Las Vegas Expects $500M–$700M Economic Boost From 2027 College Football Playoff Championship Game

^{Winning the college football National Championship in Miami, Indiana celebrated. But analysts say the party will be twice as big next year in Las Vegas. (Photo: John Mersits / Sipa US / Alamy Live)}

Las Vegas Strip casinos and local businesses are expected to see a major economic boost when the College Football Playoff National Championship Game arrives at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25, 2027.

Local officials estimate the event will generate between $500 million and $700 million in economic impact, driven by visitor spending on hotels, casinos, dining, entertainment, and ancillary events across the city.

The CFP title game does not rival the Super Bowl in scale, but it has already proven capable of delivering significant returns. Early estimates from Miami, host of the most recent championship last week, put its economic impact at roughly $300 million, as the hometown Hurricanes fell 27–21 to Indiana in the title game.

Las Vegas hopes to at least double that figure.

Strip Casinos Poised to Benefit Most

Casinos closest to Allegiant Stadium — including Mandalay Bay, Luxor, MGM Grand, New York-New York, and Excalibur — are expected to see the largest direct impact due to proximity and walkability.

For comparison, Super Bowl LVIII generated approximately $1 billion in total economic activity in Las Vegas, with more than $600 million attributed to visitor spending alone. While the CFP championship is smaller in scale, officials believe Las Vegas’s event infrastructure positions it to outperform previous hosts.

Jeremy Aguero, a member of the 2027 Las Vegas CFP Host Executive Committee, said the final number will largely depend on which teams advance to the championship.

“A preliminary economic benefit of at least $500 to $700 million should be expected,” Aguero told Casinos.com. “The exact figure depends on which teams make it to the title game and how much activation occurs throughout the city.”

Why Vegas Has an Advantage Over Other Hosts

Aguero emphasized that the championship’s value comes from far more than the game itself.

“The football game alone is not generating half a billion dollars,” he said. “But everything that happens around that will be significant for Las Vegas.”

During Super Bowl week, Las Vegas hosted more than 300 official and unofficial events, including concerts, corporate meetings, fan experiences, and sponsored activities. City officials expect something similar around the CFP title game, though smaller.

Las Vegas’s scale plays a major role, too.

“There are advantages here that other markets simply don’t have,” Aguero said. “We have about 150,000 hotel rooms and more than 350,000 hospitality workers. [Hosting major events] is sort of what we do for a living.”

Ironically, Aguero added, Las Vegas’s lack of a local contender may help maximize visitation.

“In a situation where the home team is playing in their home stadium, you don’t get as much of an impact as you would if you have two traveling teams,” he said. “The likelihood that the Miami Hurricanes would be in a national championship football game is substantially higher than if the UNLV Rebels would be in that, so we don’t have the concern about having the local team necessarily limiting the number of people that would come into Las Vegas.”

Lessons Learned From Super Bowl LVIII

Las Vegas officials say the city is better prepared for the CFP championship thanks to lessons learned during Super Bowl LVIII.

Major infrastructure concerns — including the $382 million I-15 Tropicana Interchange Project — are now complete. The project, which caused significant traffic disruptions during Super Bowl preparations, was finished in September 2025 and is expected to improve both vehicle flow and pedestrian access near Allegiant Stadium.

Parking remains a challenge, but officials say increased foot traffic from nearby resorts and greater reliance on rideshare options should ease congestion.

Fan Experiences Expand the Economic Footprint

One of the Super Bowl’s biggest successes was the Super Bowl Experience at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, a fan festival that allowed visitors to participate in interactive events without attending the game itself.

The experience featured youth clinics, player meet-and-greets, interactive exhibits, and photo opportunities — including with the Lombardi Trophy — and attracted fans of all ages. Admission was free for children under 12.

“I never planned on buying game tickets,” said James Lee, a Kansas City Chiefs fan from the Bay Area who got to see the Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in 2024. “But the Super Bowl Experience let us feel part of the week without spending a fortune.”

City officials view the model as a template for future marquee events, including the CFP championship. The Super Bowl Experience took advantage of the fifth-largest convention space in the country and was well-received by fans of all ages. 

“For me, the best part was getting a family picture with the Lombardi Trophy and chatting with the other Chiefs fans,” said Lee (no relation). “For my son, playing flag football was the best because it was fun to go through the drills and then break out into teams to play.” 

Final Four Up Next, Then Another Super Bowl?

The CFP National Championship will open 2027 as Las Vegas’s first major NCAA event of the year. Another follows in 2028, when Allegiant Stadium hosts the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four.

The Final Four is one of the most popular sporting events in the U.S. It typically generates $20–$40 million in economic impact, significantly less than the CFP championship’s estimated $100–$300 million range.

Both, however, pale in comparison to the Super Bowl — which many expect to return to Las Vegas in 2029, following scheduled games in Santa Clara (2026), Inglewood (2027), and Atlanta (2028).