Every year since 2009 the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament for both the men’s and women’s programs has occurred at The Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. That relationship will continue at least through 2025, with a formal announcement coming from the WCC and Boyd Gaming on Wednesday.
โOur goal is to put on a world-class conference tournament, both in terms of the student-athlete experience and fan engagement,โ said WCC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. โWe are excited to extend this valuable partnership with The Orleans and Boyd Gaming that brings together the combination of an outstanding venue with elite basketball. The Orleans and Boyd Gaming have proven to be excellent partners for over a decade.โ
โWe are honored to continue our fantastic partnership with the West Coast Conference,โ said Tyler Baldwin, Executive Director of the Orleans Arena. โOver the past 15 years, the WCC, Orleans Arena and Boyd Gaming have created one of college basketballโs most exciting and intimate tournament experiences, leading the way for Las Vegas’ emergence as a tournament destination. We look forward to hosting WCC fans and students for three more years of unforgettable championship basketball at the Orleans Arena.โ
The WCC was an innovator, becoming the first conference to bring a neutral-site tournament to Las Vegas. The Pac-12, WAC, and others have followed suit since then, but the WCC gets credit for trying it first, and for making the tournament a weeklong event that includes the WCC Hall of Honor ceremony.
Vegas in early-March has been a staple for many Gonzaga fans and alumni over the past decade, and that tradition will continue at least for a few more years – so long as the Zags remain in the WCC through 2025.
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Writer – Ducks Wire