The NFL moved the Pro Bowl from Hawaii to Orlando in 2017, holding the All-Star game at Camping World Stadium for four years in a row. The game’s location is changing once again as the league announced Tuesday that the 2021 Pro Bowl will be held in Las Vegas at the brand new Allegiant Stadium.
It’s a smart decision by the NFL, not only moving the game to a livelier city, but also featuring one of its newest stadiums in a game played by the league’s best players. It could lead to fewer players bailing from the game if they’re selected, but it may not make a huge difference.
The biggest NFL stars are coming to Vegas.
The 2021 Pro Bowl presented by Verizon is heading to Las Vegas!
MORE: https://t.co/8SX9iW33gd pic.twitter.com/vwjwvVYiAD
— NFL (@NFL) June 16, 2020
The NFL is clearly fine with moving the Pro Bowl to different locations after primarily holding it in Hawaii for about 35 years, which could open the door for SoFi Stadium to host it at some point.
Like Allegiant Stadium, SoFi Stadium is also opening this year, and it’s going to be one of the premier venues in the country. It’s already slated to host events such as the 2022 Super Bowl, the college football championship in 2023, and the opening and closing ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in 2028.
It’s unlikely the NFL will hold the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl at the same venue in 2022, but could the league give SoFi Stadium the Pro Bowl at some point down the line? It certainly makes sense, especially if the Allegiant Stadium experiment leads to increased attendance.
NFL Media is going to have its headquarters right next to SoFi Stadium in Hollywood Park, too, which will keep everything in the same general area. It’ll be the NFL’s premier stadium thanks to its proximity to the league’s headquarters, which is all the more reason to hold the Pro Bowl there at some point.