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By Alan Snel, LVsportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
It’s a regular buffet of college hoops tourneys in Las Vegas this week, with The Big West Conference setting up shop at the Bill Foley-run Dollar Loan Center arena in Henderson.
The Big West’s universities are mostly in California, but the cost of renting The Dollar Loan Center venue in suburban Henderson and the availability of basketball tourney refs in metro Las Vegas makes it a good site to stage the men’s and women’s hoops tourneys, Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said before today’s semifinals.
“Californians will travel to Las Vegas for a weekend,” Butterly said.
The Irvine, California-based Big West joins the West Coast at Orleans Arena, Pac-12 at T-Mobile Arena, Mountain West at Thomas & Mack Center and Western Athletic at Orleans in metro Las Vegas this week. It’s the final year for the Pac-12, which is disbanding with ten of its schools heading to three other major conferences.
The Big West’s semifinal matchups were exactly the same for both women and men today. Hawaii vs UCDavis and UC Irvine vs Long Beach State.
The Big West has staged its conference tournament event at the city of Henderson-owned arena since 2022. Vegas Golden Knights owner/business entrepreneur Foley built and manages the arena that also hosts the VGK minor league Henderson Silver Knights, the Indoor Football League’s Vegas Knight Hawksm the NBA G League Ignite and the women’s pro volleyball team, Vegas Thrill.
The Big West will be here at The Dollar Loan Center through 2027. Butterly said Las Vegas has established itself as the hub for conference tournament basketball in the western United States and it’s a more affordable place to stage a tourney than venues in Southern California, Butterly said.
One way to increase tourney attendance, Butterly said, was for the universities to promote the hoops tournament in Henderson as part of season ticket packages.