The PGA Tour comes to Vegas when the Tournament of Champions debuts at the Desert Inn Country Club.
Archie Moore beats Nino Valdés to take a heavyweight title—the first marquee fight in what became boxing’s unofficial home city.
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In Vegas’s first pro football game, the Oakland Raiders beat the Houston Oilers in an AFL preseason matchup at Cashman Field.
The Shark arrives: UNLV hires Jerry Tarkanian.
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Lefty Rosenthal opens the first Vegas sportsbook, at the Stardust casino.
The NASL’s Las Vegas Quicksilvers debut; the franchise moves to San Diego after one season.
Formula One arrives on the Strip: The Caesars Palace Grand Prix runs in ’81 and ’82, but F1 doesn’t return to Sin City until 2023.
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The Las Vegas Stars are born, bringing Triple A baseball to town.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks the NBA’s all-time scoring record at the Thomas & Mack Center, then the temporary home of the Utah Jazz because of poor attendance in Salt Lake City.
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In his third trip to the Final Four, Tarkanian finally gets his ring when UNLV destroys Duke in the NCAA final.
The Las Vegas Bowl is created; Bowling Green beats Nevada 35—34.
The Las Vegas Posse debut in the CFL; they fold after one season.
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The A’s start the MLB season with six games at Cashman Field while Oakland Coliseum is being renovated; they go 2–4 there.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway opens, soon making the city an annual stop on the NASCAR Cup series.
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Tiger Woods, 20, gets his first pro victory at the Las Vegas Invitational.
The Las Vegas Outlaws defeat the New York/New Jersey Hitmen—and Rod “He Hate Me” Smart becomes a star—in the first XFL game, at Sam Boyd Stadium.
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The NBA Summer League launches, with six teams playing at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The NHL’s Vegas era dawns: The Golden Knights make a run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season.
The WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces play their first game, at Mandalay Bay.
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Allegiant Stadium opens, and the Raiders begin their Vegas residency with a win on Monday Night Football.
At the first Vegas NFL draft, the red carpet floats outside the Bellagio.
The top-seeded Aces win the WNBA title, giving the city its first major pro championship.
The Golden Knights make it two titles for Vegas with a Stanley Cup win; the Aces repeat to make it three.
The Nevada legislature approves public funding for a $1.5 billion stadium on the Strip, paving the way for the A’s to relocate from Oakland.
