The Pac-12 is in Las Vegas for the "fifth consecutive year" as its men’s basketball tournament tips off today at the MGM Grand Garden, but the conference is "looking at moving its event across the street to T-Mobile Arena," according to Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. The entire four-day tournament "is sold out for the first time in league history," but the new arena has "6,000 more seats, including luxury boxes and club seats." It is also a "state-of-the-art facility and from an infrastructure standpoint, it will make putting on the tournament much easier." A move also would allow the Pac-12 "to have more entertainment options than it has at the Grand Garden." While this year's tournament "is a tough ticket," selling several thousand more tickets for the new arena would be "no guarantee." That means Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott "risks having lots of empty seats for his title game and his semifinals." Scott said that the Pac-12 has "not been pressured to move to T-Mobile by the MGM because of the suites." The Pac-12’s presidents and ADs "will tour T-Mobile Saturday morning." Scott said that he "hopes once he gets more input from them, the conference can make a decision soon on its Las Vegas future" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 3/8).
RISK REWARD: In Tucson, Greg Hansen writes it is now on Scott to "decide whether to ditch the MGM Grand" and become a tenant at the $375M T-Mobile Arena. It is a "risky decision," as the MGM Grand "was probably only half full" when Oregon and UCLA played for the '13 title. The argument for staying at the MGM "is a strong one." Part of the reason the tournament works there is "because capacity is about 12,800, tickets are in demand and it is a place to see and be seen." Thousands of fans also "stay in the casino after games, making it a four-day party." If it "moves across the street, those fans are apt to scatter over the Las Vegas Strip." Some fans "lodge at the MGM Grand and don’t attend a game," but instead "watch in the sports book, or in their rooms, and never see the sunshine." However, Arizona coach Sean Miller said not moving would be to "risk being the B game" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 3/9).
