Oct. 30, 2009
SAN BRUNO, Calif. -Tickets for the 2010 Zappos.com West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas will go on sale on Friday, November 13th, announced WCC Commissioner Jamie Zaninovich.
The 2009 WCC Basketball Championships were the most highly anticipated championship event in Conference history, reaching a sell out two weeks prior to the tournament last March. The event set championship records for single session attendance (7,845) and overall championship attendance (33,320).
For more information on the 2010 Zappos.com WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, click here: http://wccsports.cstv.com/ot/west-baskbl-tournament.html
"We're excited to be returning to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas this March," said Zaninovich. "We felt the event was a complete success in all facets, from the quality of the games played, to the hotel and arena facilities, and the overall positive experience had by our student-athletes, league membership, and fans. In addition, we are thrilled to be offering fantastic prices on both tickets and hotel accommodations. We feel that the WCC Basketball Championships should be a celebration of the Conference and we want to make the event as accessible to as many people as possible."
The championships will span 4 days - March 5-8, 2010 - and include 14 men's and women's games, with tickets starting at less than $10 per game.
Last season, five WCC men's and women's basketball teams advanced to the postseason. For the second straight season, three WCC men's basketball teams earned trips to the postseason. Gonzaga, the WCC's automatic qualifier for the NCAA tournament, advanced all the way to the Sweet Sixteen before falling to eventually National Champion North Carolina. Saint Mary's, the WCC regular season and tournament runner-up, was invited to the NIT and reached the quarterfinals, while Portland, which finished third in the regular season standings, participated in the inaugural Collegeinsider.com Tournament (CIT).
On the women's side, the WCC sent multiple teams into the postseason for the 10th straight season and the 13th time in the last 14 years. Gonzaga, which captured the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, earned a No. 12 seed and upset No. 5 seeded Xavier in the first round, 74-59. The Zags nearly took out the No. 4 seeded Pittsburgh Panthers, falling in the final minute, 65-60. Portland received a bid to the WNIT following one of the most successful seasons in program history.
On July 22, 2009, the WCC announced a three-year extension with the Orleans Arena to keep the event in Las Vegas through 2012.
The West Coast Conference (WCC) and its multi-media rights partner, IMG College, later announced Zappos.com as the official title sponsor of the WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. The three-year deal, effective through the 2011-12 season, marks the WCC's first-ever title sponsorship.
Men's Tournament Format
Under the format that was adopted in 2003, the #5 through #8 seeds will compete in the opening round to determine who will advance to the next round of the tournament. Waiting for the winners in the quarterfinals will be the #3 and #4 seeds, who will have first round byes. The winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will go head-to-head with the #1 and #2 seeds, who will have byes through the first two rounds of the tournament.
Women's Tournament Format
As was the case in 2009, the women's and men's tournament formats will be the same. The #5 through #8 seeds will compete in the opening round to determine who will advance to the next round of the tournament. Waiting for the winners in the quarterfinals will be the #3 and #4 seeds, who will have first round byes. The winners of the quarterfinal match-ups will go head-to-head with the #1 and #2 seeds, who will have byes through the first two rounds of the tournament.
2010 Zappos.com WCC Men's & Women's Basketball Championship Schedule
Friday, March 5
Women's First Round Session Game 1 (5 vs. 8) - 12:00 PM
Women's First Round Session Game 2 (6 vs. 7) - 30 mins after the conclusion of Game 1
Men's First Round Session Game 1 (5 vs. 8) - 6:00 PM
Men's First Round Session Game 2 (6 vs. 7) - 30 mins after the conclusion of Game 1
Saturday, March 6 Women's Quarterfinal Round Session Game 1 (5/8 vs. 4) - 12:00 PM Women's Quarterfinal Round Session Game 2 (6/7 vs. 3) - 30 mins after the conclusion of Game 1
Men's Quarterfinal Round Session Game 1 (5/8 vs. 4) - 6:00 PM Men's Quarterfinal Round Session Game 2 (6/7 vs. 3) - 30 mins after the conclusion of Game 1
Sunday, March 7 Women's Semifinal Round Session Game 1 (5/8/4 vs. 1) - 11:30 AM Women's Semifinal Round Session Game 2 (6/7/3 vs. 2) - 30 mins after the conclusion of Game 1
Men's Semifinal Round Session Game 1 (5/8/4 vs. 1) - 5:30 PM (ESPN 2) Men's Semifinal Round Session Game 2 (6/7/3 vs. 2) - 7:30 PM (ESPN 2)
Monday, March 8 Women's Championship - 12:00 PM (ESPNU) Men's Championship - 6:00 PM (ESPN)
All times PST