Page 64 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Magazine Spring 2020

SPORTS

SPORTS

GALORE

PRO SPORTS DIVERSITY IN LAS VEGAS

Story by Bill Bowman
et’s face it: Las Vegas is a pro sports hotbed. Don’t
believe us? Well, let’s take a look over the last couple
of decades, hit the present entries in the field, and then
gaze into what could be a few future pro sports teams
L landing in Vegas.

Granted, it has been hit or miss with some professional sports.
We’ve seen minor league teams come and go (a couple of long-term
hockey teams eventually went away, and an XFL team and CFL
team made cameo appearances, as well as a few others). Now, how-
ever, the future of big-time sports is here and shining brightly. The
variety is as impressive as it is intriguing.

We’ll start with one of the earliest entries on the scene, the Las
Vegas Aviators. The AAA baseball team opened its
doors in 1983 as the Las Vegas Stars until a name
change in 2001 to the Las Vegas 51s. In 2018 the
team again changed names, this time to the Aviators
and moved into a brand new facility, the Las Vegas
Ball Park. Will Major League Baseball be next? There’s
always that chance, and with the success of other sports
opening their gates in Las Vegas in recent years, don’t
bet against it.

Not far behind came the National Finals Rodeo. Granted,
it’s not the high-profile sports of the big-four (Major League
Baseball, the National Football League, the National
Basketball Association, or the National Hockey League),
but it has made a lasting and deep impact with fans since the
first hosting of the event way back in 1985. It’s still here and
is still thriving. Las Vegas Aviators

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