Tourney Staying in Vegas Through '13
Not that it bothered the Utes too much last season, but they will have to contend with playing the Mountain West Conference tournament in Las Vegas for a few more years.
That's because despite the annual complaints about giving UNLV an unfair advantage by playing on its home floor, the league has decided to keep its men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for three more years, through the 2013 season. Its current contract with the arena was set to expire after next season.
The league's board of directors voted for the move at its annual meeting today, based on “revenue implications” and “extensive fan research” — meaning that it believes attendance will suffer if the tournament is moved away from the sunny gambling mecca, to a campus or neutral site.
And it's right.
No way would the league draw nearly as many fans to Salt Lake City or Albuquerque or even San Diego, and that's a huge consideration. So consider this a victory for the fans who love to make the trip, and a loss for all of the coaches who complain about having to play the Rebels on their home floor.
That's because despite the annual complaints about giving UNLV an unfair advantage by playing on its home floor, the league has decided to keep its men's and women's basketball tournaments at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas for three more years, through the 2013 season. Its current contract with the arena was set to expire after next season.
The league's board of directors voted for the move at its annual meeting today, based on “revenue implications” and “extensive fan research” — meaning that it believes attendance will suffer if the tournament is moved away from the sunny gambling mecca, to a campus or neutral site.
And it's right.
No way would the league draw nearly as many fans to Salt Lake City or Albuquerque or even San Diego, and that's a huge consideration. So consider this a victory for the fans who love to make the trip, and a loss for all of the coaches who complain about having to play the Rebels on their home floor.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 4:25 PM |
2 Comments:
You mean Coach Rose? Isn't he the leader of the complaining contingent?
This is obviously the right thing to do. The conference needs the revenue badly. Time for the whiners to man up and play ball.
In fairness, most of the MWC coaches and school administrators have, over the years, complained about the homecourt advantage given to UNLV by the use of this facility. It is not just Coach Rose. Check the history Jefe and consider your partisanship.
Post a Comment
<< Home