The Western Athletic Conference has finally agreed to move its men's and women's basketball tournament to a neutral site for only the second time in 26 years.
The WAC coaches who have been clamoring for a neutral-site tournament the past few years, finally got their wish. Western Athletic Conference officials will hold a press conference today at the Orleans Arena to announce that the post-season tournament will be played at the Orleans Arena in 2011 and 2012, according to a story in the Las Vegas Review Journal.
The last time the WAC played at a neutral site was 1993 and 1994 when Salt Lake City hosted the event at the Delta Center.
In 2011, the WAC will hold its tournament from Mach 9-12, the same four days that the Mountain West Conference event will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center. The West Coast Conference, which held its post-season tourney at the Orleans last year, will play from March 4-7 at the Orleans.
At last year's WAC tournament in Reno, commissioner Karl Benson said he was impressed with the Orleans and the success that the WCC enjoyed. The WCC had previously held all of its post-season tournaments at campus sites.