The Las Vegas metropolitan area is home to many sports, most of which take place in the unincorporated communities around Las Vegas rather than in the city itself. Currently, the Las Vegas Valley has three major league professional teams: the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL), which began play in 2017 as the region's first major pro team,[1] the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) which began play in 2020 after relocating from Oakland, California,[2] and the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball (MLB) plan to move to Las Vegas to play at a new ballpark which is estimated to be complete by 2028. When this relocation happens, Las Vegas will have progressed from being the largest market in the U.S. with no teams in the men's major professional leagues to being one of the smallest markets with at least three such teams within less than a decade.[a] In addition, the National Basketball Association has publicly confirmed Las Vegas is being considered for an expansion franchise, which would potentially make Las Vegas by far the fastest market to progress from no teams in the Big Four leagues to having teams in all four leagues.
Las Vegas is also home to three minor league sports teams: the Las Vegas Aviators of the Pacific Coast League (Minor League Baseball), the Las Vegas Lights FC of the USL Championship, and the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League. The Las Vegas Lights is currently the only team playing in the City of Las Vegas, at the city-owned Cashman Field.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), located just off the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, fields National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletic teams. Allegiant Stadium, located in Paradise, hosts UNLV football and the Las Vegas Bowl, an annual NCAA bowl game. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) just north of the city hosts NASCAR's Cup Series and other automotive events. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's National Finals Rodeo is held annually at the Thomas & Mack Center on the UNLV campus, and the Professional Bull Riders holds its annual Team Series Championship at T-Mobile Arena on the Strip.
Visitors and residents also have many options for boating, golf, hiking, rock climbing. The city has many parks which offer a wide range of activities.
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