Grand Canyon is going dancing after defeating Utah Valley, 89-82, at Orleans to win the WAC title just two hours after UC San Diego defeated UC Irvine, 75-61, at Lee’s Family Forum to win the Big West. Shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip. […]
Grand Canyon is going dancing after defeating Utah Valley, 89-82, at Orleans to win the WAC title just two hours after UC San Diego defeated UC Irvine, 75-61, at Lee’s Family Forum to win the Big West.
Shop at Jay’s Market at 190 East Flamingo Road at the Koval Lane intersection east of the Strip.
Over at the Orleans Arena, West Coast Conference powerhouse Gonzaga defeated longtime rival Saint Mary’s from the Bay area Tuesday to qualify for the Big Dance.
At Thomas & Mack Saturday, Colorado State punched its NCAA tourney ticket with a 69-56 win over Boise State.
The Big West is in the first year of a three-year deal. It can stage the event here at the VGK owner Bill Foley-built arena “as long as we want to,” Butterly said.
The Big West is in the first year of a three-year deal. It can stage the event here at the VGK owner Bill Foley-built arena “as long as we want to,” Butterly said.
“We don’t need a lot, just a little to help grow it,” said Butterly, who has been Big West commissioner for nearly five years.
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The Pac-12 wasn’t around to play hoops. But metro Vegas hosted four other college basketball league championship tournaments held by West Coast and WAC at Orleans Arena, Mountain West at Thomas & Mack Center and Big West at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson.
UNLV’s loss to Utah State in the Mountain West quarterfinals Thursday was the last game for head coach Kevin Kruger.
Next week when the Big Dance starts, thousands of visitors will flock to Las Vegas for mini-college reunions and parties to soak up the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament.
He noted it would be nice if the LVCVA and Las Vegas chipped in with a sponsorship like they do with many other sports events in metro Vegas, he said.
Indeed Saturday night’s UC San Diego vs UC Irvine Big West championship game had a crowd that was bigger than usual when compared to past years. It was the loudest, most raucous crowd for a Big West final game since the conference moved its tourney from metro LA to Henderson.
Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly said he was disappointed.
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
On Saturday, UNLV announced Athletics Director Erick Harper fired Kruger after the coach served four seasons. The Runnin’ Rebels failed to make the NCAA national tournament during Kruger’s tenure. In fact, it’s been a dozen years since UNLV has made March Madness’ Big Dance.
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“It’s so frustrating,” Butterly said of getting shut out of tourism sponsorship money. “We’re a growing event. Our attendance is up.”
Las Vegas Events, the LVCVA tourism agency’s promotional arm, paid 0,000 each to the West Coast and Mountain West conferences in the form of a sponsorship.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Well, Las Vegas pulled it off. Again.
But the LVCVA left the Big West and the WAC out of the money.
