Tourney Talk

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based on a comment I received after my blog entry earlier today, let me expand on a reply I submitted in the same blog.

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Referring to a suggestion the Mountain West Conference stage its annual tournament at the Orleans Arena to combine the allure of Las Vegas with the notion of court neutrality, I noted that the Orleans is simply not equipped to host the event.

The seating capacity is less than 10,000--and that number would likely decrease once media seating is factored into any equation. The capacity alone disqualifies the arena for consideration, but its lack of additional facilities needed to stage an event of this scope make the Orleans a non-starter.

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Which brings us to this: there is planned for Las Vegas a 20,000 seat arena to be built by Harrah's/AEG behind the Paris and Bally's hotels on the strip. The arena is being built in the hopes of landing an NBA and/or NHL team in Vegas. The building is supposed to be open sometime in 2010--the same year the current 4-year deal between the MWC and the Thomas and Mack Center expires (the deal does have a 2-year conference rollover option included).

Word is that should the new arena be ready in time for the 2011 MWC Tournament, the MWC would explore opting out of the Thomas and Mack after 2010, with the league and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority working to move the tournament to the new building.

Just something to watch for down the line...

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