Region to host Las Vegas Bowl game this weekend

College football fans looking to see a bowl game in person get their chance in Southern Nevada on Saturday.

The Las Vegas Bowl features the University of Oregon Ducks (7-5) against the Boise State Broncos (10-3). The game is set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Sam Boyd Stadium, 7000 E. Russell Road, about seven miles from both the University of Nevada, Las Vegas main campus and McCarran International Airport.

Tickets for the Las Vegas Bowl range in price from $45-$120 (plus fees and LET), depending on location. Visit www.lvbowl.com for more information.

Oregon is returning to the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time in more than a decade as the Pac-12 Conference representative. Boise State is the Mountain West Conference champion.

Boise State will play in the Las Vegas Bowl for the first time since winning three straight appearances from 2010-12. The Ducks, who will serve as the home team, have split their two previous trips, downing the Air Force in 1997 and falling to BYU in 2006.

Boise State stands 25th in the final College Football Playoff rankings, along with both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls. This marks the 11th time in the last dozen years that at least one of the Las Vegas Bowl teams brings in a top 25 ranking.

The matchup

This is the 26th edition of the Las Vegas Bowl.

“What a matchup we have for our city this year with two of the top national brands in college football,” Saccenti said. “It’s great to welcome 10-win Boise State back for the first time in a while after a hugely successful three-year run here. We are also thrilled to host Oregon for the first time in 11 years. We’re expecting a real battle between two high-scoring programs and look forward to hosting the Broncos and Ducks and their wonderful fans in Fabulous Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas Bowl will mark just the third meeting between these two western powers. Boise State won both previous games, 37-32 in Eugene in 2008 and 19-8 in Boise to open the 2009 season, which ended with a Fiesta Bowl victory by the Broncos.

The Ducks feature three players from the Las Vegas area: offensive linemen Tyrell Crosby (Green Valley High School), Sam Poutasi (Desert Pines High School) and defensive lineman Elijah George (Arbor View High School). Two current Broncos graduated from Southern Nevada high schools – offensive lineman John Molchon (Faith Lutheran High School) and defensive end Derriyon Shaw (Legacy High School).

Both teams arrived on Tuesday, Dec. 12, to enjoy a week full of activities.

National broadcast

Two on-air members of ESPN’s well-known College GameDay Built by The Home Depot highlight the crew assigned to call the Las Vegas Bowl, which will appear on ABC for the fifth straight season.

Longtime ESPN personality and College GameDay host Rece Davis will handle play-by-play here for the third time in his career (2013, 2009.

Kirk Herbstreit, who is also the analyst for the Saturday Night Football series on ABC, returns for his fourth Las Vegas Bowl but first since doing three straight from 2010-12. Finally, the team’s field reporter will be Molly McGrath, who works ESPN Friday night games and will be on the sidelines for this game for the first time.

The game will also be broadcast nationally on radio via the Sports USA’s network. Colorado play-by-play voice Mark Johnson will handle play-by-play while former college coach Gary Barnett will again serve as analyst.

The Las Vegas Bowl is one of 14 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a division of ESPN.