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A couple of premier college football brands are set to open the 2024 season against each other at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, as USC and LSU will square off in the Vegas Kickoff Classic, the schools announced Thursday. The game will take place on Labor Day weekend, but a specific day and time haven't been decided yet.

"The opportunity to bring our team and the best fans in college football to Las Vegas is incredibly exciting," LSU athletic director Scott Woodward said. "We cannot wait to compete on the field and fill Allegiant Stadium with Tiger fans from across the country."

The two schools have an all-time 1-1 record against each other with the last meeting coming in 1984.

"We are excited to participate in a matchup that will certainly be the marquee season opening game of the 2024 season," USC athletic director Mike Bohn said. "It is a priority for us to deliver games that will energize our fans, and we are thrilled to bring this event and opponent to the west coast in a world-class facility and attractive location for our supporters. When our players choose to be Trojans, they know they will get to experience competition on the nation's grandest stages, and this historic Vegas Kickoff Classic will be yet another such opportunity."

While the meeting between two historic powers should be an enjoyable one for college football fans, there is an ironic element to the timing of the announcement. On Tuesday, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced an alliance between their leagues that prioritizes scheduling non-conference games with each other in the future.

However, with LSU being part of the SEC, the marquee matchup for the Trojans of the Pac-12 will be with a team outside the alliance. LSU is actually playing two Pac-12 teams in 2024, as the Tigers will also host UCLA on Sept. 21 in a game originally scheduled for Aug. 31 but moved for the sake of the Vegas Kickoff Classic.

LSU has non conference games with members of the alliance conferences scheduled as far out as 2032 (Utah), which underscores the complexity the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 face in gaining traction toward their goals of working together to combat the SEC's rising power.

Nonetheless, the LSU and UCLA game in Las Vegas should be a good one for both fan bases, and it may only be the first marquee non-conference matchup staged at Allegiant Stadium. Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO Steve Hill told The Mercury News earlier this summer he would like to see early-season showcase games at the venue, and Thursday's announcement confirms that vision is coming to fruition.