The Pac-12’s conference football championship game will be played in Las Vegas in 2020 and 2021.
Commissioner Larry Scott announced the move Wednesday.
The game has been played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., since 2014 but has been plagued by low attendance.
The 2018 game between Washington and Utah drew an announced crowd of 35,134, and the officially announced attendance has exceeded 50,000 just once. That was 2015, when a crowd of 58,476 saw Stanford-led Christian McCaffrey defeat Southern Cal.
The Las Vegas stadium that will be the future home of the Oakland Raiders will host the game.
“Highlighting and showcasing our programs on one of the biggest stages in a major destination market is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes, universities and fans, and consistent with our mission to create the best possible experiences for student-athletes,” Scott said.
Brett McMurphy of Stadium reported Tuesday that the conference was in negotiations to play in the stadium in Inglewood, Calif., that the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers will share. He said Wednesday the two sides couldn’t agree on terms, leading the Pac-12 to shift to Las Vegas.
–Field Level Media
