What better place to kick off Super Bowl week in Las Vegas than Allegiant Stadium.
With an estimated 400,000 fans traveling to the desert for Super Bowl LVIII, the Raiders home stadium was packed for Opening Night on Monday. Red and purple strobe lights surrounded the field as if it was a movie set and giving the crowd a preview of the upcoming gameday atmosphere.
Opening Night brought in nearly 24,000 fans to Allegiant Stadium, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Along with interviews of players from both SB teams, the festivities featured cameo appearances from Carrot Top, the Blue Man Group, interactive activities for the family and a meet-and-greet booth with Raiders receiver Jakobi Meyers.
However, it was hard not to notice the large amount of red in the building.
The teams that earned their shot to play in Allegiant Stadium this Sunday are two squads the Raiders have a lot of history against. The NFC Champion 49ers are former cross-bay rivals of the Silver and Black, while the AFC Champion Chiefs are extremely familiar with Allegiant Stadium, playing there once a year as the Raiders' divisional rivals.
"As I tell everybody, the Chiefs and the 49ers are my two favorite teams other than the Raiders," Mark Davis told news outlets with a big laugh Monday. "But hey, they earned it. That's why they're here."
While Allegiant Stadium is decked out by the NFL for the Super Bowl teams, there was still a lot of Silver and Black in the building as nothing was going to stop locals and Raiders fans from getting in on the action of the first Super Bowl hosted in Las Vegas.
Among the Raiders fans in attendance was the Cooper family, decked out in Silver and Black. Tory Cooper, with his father and two sons, said they became fans of the Raiders when they relocated to Las Vegas, and loves how the organization has involved itself within the community.
"I would say this is an incredible experience and a unique experience," Tory said. "This is something that you don't get to see on television, really just a lot of cool behind the scene stuff here. Really incredible to be here.
"Allegiant Stadium is an exciting place, and a place that's going to continue to blossom and bring fans from different areas."
Take a look at Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole's week in Orlando, Florida for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Closest to the Pin signage at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) and Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) and Miami Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold (30) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) celebrates during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
The AFC team huddles up during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
The AFC team watches the NFC team during Closest to the Pin at Hawk's Landing Golf Club.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) poses for a team picture with the rest of the 2024 AFC Pro Bowl team.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) during the AFC team photoshoot.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) signs autographs for TAPS families during practice at Camping World Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole (6) arrives to the Pro Bowl Games.
