Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott will announce at 12:00pm PST today that the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will be the "new home of the Pac-12 men's basketball tournament," according to Patrick Finley of the ARIZONA DAILY STAR. Scott will make the announcement from Wet Republic, the hotel's pool area. Finley notes Saturday's men's conference championship between Arizona and Colorado drew 11,197 fans, the "lowest mark for a final since the tournament was revived and installed at Staples Center" in '02 (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 3/13). Las Vegas will now be home to four conference tournaments. The WCC and WAC "play their tournaments back-to-back at the Orleans Arena." The MWC "plays at the Thomas & Mack Center on the Nevada Las Vegas campus" (L.A. TIMES, 3/13). Meanwhile, in Seattle, Bud Withers wrote Staples Center was "absolutely dismal for the league and its image." TV images of "empty crowds were pathetic, and it wasn't only in this down year of Pac-12 basketball." The thing "wasn't a consistent draw even in the halcyon years" of '07-08. The league has "never really found the right place for its tournament" (SEATTLETIMES.com, 3/12). Scott last week said, "Obviously, we’d love a full house for every single round, and we’ll always work that" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 3/13).
HEADING NORTH: In Seattle, Jayda Evans notes the Pac-12 also announced yesterday that it has "linked with Force 10 Hoops Sports Marketing, the Seattle Center and the Seattle Sports Commission to bring the Pac-12 women's tournament to KeyArena" in '13. The Pac-12 tournament is the "first project for the group." The WNBA Storm "increased its attendance" to 8,658 last season, and the Pac-12 "wants a similar draw for its women's tournament." The current format began in '02, attracting a total of 27,415 for a four-day event at Oregon's McArthur Court. It moved to HP Pavilion in '03, averaging 18,000 until moving, again, to USC's Galen Center in '09. However, at that site, just 7,720 fans attended the four-day session last week. Scott "wants to make a good first impression, meaning no empty seats." KeyArena is configured to seat 9,686 during Storm games, and the facility has a maximum capacity of 17,072. Although Scott was a "proponent of having the men's and women's semifinal and championship rounds together at Staples Center the past two seasons, the move to Seattle will actually give the Pac-12 more exposure nationally." It will be a week "before the men's tournament in Las Vegas" (SEATTLE TIMES, 3/13).
