Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Cashman Field 850 Las Vegas Blvd N Las Vegas, NV 89101
Year Opened: 1983
Capacity: 12,500
The XFL’s Sin City
The XFL’s Tampa Bay Vipers were formed in 2019 and played 5 games in 2020 before the XFL season was canceled (and the XFL ceased operations) due to the pandemic. It would take 3 years for the Vipers to make a return appearance, this time in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. The Vegas Vipers currently play at Cashman Field, a new soccer-specific stadium that is home to the Las Vegas Lights FC, but which used to be home to the MiLB’s Las Vegas ’51s, who now play at Las Vegas Ballpark under their new name, the Las Vegas Aviators.
Food & Beverage 4
While food and beverage prices are generally on the high side, there is plenty to be found at Cashman Field – the main concession stand is called Lights Out Grill (named after the soccer team here), and offers a raft of options including burgers, churros, chicken tenders, fries, quesadillas, chips, candy, and beverages such as Jarritos soda, Pepsi products, bottled water, and canned/bottled beer. There are two Lights Out Grill stands, one on each end of the concourse, along what we used to know as the first and third baselines.
Besides LOG you will also find a Papa John’s pizza stand on each end, as well as a stand called Tersty Treats Poke LV in the middle of the concourse, which offers Hawaiian fare – options include poke and pork bowls, or nachos, shrimp bowls, Spam Ramen, and Spam Musubi. The Spam Musubi is probably the best value on their menu; for $4 you get a log of Spam and rice wrapped in seaweed, which you can dip in Rooster or soy Sauce.
In addition to the options mentioned above, there are also a few other stands serving up things like street corn in various flavors, as well as donuts, and there are also a few stands that have a mini selection of what LOG offers, as well as a couple of stands which only have beer – choices include Estrella, Budweiser, Bud Light, and Michelob Ultra. Note that all the stands at Cashman Field are cashless (which is slightly ironic given the stadium’s name).
Atmosphere 4
There is not a ton of pomp and ceremony at XFL games, but what Cashman Field does have is a great facility despite its age – fans can choose to sit out on the grass in one of two “outfield” berm areas, or on those hot days, can sit under cover in the center section of the grandstand.
The Vipers also have a corps of drummers called the Drumbots, who entertain fans throughout the day, and the staff also tosses out towels during breaks in the action. There are also a lot of vendors on hand, both inside and out, giving away freebies like Coke Zero, ZOA energy drinks, and vitamin water – there is also face painting and a football tossing game you can participate in, both of these outside the venue before you enter.
There is no fixed videoboard at Cashman Field, but they set one up along the sideline facing the grandstand, complete with scaffolding and an upper deck, which is used by the broadcast crew during the contest. There are also mountains viewable in the distance as you watch the game, which is a brilliant aesthetic.
One oddity to mention – while there are stadium lights at Cashman Field, for Vipers games they bring in 2 additional lighting rigs which are driven in on the backs of trucks, and then laddered up into the sky like a fire truck rescue basket; they had 2 of these lighting trucks at the most recent game I attended, but I am not sure why, as the game was in the middle of the day.
Neighborhood 5
This is fabulous Las Vegas, so of course there is plenty to do in town. But even better, if you don’t want to confront the hustle and bustle (and noise, traffic, etc.) of the strip itself, there are several options within walking distance of Cashman Field.
For example, right next to the stadium is the Old Mormon Fort, which contains the oldest building in Nevada. There is also the Neon Museum on the other side of the street from Cashman Field, which isn’t quite what it sounds like – it is an outdoor graveyard of old neon signs from Vegas’ bygone days, including classics like the sign from the old Area 51 hotel, or the 8-story tall Hard Rock Café sign from its prior location (don’t be fooled – the new Hard Rock Café is right on the strip; what you will find here is just their old sign). The Neon Museum looks especially great at night when many of the signs are lit up.
There are also a few other quirky museums in Las Vegas, such as the Atomic Energy Museum, the Mob Museum, which just opened in April of 2023, and the Punk Rock Museum. There are also plenty of wedding chapels around if you are looking to get hitched in a hurry, and if you like gambling of course you can find slot machines in just about any hotel around, or even at the airport.
Fans 2
There are not too many fans in attendance at Vegas Vipers games, but they are polite and do cheer at the appropriate times. There is a Vegas Vipers team store on site, however, in case you want to pick up any Vipers of XFL swag during your visit.
Access 5
Access to and at Cashman Field is great – the facility is located on the north side of town a couple of miles from the heart of the strip, and you can park right next to the stadium for $30. You can also park for free on the streets in the neighborhood on the south side of the venue if you don’t mind walking a little further.
Once you get inside there is plenty of room to move around – there are ramps on both sides of the grandstand, making ingress/egress easy, and there are short lines at nearly all of the concessions stands, with plenty of cashiers on hand to take your order. They are also more than enough bathrooms to accommodate the crowd size, and the aforementioned ramps make it accessible for the differently abled.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets are a little on the high side mostly due to Ticketmaster fees – the cheapest ticket will probably run you $50 with half of that being the fees. Parking is also a little on the high side, as are concessions, but being as this is technically professional football the prices are probably to be expected. Cashman Field and the Vegas Vipers certainly offer a pretty good experience, but be aware it comes at a cost.
Extras 3
All the giveaways they have on hand are a plus, and you can’t beat the numerous seating options fans can take advantage of – it likely won’t be anywhere full enough for the staff to bother checking tickets, so even if you don’t have seats in that area I would recommend sitting under cover to avoid the sun. Likewise, it is also great to see names like Eric Bellinger performing at halftime.
Final thoughts
All in all, I think a day at Cashman Field is worthwhile if you are in the Vegas area – a great setup for a football game, and you can also count on being very close to the action. There is also plenty to do in fabulous Las Vegas, so you really can’t go wrong with a visit to Sin City for an XFL game.