Las Vegas Sports Heat Up This November with Formula One, Raiders and More

^{A Red Bull car races past The Sphere during the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. (Photo: courtesy of Formula 1)} 

LAS VEGAS — The November sports calendar in Las Vegas is packed from beginning to end with a variety of special events. From Formula One’s return to the Strip to Raiders football, UFC fights, college basketball tournaments, and Golden Knights hockey, the city’s calendar is loaded with action nearly every day of the month. Combat sports return to Las Vegas with two smaller UFC cards taking place away from the Strip.

The Raiders and Golden Knights host teams with some of the biggest fan bases in sports this month. Expect to see visiting fans dominate the crowd at least one football game at Allegiant Stadium and a few hockey games at T-Mobile Arena.

Formula One Returns to the Strip

The 3rd Annual Las Vegas Grand Prix Formula One race will make its annual stop in Las Vegas the weekend before Thanksgiving. The Las Vegas Grand Prix is such a significant event that the Strip will be closed to traffic throughout the race weekend, but fans can enjoy lots of free and paid F1-related events throughout the month.

The official Las Vegas Grand Prix Formula One race takes place Saturday, November 22 at 8 p.m, with practice sessions and qualifying scheduled for November 20 and 21. General admission prices start at $140 for practice sessions and increase with each round, while race tickets are the most expensive. Tickets are available throughout the circuit, from the Strip to Koval Lane and the Sphere. 

There will be free Formula One automobile pop-ups throughout race week at various MGM Resorts properties, including Mercedes at Aria, Haas at The Cosmopolitan, and Williams at New York-New York.  Wynn’s Ultimate Race Week features mostly VIP events, but guests can take part in the Red Bull Pit Stop Challenge and view art pieces at the Players Lounge inside the Encore Tower from Nov. 19-23.

For the first time this year, the female-only F1 Academy racing series will participate in race week events.  Fans can also enjoy the newly opened F1 Arcade at Caesars Palace, featuring 21,000-square-feet of fun and 87 race simulators along with food and drinks.

Raiders Take Center Stage at Allegiant

While there are plenty of Raiders fans in Las Vegas, they don’t always show up for home games at Allegiant Stadium. Visiting fans for some of the most popular teams make their annual trip to Las Vegas to see their favorite teams, and they’re willing to pay big money for tickets.

The Dallas Cowboys have long been considered “America’s Team,” and ticket prices for their game against the Raiders on November 17 reflect that popularity. While the cheapest tickets on the secondary market for the Jacksonville Jaguars game on November 2 are just over $100, tickets for the Cowboys game start at almost $450. Premium seats for the game are selling for well over $2,000. The Raiders will close out their November home game lineup slate against the Cleveland Browns on November 23.

Anyone visiting for a game or even without tickets should keep an eye on MGM’s Fan District page for pregame and postgame discounts along with special player appearances at Mandalay Bay or Luxor.

Vegas Golden Knights Will Keep It Pushing

Some East Coast hockey fans won’t have to wait until deep winter to escape to Las Vegas to see their favorite teams. Both New York teams, Detroit and a couple of eastern Canadian teams will visit T-Mobile Arena for the only time this season. Expect to see plenty of visiting team jerseys at these games:

• Nov. 4 vs. Detroit 
• Nov. 6 vs. Tampa Bay
• Nov. 8 vs. Anaheim 
• Nov. 10 vs. Florida 
• Nov. 13 vs. N.Y. Islanders 
• Nov. 18 vs. N.Y. Rangers
• Nov. 26 vs. Ottawa 
• Nov. 28 vs. Montreal
• Nov. 29 vs. San Jose 

The Knights’ games make for a fun mix of traditional hockey and Vegas-style entertainment all in one. The month is packed full of games, but it won’t be surprising to see them sell out.

College Basketball Takes Over the Strip

The college basketball season jumps off in a big way in Las Vegas. Not only are the local UNLV Rebels starting the season, but teams from around the country will also be in town for early-season tournaments. 

The Hall of Fame Series is back in Vegas for the third year in a row, bringing the top four teams together to officially tip off the basketball season. The event is a simple one day event with games on Nov. 3. The Arizona Wildcats will face the Florida Gators, and the BYU Cougars will go against the Villanova Wildcats. The Arizona game tips off at 4 p.m, and BYU is slated for 6:30 p.m. If the early games run over time, expect a late start for the second game.

The UNLV season also gets started this month with some warm-up games at the Thomas & Mack Center. Games will move to arenas on the Strip down the line on Nov. 24 and 25. 

• Nov. 4 vs. UT-Martin
• Nov. 8 vs. Chattanooga
• Nov. 11 vs. Montana
• Nov. 20 vs. St. Joseph’s 

The Players Era Festival

This month’s biggest college event is the Players Era Festival from Nov. 24-27 at MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay, a college holiday tournament where 18 teams from around the country have a chance to earn prize money. The event has become so popular that the number of teams doubled from its first year, and even UNLV is taking a shot at the $20 million prize pool this year.

This is a serious competition with men’s and women’s national championship contenders participating. St. John’s, Houston, Michigan and Gonzaga headline the men’s field, while the smaller women’s tournament includes South Carolina, UCLA, Duke and Texas. The tournament starts with games every hour, alternating between venues. 

Something for the Combat Sports Fans

It wouldn’t be a Las Vegas sports calendar without combat sports. There are two smaller MMA cards in November at the UFC Apex, located 10 to 15 minutes from the usual home for UFC events at the T-Mobile Arena.

• Nov. 1: UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama 
• Nov. 8 UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brown 

Each card includes more than 10 matches. While the UFC Apex events are smaller than the spectacles at T-Mobile Arena, these fights give fans a chance to see MMA up close rather than from an arena seat. 

November’s jam-packed sports lineup sets the scene for more regularly-scheduled programming in December, where the city will host more Raiders and Golden Knights home games, along with the NBA’s Emirates Cup.