Inside Allegiant

From the diamond to the gridiron, follow Cami Bennett’s design journey with the Las Vegas Raiders.

In the heart of Las Vegas stands a behemoth of architectural ingenuity, a structure that’s been said to resemble the iconic Death Star from the Star Wars saga. Allegiant Stadium is not just a sports arena; it’s a testament to the city’s boundless energy and the legacy of one of the NFL’s most storied franchises.

Behind the scenes at the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders is Cami Bennett, a former University of North Dakota softball star who’s been senior graphic designer for the franchise since 2016, and stuck with it when the Raiders moved from Oakland, California, to Las Vegas in 2020. Cami’s creative vision has left an indelible mark on the Allegiant Stadium experience.

A Stadium Tour

When showing off Allegiant Stadium and her work within it, Cami’s first stop, naturally, is the entrance. Two 30x30 chandeliers outfitted with programmable LED light welcome visitors. Just beyond, the base of the 93-foot-tall Al Davis Memorial Torch is adorned with the names of honored guests who’ve ceremoniously lit the flame.

“I think my favorite spot in the stadium is the torch,” Cami said. “It’s a tribute back to Al Davis and the history of the Raiders and our fans. Everyone who lights it gets to sign it, and their name is on the torch forever.”

The larger-than-life tribute is one of many features honoring the beloved former coach and franchise owner throughout the stadium. The treatment of those thoughtful symbols, the intentional placements of Raiders’ colors black and silver, and the challenge of contrasting those muted colors with the brightness of the city of Las Vegas are the things that kept Cami up at night while the stadium was taking shape.

Davis’s son, Mark, is the current owner of the Raiders, and according to Cami, had a clear vision of what he wanted the new stadium to embody. “Las Vegas finally gave us this home that we’ve been waiting for, and this whole building is going to be our gift back to Las Vegas,” Cami said. “He wanted you to be walking down the concourse and feel like you’re on the Strip, so that’s where the neon lights come in.”

Allegiant Stadium pays homage to the city’s vibrant culture. On the second-floor concourse, concession stands look like the neon-lit streets of the Strip and depict the iconic landmarks that dot the desert landscape. “We want everything we do in this building to give back to the city,” said Cami. She commissioned more than 100 local artists whose paintings of Raiders Hall of Famers and iconic Vegas scenes are hung throughout the building.

“It was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Cami said. “It was the perfect partnership.”

Onto the final stop in the Champions Club Lounge before entering field level: A custom-wallpapered wall with a matte background and the words of “The Autumn Wind,” the Raiders’ fight song, in glossy lettering. The explanation of her aesthetic choices is simple: “They asked me to do something for this wall, and I love black on black. Everybody seems to really love it.”

Season ticket holders saw a replica of the wall when they opened their commemorative box at the beginning of the 2020 season. It was the stadium’s inaugural season, but fans wouldn’t be able to attend games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a special gesture for Raiders faithful, she created a music box-like keepsake in which a replica Allegiant Stadium opened to play “The Autumn Wind.” The gift was so popular that Cami has created a new custom season ticket box for the Raiders’ most faithful fans every year since.

Super Bowl LVIII

In a historic moment that underscored the stadium’s significance, Allegiant Stadium hosted this year’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. The game was the most-watched television event since the moon landing in 1969.

Leading up to the Super Bowl, Cami and her team rebranded their premium offerings such as suites and clubs; they redesigned the website and spruced up their marketing collateral. “We leveled up a little bit,” Cami said. “It was an amazing opportunity for us.”

When you’re the host city, the Super Bowl lasts more than just day of the game. The NFL had moved into the stadium, so she and her colleagues worked from home during the day. Nightly events started almost a full week before the big game, so Cami helped host parties and concerts throughout the city and was called on to attend a few as a guest.

“I did get to go to NFL Honors, which was incredible,” Cami said, and she attended the NFL Hall of Fame luncheon, a red-carpet event at the Wynn where Raiders Hall of Famer Tim Brown sat with Cami and her team and she had a photo opp with Marcus Allen, who won a Super Bowl with the Raiders in 1984.
After the big game on Feb. 11 that ended in a Chiefs victory, as the NFL worked on getting her home stadium back to normal, Cami and her team started looking to next season.

“We’re calling for a new look that we haven’t done before, and I’m really excited about it,” Cami said. “It’s what our fans have been asking for, and we have a new coach who really embodies what it means to be a Raider.”

Triumph & Unity

Cami’s design journey started right here at the University of North Dakota. She was a star on the UND Softball team, earning multiple All-Conference honors and competing on the team that won a Great West Conference championship in 2010.

During that time, she designed a team shirt that became a successful fundraiser for the program. Her coach encouraged her to study graphic design, and she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 2014 and her MBA in 2016.

While she pursued her master’s, she worked for UND Athletics as a graphic designer and served on the committee to create the new logo. While challenging, Cami said it prepared her for her role today. “I honestly think that it helped me get this job. I understood how agencies work, and I kind of already had a step up in terms of rebranding.”

From the softball diamond to the design helm of one of the NFL’s iconic new stadiums, Cami’s tour of creative endeavors demonstrates her unwavering passion and dedication to her field of work (and the field of the Raiders). It’s these moments of triumph and unity, with an important role on a successful team, that inspire her work for athletes and fans alike.