Release courtesy of the West Coast Conference
LAS VEGAS – The West Coast Conference and Boyd Gaming have announced a three-year contract extension that will keep the West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas through 2019.
As part of the new agreement for the tournament, The Orleans will make several venue enhancements, highlighted by the installation of a new center-hung high-definition video board. The arena will also install new LED lighting which will complement upgrades made over the past year, including three-sided shot clocks and LED lighting for the backboards. At The Orleans Hotel, attached to Orleans Arena, WCC fans will be offered affordable room rates in the newly renovated 1,885-room hotel through 2019.
"I am very excited the West Coast Conference and Orleans Arena will be continuing our partnership through the 2019 championships," said WCC Commissioner Lynn Holzman. "Our vision is to create an event which serves as a celebration of the West Coast Conference, its traditions and values while our student-athletes are on a national stage competing for a berth in the NCAA Championship."
The West Coast Conference Championships feature a 10-team men's and women's bracket. The 7- through 10-seeds will begin play in the tournament's opening round, with the winners joining the top six seeds first competing in the quarterfinal round.
"We are excited to continue our long partnership with the WCC, and to continue to provide a first-class experience for the teams and fans that come to our property each year," said Tony Taeubel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Orleans. "We look forward to welcoming WCC fans and student-athletes back to The Orleans in 2017."
In addition to the basketball games themselves, the week-long celebration of the West Coast Conference features the annual induction of a new class into the WCC Hall of Honor as well as the popular Kids Day community service initiative, benefitting more than 700 Las Vegas youth from the After-School All-Stars program.
In conjunction with the contract extension between the WCC and Boyd, Las Vegas Events (LVE) has announced it will continue its support of the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas through 2019.
"Las Vegas is committed to hosting high-profile championship events each year, and the extension with the West Coast Conference through 2019 fulfills that vision," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "The West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships bring both great energy and enthusiastic fans to our city. Through this partnership, Las Vegas will continue to work with the WCC to create a unique atmosphere for fans, while providing an outstanding venue for student-athletes to pursue excellence on the court."
"Over the past eight years, the Las Vegas community and Orleans Arena have embraced our men's and women's basketball programs and fans," Holzman added. "We are looking forward to building on that success in the coming years."
About the West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 and has evolved and grown to become a nationally recognized and competitive force in Division I intercollegiate athletics, with 15 conference-sponsored sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's beach volleyball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball. The WCC is characterized by the stability of its membership and its unique emphasis on combining excellence in athletics with excellence in academics. For more information, visit WCCsports.com or follow the West Coast Conference on Twitter @WCCsports.
About Orleans Arena
The Orleans Arena, a Boyd Gaming facility located just west of the Las Vegas Strip, is one of the nation's leading multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities and the 2014 recipient of the Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers. In addition, the Orleans Arena is one of only a handful of arenas in the United States to achieve LEED Gold Certification and is part of the largest company in Nevada to achieve SHARP Certification for commitments to safe venue operations. According to Venues Today magazine, the Orleans Arena, which hosts more than 200 events each year, consistently ranks in the Top 10 for ticket sales in the United States and internationally among venues of similar size. These events include nationally touring concerts, NCAA basketball conference tournaments, family shows, motorsports and other unique events. For more information, call 702-365-7469 or visit www.OrleansArena.com. Stay connected to the Orleans Arena on Facebook (www.facebook.com/orleansarena) and on Twitter (@orleansarena). Additional news and information on Boyd Gaming can be found at www.boydgaming.com. Boyd Gaming and Orleans Arena press releases are available at boydgaming.mediaroom.com.
