, they’re essentially retellings of history in chrome and black.

I often wonder if this will change in the next decade, as the population of Sin City grows and more people from California continue to move here. Will it change, or will tourism always prevail in terms of dollars and demand? The Raiders have such a deep history; if they were to become more than a middle-of-the-pack franchise, would Vegas rally behind them? I must admit, that's pretty typical of many cities.

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A’s-to-Be – Extraction, Reverse Boycotts & a $2 Billion Mirage

There was no confetti when the A’s broke ground in Las Vegas, just rented bulldozers on a dusty nine-acre Strip lot and a reporter whispering, “That whole ballpark cam is a still photo.”

June 13, 2023: As Nevada legislators approved $380 million in public funding for the Tropicana stadium site, more than 27,700 A’s fans showed up in Oakland’s decaying Coliseum wearing bright green “SELL THE TEAM” shirts. That reverse boycott wasn’t a protest for leaving, it was a plea to stay: We’re here. We still care.

Average attendance all season? 8,555 fans. But on that night, they multiplied to prove a point, fans showed up. Ownership just walked away. Too Little Too late?

What started as a $1.5B vision near Tropicana has exploded in cost. Since the groundbreaking in June 2025, construction is still largely symbolic, and rising estimates peg the final price at $2B. (for now)

John Fisher, the heir-set billionaire at the helm, is supposed to foot the rest. But private funding is shaky. He’s only spent $100M so far to unlock the public match. The rest? Supposed to come from hidden investors, loans, and asset sales like his MLS franchise. Without firm equity, the math doesn’t add up.

One economist told The Guardian: “Fisher is way short, and on the hook for overruns.” Another called him a “dead man walking,” warning Vegas taxpayers may bail him out yet again.

Is This Another Raiders or VGK?

Local sentiment? Mixed at best:

“Why is that our responsibility? Our funding should go for schooling.” — Laurie Hays, Las Vegas resident

Some celebrate the potential ride. Others revile the deal as developer welfare masquerading as civic interest. Reddit threads mock the size: Vegas locals say they’re getting the same price as Oakland, but on 1/12 the land.

At a 2023 Nevada sports forum, panelists from VGK, Aces, and Raiders barely masked indifference at the idea of welcoming the A’s. One quipped at the crowd: “Are you alive back there, Vegas?”

I guess the verdict is still out. Is this doomed to be another shiny transplant with no soul? Or will Fisher dig deep, secure funding, and build a baseball juggernaut? Right now, the odds and their narrative don’t favor victory.

Recently on X someone commented on one of my posts saying how you barely see A’s merch worn around town, and now that I think about it, he’s right. This franchise is not earning Vegas yet, it’s being shoved in. If locals reject it, no Las Vegas magic can fix what Oakland abandonment broke. Proclamations of a 2028 opening. Critics note that half the funding is unresolved, and many question the public funds being funneled into a relocation plan that feels rushed

I believe Vegas deserves better than another Vegas-in-name-only team. Fisher inherited 56 years of Oakland baseball. That legacy still looms over Tropicana Avenue.

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NBA Rumors- A Franchise Built or Just Bought?

If there’s another league Vegas might get right, it’s the NBA. But can the city bring more than a stadium and spectators? Let’s break it down.

Summer League in Vegas is no minor event. Between July 10–20, 2025, the Thomas & Mack Center hosted 136,130 fans, with three sold‑out nights at 17,500 seats each, surpassing many MLB parks in attendance for those nights alone.

It’s prime basketball season in the desert heat, a showcase not just for rookies but for culture, fandom, and demand. When players like Damian Lillard say, “I know why I’m here, it isn’t to party,” you know they see purpose.

If the NBA truly pulls the expansion trigger, Summer League will be its blueprint: sell fans on the brand before the banner goes up.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has labeled Vegas “definitely” on the expansion list once current media deals wrap. But that process is deliberate: cash flow studies, conference alignment, and talent dilution models are in play before expansion happens.

In mid-July 2025, league governors formally tasked finance, strategy, and audit committees with evaluating expansion, and Vegas and Seattle emerged as frontrunners.

