Las Vegas began blooming on the Nevada desert nearly a century ago thanks in part to the building of the Hoover Dam, and now Texas A&M coach Mike Elko hopes his program’s holidays sojourn to the bright lights on the sand helps bring a similar mushrooming for the Aggies.

As Texas A&M football prepares to play one final game against the USC Trojans in the Las Vegas Bowl, some Aggies players are beginning to opt out.