Another Week Of Madness In Las Vegas: Four College Hoops Tourneys Wrap Up From Orleans Arena to Thomas & Mack To Henderson
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, Las Vegas pulled it off. Again.
The Pac-12 wasn’t around to play hoops. But metro Vegas hosted four other college basketball league championship tournaments held by West Coast and WAC at Orleans Arena, Mountain West at Thomas & Mack Center and Big West at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson.
Las Vegas Events, the LVCVA tourism agency’s promotional arm, paid $300,000 each to the West Coast and Mountain West conferences in the form of a sponsorship.
But the LVCVA left the Big West and the WAC out of the money.
Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said he was disappointed.
“It’s so frustrating,” Butterly said of getting shut out of tourism sponsorship money. “We’re a growing event. Our attendance is up.”
Indeed Saturday night’s UC San Diego vs UC Irvine Big West championship game had a crowd that was bigger than usual when compared to past years. It was the loudest, most raucous crowd for a Big West final game since the conference moved its tourney from metro LA to Henderson.
The Big West is in the first year of a three-year deal. It can stage the event here at the VGK owner Bill Foley-built arena “as long as we want to,” Butterly said.
He noted it would be nice if the LVCVA and Las Vegas chipped in with a sponsorship like they do with many other sports events in metro Vegas, he said.
“We don’t need a lot, just a little to help grow it,” said Butterly, who has been Big West commissioner for nearly five years.
UNLV’s loss to Utah State in the Mountain West quarterfinals Thursday was the last game for head coach Kevin Kruger.
On Saturday, UNLV announced Athletics Director Erick Harper fired Kruger after the coach served four seasons. The Runnin’ Rebels failed to make the NCAA national tournament during Kruger’s tenure. In fact, it’s been a dozen years since UNLV has made March Madness’ Big Dance.
Over at the Orleans Arena, West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga defeated longtime rival Saint Mary’s from the Bay area Tuesday to qualify for the Big Dance.
At Thomas & Mack Saturday, Colorado State punched its NCAA tourney ticket with a 69-56 win over Boise State.
Grand Canyon is going dancing after defeating Utah Valley, 89-82, at Orleans to win the WAC title just two hours after UC San Diego defeated UC Irvine, 75-61, at Lee’s Family Forum to win the Big West.
Next week when the Big Dance starts, thousands of visitors will flock to Las Vegas for mini-college reunions and parties to soak up the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament.