But tipping the scale? It’s the financial appetite, and that’s massive. Estimates suggest a franchise fee could hit $4–5 billion, dwarfing past expansions.

It wouldn’t be Vegas without glitz. LeBron James, who owns a mansion in Las Vegas, and Shaquille O’Neal have both publicly dropped hints. LeBron has said owning a Vegas team “just makes sense.” Shaq reportedly wants to go solo, “I want it all for myself.”

Would that be great press or a headline that screams “celebrity rebrand”? Success in Vegas is earned, not aspirational. All-Star Weekend was hosted here in 2023–24, but in Silver’s words: Vegas isn’t pipe-dream territory, it’s “a franchise in spirit” already.

And the rumors are wild, for a time it seemed there was a new Arena project popping up weekly, and every Uber driver in the city seems to have an opinion, just last week one was swearing the Dallas Mavericks were moving to Vegas.

You need a court to play. Will someone roll the dice and capture some T-Mobile magic? Here’s who’s trying.

1. The LVXP Project

On 27 acres between Fontainebleau and Sahara, this glitzy $3 billion pitch includes an 18,500–20,000 seat arena, a 2,500-room resort, luxury condos, convention space, and a casino, basically the NBA version of a Swiss Army knife. Clark County already greenlit some permits, and AECOM is set to design the arena. It’s flashy, dense, and very Vegas.

2. The Oak View Group Megaproject

This $10 billion vision promises a 20,000-seat arena, resort, and hotel. They’ve locked in arena financing, but the location is TBD. Originally pegged for Las Vegas Boulevard and Windmill, it may pivot toward open land near the Rio. The vibe? Massive. And possibly mobile.

3. The T-Mobile Arena Renovation Plan

Already home to VGK, this 18,000-seat arena could go NBA-ready with a proposed $300 million retrofit. VGK owner Bill Foley has flirted with NBA ownership and could fast-track a team launch here before a dedicated arena is finished.

No official timelines are locked in, but NBA analysis is underway, and expansion could be greenlit within the year. Should we expect one of these projects to become the new basketball temple, something else, or maybe all three fight it out like a steel cage match with sponsorships?

Vegas doesn’t do stories. It lives them. The NBA’s playbook must be homegrown, not bought. Silver, investors, and summer league hype don’t guarantee passion.

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Final Word: I Bleed Black & Gold, But Loyalty Has a Price Tag in This Town

I won’t lie: I’m a Vegas Golden Knights guy through and through. From the very first puck drop in 2017, this team felt ours. I don’t just cheer for them, I plan around them. I yell at my TV like it owes me money. I know the names, the stats, the playoff heartbreaks, and the sweet, sweet Cup win in ’23. And I’m not alone. VGK didn’t just unite locals, it gave this transient, glitzy, chaotic city a shared heartbeat.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: being a sports fan in Vegas is getting expensive as hell.

From skyrocketing ticket prices to PSL fees and resort-style pricing on beer, it’s not always easy to support your team from the stands, especially when half the arena is filled with tourists in visiting jerseys who just wanted a night out before hitting Omnia.

It’s not a loyalty problem. It’s a logistics one.

Because yes, we have the demand. Yes, locals care. Yes, this city can support big-league teams.

But it has to stop pricing us out in the process.

I’m thrilled that Vegas is now a sports town. Truly. A decade ago, that was just a fantasy draft pick. Now we’ve got Stanley Cups, Super Bowl hosts, WNBA titles, and NBA expansion knocking on the door. That’s badass. That’s Vegas.

But I also hope ownership groups, new and old, understand this isn’t just about building billion-dollar playgrounds on the Strip. It’s about earning our loyalty, not just extracting our wallets.

And as long as this doesn’t dig deeper into our taxes and we don’t keep inheriting teams with baggage and zero ties, I’ll say it:

More sports in Vegas?

I’m in.

Just don’t forget who was here before the neon turned into jerseys.

And don’t expect us to cheer for a name, we cheer for a story.

-Jason

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