Dancing Time: College Basketball Tourneys In Las Vegas Deliver Invites To March Madness Ball

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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer

There are college basketball players like Bronny James and Caitlin Clark each making more than $3 million apiece during this NIL era, so college sports are paying off for “student-athletes” these days.

But these are still young adults with their lives in front of them, and college sports also includes band members, aspiring sportswriters and baton twirlers who are not exactly pulling down million-dollar sponsorship deals.

That’s why you can’t help but smile when you see the band members of New Mexico and San Diego State embrace after the New Mexico Lobos defeated the San Diego State Aztecs in the Mountain West Conference Final, 68-61, before an announced crowd of 11,112 at a neutral Thomas and Mack Center Saturday afternoon.

Las Vegas is college basketball’s hoops mecca in the western United States with five tournaments at Orleans Arena, Dollar Loan Center, Thomas & Mack Center and T-Mobile Arena.

Pac-12: It’s so long to the Conference of Champions. Ten Pac-12 teams have split to three other conferences and T-Mobile Arena is available starting in 2025 for a college basketball tournament. Oregon defeated Colorado to win its Big Dance invite.

West Coast: Looking to leave Orleans Arena to Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena, home court of the WNBA Aces. Saint Mary’s.

Mountain West: Booked at Thomas & Mack (UNLV’s logos are covered and a new court is installed for the MWC tourney) through 2025, but will check out T-Mobile Arena for 2026 and beyond. New Mexico.

Western Athletic: Will stick around at Orleans Arena.

Big West: Happy at The Dollar Loan Center. Long Beach State.

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