Miss America to be crowned for the first time in Connecticut

Miss America will be crowned for the first time at a tribal casino in Connecticut

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Miss America will be crowned Thursday night for the first time at a Connecticut casino, marking the latest change to the nearly century-old contest that has recently undergone new leadership and a new direction.

The competition, now dubbed “Miss America 2.0″ and no longer referred to by organizers as a “pageant,” had announced plans this summer to leave Atlantic City, New Jersey — for the second time in its history — and hold the multi-day event at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. Miss America also switched from ABC back to NBC to broadcast the glitzy finale to an estimated 4.5 million viewers. And for the first time, preliminary events and the finale — held in Mohegan’s 10,000-seat arena — are being streamed live on the NBC app.

“We are looking forward to a fresh take on this historic competition…