ESPN announces future Utah football game in Vegas Kickoff Classic

Utes will help usher in 2027 campaign from Las Vegas

The Utah Utes are slated to face the Miami Hurricanes in the 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

ESPN Events announced Monday that Utah will square off against Miami in a double feature of the network's 2027 Vegas Kickoff Classic.

The first-time matchup between the Utes and Hurricanes has been set for Sept. 4 at Allegiant Stadium and will be preceded by a Football Championship Subdivision battle featuring North Dakota State and Montana State.

The historic clash between Utah and Miami was initially announced last year, when ESPN was preparing to host its second edition of the Vegas Kickoff Classic with USC taking on LSU. The Trojans came away victorious, 27-20, in front of the largest crowd in Allegiant Stadium history (63,969) last September.

Another FCS showdown pitting Montana against South Dakota State will take to Allegiant Stadium in 2029. Game dates, times and networks for all future matchups will be announced at a later date.

“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, in a news release. “We look to make this an annual event and we are already working on more matchups to announce.”

Viva Las Vegas 🎰@ESPNEvents announces future Vegas Kickoff Classic matchups at Allegiant Stadium

🏈 2027 | @CanesFootball vs @Utah_Football
🏈 2027 | @NDSUfootball vs @MSUBobcats_FB
🏈 2029 | @MontanaGrizFB vs @GoJacksFB

Details: https://t.co/UNnzJ3T1Gs pic.twitter.com/R921mXM2Ri

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) August 18, 2025

The return to Las Vegas will mark Utah's second game inside Allegiant Stadium since capturing the 2022 Pac-12 championship in a 47-24 rout of USC. That was the second of back-to-back conference titles for the Utes, who also took home the Pac-12 trophy in 2021 with a 38-10 blowout of Oregon at Allegiant Stadium.

Utah's last appearance in Las Vegas ended in a 14-7 loss to Northwestern in the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl.

The Utes' next contest from Sin City will be their first against the Hurricanes, who check in as the No. 11-ranked team in the preseason media poll for the 2025 campaign. In fact, it'll be just Utah's fifth game against an ACC opponent since 2004 and the program's first since beating Georgia Tech in overtime, 30-27, in the 2011 Sun Bowl.

The Utes also defeated the Yellow Jackets, 38-10, in the 2005 Emerald Bowl. Earlier that season, however, Utah fell to North Carolina, 31-17, in a true road game. The Utes previously beat the Tar Heels, 46-16, in 2004.

Utah wasn't ranked in either the media or coaches' polls going into the 2025 regular season, though other outlets like The Athletic and Yahoo Sports placed the Utes in their respective preseason rankings as a top-25 team in the country.