Clear some space on the calendar, Las Vegas. August 2026 is bringing football back, putting the Aces into a critical late-season run and serving up enough baseball to make Summerlin feel like its own little sports capital.
The confirmed local schedule includes two Raiders preseason games at Allegiant Stadium, five consecutive Aces home games, a 12-game Aviators homestand, one UFC Fight Night at Meta APEX and UNLV’s season opener against Memphis. That is not speculation. Those dates are on the board.
The busiest stretch runs from Aug. 11 through Aug. 20. During those 10 days, local fans can choose from Aces basketball, Aviators baseball and Raiders football, sometimes on the same night. Hydrate. Coordinate the group chat. Vegas is going full-court press.
The August 2026 dates Las Vegas fans should circle
- Aug. 4 through 9: Aviators host the Tacoma Rainiers at Las Vegas Ballpark.
- Aug. 8: UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld lands at Meta APEX.
- Aug. 11 through 16: Aviators host the Sacramento River Cats.
- Aug. 11 and 13: Aces host the Washington Mystics at Michelob ULTRA Arena.
- Aug. 13: Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium.
- Aug. 15: Aces host the Minnesota Lynx.
- Aug. 18: Aces host the Atlanta Dream.
- Aug. 20: Aces host the Connecticut Sun, while the Raiders play at Houston.
- Aug. 27: Raiders host the San Francisco 49ers.
- Aug. 29: UNLV opens its football season against Memphis at Allegiant Stadium.
The biggest scheduling collisions
Aug. 13 is the first major fork in the road. The Las Vegas Raiders kick off against Arizona at 5 p.m. at Allegiant Stadium. The Aces host Washington at 7 p.m. at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Technically, both buildings sit near the south end of the Strip. Realistically, attending both full games would require a two-minute drill that would make an NFL offensive coordinator sweat.
Aug. 15 offers another doubleheader decision. The Aces face Minnesota at 5 p.m., while the Aviators host Sacramento at 7:05 p.m. across town in Summerlin. Choose your arena, choose your jersey and accept that somebody in the group chat will lobby hard for both.
Raiders preseason brings two home games
The Silver and Black have two confirmed preseason dates at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders host the Arizona Cardinals at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, then welcome the San Francisco 49ers at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 27.
Between those home games, Las Vegas visits the Houston Texans at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20. That gives the Raiders a clean Thursday-night preseason slate, with the regular-season opener against Miami waiting on Sept. 13.
Preseason football is about evaluation more than the final score. Roster battles, new combinations and backup jobs all move under the microscope. For fans, it is also the first chance to hear the pads pop inside Allegiant Stadium after the long offseason. The Aug. 27 game against San Francisco should carry extra juice. Raiders and 49ers fans do not need much encouragement.
The Aces own the middle of the month
The Las Vegas Aces return from a four-game road swing for five straight home dates at Michelob ULTRA Arena. They play Washington on Aug. 11 and Aug. 13 at 7 p.m., Minnesota on Aug. 15 at 5 p.m., Atlanta on Aug. 18 at 7 p.m. and Connecticut on Aug. 20 at 7 p.m.
That is the month’s strongest sustained run for one local team. Five games. Ten days. One building. For fans following the season’s playoff race, this is the stretch with the most nightly impact.
Why Aug. 15 stands out
Minnesota’s visit is the headline game of the homestand. It has a national broadcast window on CBS and Paramount+, and it falls on a Saturday. That combination makes it the easiest Aces date to build a full sports day around.
The Washington games also deserve attention because they form a rare two-game set against the same opponent in the same arena. The Aug. 13 meeting is designated Cancer Awareness Night. Fans looking beyond August can also check ESB’s complete Aces 2026 season preview.
The Aviators take over Summerlin for 12 games
The Las Vegas Aviators have the month’s biggest block of home dates. They host Tacoma from Aug. 4 through Aug. 9, take Aug. 10 off, then host Sacramento from Aug. 11 through Aug. 16.
Games Tuesday through Saturday begin at 7:05 p.m. The two Sunday finales, Aug. 9 and Aug. 16, begin at 6:05 p.m. In total, that is 12 home games across 13 days at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The promotional calendar adds some extra spice. Aug. 7 is a fireworks night. Aug. 14 features a Raiders and Aviators branded jersey giveaway for the first 2,000 fans. Aug. 15 brings a Nick Kurtz bobble card giveaway, also for the first 2,000 through the gates.
There is real baseball weight behind the series, too. Las Vegas won the first half of the Pacific Coast League season and secured a place in the September playoffs. So this is not just an excuse to grab a cold drink and watch baseball under the Summerlin lights. The Aviators already know they will play postseason ball.
UFC puts a Fight Night at Meta APEX
The speculative blockbuster is gone. The confirmed Las Vegas card is UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs. Salkilld on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Meta APEX.
Mateusz Gamrot faces Quillan Salkilld in the lightweight main event. UFC lists the main card for 8 p.m. Eastern, which is 5 p.m. Pacific. Diego Ferreira against Billy Quarantillo is also listed on the card.
This is an APEX Fight Night, not a pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena or Sphere. Different scale. Same Octagon. For local fight fans, it is the confirmed UFC date to circle in August.
UNLV closes the month with its football opener
UNLV football opens its 2026 season against Memphis at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at Allegiant Stadium. The game will air on Fox and marks the first football meeting between the programs.
It is also the perfect closer for the month. Raiders preseason will have wrapped two nights earlier. The Aces and Aviators will have done the heavy lifting through the middle of August. Then the Rebels get the big building and a standalone Saturday night.
If you want the shortest possible game plan, circle Aug. 13, Aug. 15, Aug. 27 and Aug. 29. If you want the full Vegas sports experience, start at the ballpark on Aug. 4 and keep rolling. Football, basketball, baseball and fighting are all on the menu. That is a serious August lineup.
