FARMINGTON, Utah (Aug. 18, 2025) – ESPN Events has announced a pair of future Vegas Kickoff Classic games at Allegiant Stadium that will feature matchups of top FCS programs from the Big Sky Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Montana State will take on North Dakota State in 2027, while Montana will face South Dakota State in 2029. Both games will be played during Labor Day weekend at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with the game dates, times and networks to be announced at a later date.
“We’re thrilled to have Montana, Montana State, and Big Sky football showcased on ESPN as part of the Vegas Kickoff Classic,” Commissioner Wistrcill said. “Labor Day Weekend is one of college football’s great traditions, and these games will demonstrate that the FCS can deliver marquee matchups in world-class destinations like Las Vegas, while creating a one-of-a-kind experience for our fans.”
Last year saw the largest crowd in Allegiant Stadium history (63,969) treated to a thrilling 27-20 USC win over LSU in the second Vegas Kickoff Classic. The FCS editions of the Vegas Kickoff Classic are set to feature large crowds as well, with the four fan bases ranking in the Top 5 for attendance last season after nearly 650,000 fans attended games for the four football schools in 2024. Montana and Montana State ranked first and second in FCS attendance last year, while North Dakota State and South Dakota State ranked fourth and fifth last season.
“Labor Day, Las Vegas, College Football – it’s the perfect trifecta to celebrate the start of the season,” said ESPN Vice President of Events Clint Overby. “Las Vegas continues to attract high-caliber events and ESPN is proud to work with these great programs and our local partners to kick off the upcoming seasons.”
The last four FCS National Championship Games have featured Montana, Montana State, North Dakota State or South Dakota State playing one another, while every title game since 2017 has featured at least one of those four teams in the championship game.
“After the record-breaking success of our season-opening game last year, it is exciting to announce these future matchups featuring brand-new markets for us with famously passionate fanbases,” said John Saccenti, executive director of the Vegas Kickoff Classic and Las Vegas Bowl. “We look to make this an annual event and we are already working on more matchups to announce.”
The Vegas Kickoff Classic is owned and operated by ESPN.
The 2025 college football season officially kicks off on Saturday, Aug. 23, with three Big Sky teams in action for Week 0.
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