Sam Champion joins Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney, former “Entertainment Tonight” host Mary Hart and others for the Las Vegas pageant.

And at least one of the contestants has something in common with Champion. Miss Vermont, Chelsea Ingram, is a meteorologist at Fox44 in Burlington.

Just a few years ago, the pageant’s days seemed to be numbered. No broadcast network wanted it. So in 2006, the broadcast moved to CMT then to TLC, but returned to ABC in 2011 when it drew 2.5 million viewers. Earlier this year, the 2012 competition drew 2.8 million viewers — both airings were up against NFL Wild Card games. And that will be the case again this year.

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“You notice they did a little remodeling while we were gone,” said Matt Lauer. “Take a look at this. A brand-new look to Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza with this monstrous LED screen we’ll have fun with over the next days and weeks.”

By the time they got to the stage, a momentary, but loud, audio glitch stopped them in their tracks, just as Guthrie was going to talk about last night’s Closing Ceremony.

“Today” is trying to keep the momentum — and the winning — earned in London by bringing on several medal-winning Americans as contributors, including gymnasts Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Kyla Ross; gold medal diver David Boudia; soccer star Hope Solo; track and field sprinter Allyson Felix; and swimmers Cullen Jones and Katie Ledecky.

The show is concerts each day this week and debuts a new series, “TODAY in History” where Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales each recreate an iconic photograph. The series kicked off today with the anchors reenacting the the Beatles crossing Abbey Road.

We’ll get final ratings for last week, which “Today” will win, on Thursday. The question is, will they be able to maintain the #1 spot, which “Good Morning America” held for five straight weeks before “Today” went to London? Expect both shows to pull out all the stops in the coming weeks leading up to the political conventions and the general election.

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