After a series of neutral-site showdowns against the SEC in semi-neutral stadiums thousands of miles from home, the Pac-12 finally will face a blue blood in a made-for-TV duel within its own footprint.
USC and LSU will collide at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to start the 2024 season, according to industry sources familiar with the process. The date has not been finalized, but the game will be on Labor Day weekend.
Sports Illustrated was the first to report the news.
LSU coach Ed Orgeron was the Trojans’ interim coach in 2013; the schools have been working for months to finalize the matchup, sources said.
In the complicated but critical non-conference scheduling game, this is a major win for the Pac-12.
The conference has a slew of home-and-home matchups against the SEC in coming years — LSU visits the Rose Bowl next week, in fact — but the made-for-TV matchups at neutral venues have always been played in the eastern half of the country.
And they never end well for the Pac-12:
— In 2016, USC lost its opener to Alabama 52-6 in Arlington, Tex.
— In 2018, Auburn beat back Washington 21-16 in Atlanta.
— The following season, Oregon wilted in the final quarter in a 27-21 loss to Auburn in Arlington.
Perhaps more than home-and-home affairs, the neutral-site duels have a substantial impact on the national narrative as it relates to overall conference strength. They also carry considerable weight when the playoff selection committee gathers to evaluate candidates for the semifinals.
Steve Hill, the CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told the Hotline this summer that neutral-site showdowns are something “we will pursue.”
“I believe it’s beneficial for Las Vegas and it’s beneficial for the Pac-12,” Hill said.
The Pac-12 championship is moving to Allegiant Stadium in December following a one-year delay due to the pandemic. The conference also stages its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Las Vegas.
And although it’s more regional than national, Arizona opens its season next week against BYU in Allegiant.
“Anything that works elsewhere works even better in Las Vegas,” Hill said.
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