New Mexico State wins title; WAC wants to keep tourney in town

When UNR lost to Louisiana Tech on Friday night in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament, there were only 2,352 people inside Orleans Arena watching.

And that was the best crowd of the tournament's first three sessions.

Despite the low attendance total heading into Saturday's championship game between New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech, the WAC would like to stay in Las Vegas. The league, whose two-year deal with The Orleans is up, met with Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson on Saturday in an attempt to finalize an extension for 2013 and beyond.

"I don't think the numbers are indicative of what we believe we can do," WAC interim commissioner Jeff Hurd said. "This is only our second year in Las Vegas. We have to give it a chance to take root and grow."

The Mountain West Conference has one more year on its contract at the Thomas & Mack Center. Same for the West Coast Conference at The Orleans. With the WAC looking to stay in town and the Pacific-12 Conference intending to move its tournament from Los Angeles to the MGM Grand Garden, Las Vegas would host four conference tournaments next year.

Karl Benson, who spent 18 years as WAC commissioner and whose last day with the league is Thursday before he becomes commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, said once the WAC's membership is stabilized, the basketball tournament will draw better.

"I think The Orleans wants the WAC to return and the WAC membership believes this is the right place to hold the tournament," Benson said. "We went through changes last year, and we'll continue to see changes in the format going to 10 teams next year and 11 in 2014."

The 2011 WAC tournament drew a total of 14,076 fans for its four sessions, an average of 3,518. This year's tournament drew a total of 7,482 fans, an average of 1,871 customers per session at the 8,500-seat venue. Saturday's final drew 1,405 fans.

Benson and Hurd believe the impending departure of UNR, Fresno State and Hawaii had a negative impact on tournament attendance. The Wolf Pack and Bulldogs are headed to the Mountain West, while the Warriors plan to compete in the Big West in basketball next fall.

Taking the place of the departing trio will be Denver, Seattle, Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio and Texas State. Boise State will return to the WAC in 2013 for basketball only.

Hurd said the conference needs to do a better job of marketing its tournament.

"That's an important element as we move forward," he said. "I don't know that we need to market the tournament locally (in Las Vegas) as much as we need to market it better for our schools."

Hurd said the expected move to Las Vegas by the Pac-12 next spring shouldn't impact what the WAC does.

"I don't think it will make a difference," he said. "I think the fan bases are separate. The important thing is we're playing on a neutral court, which our coaches like, and we're in a city that our fans like to travel to."

He just needs more than 7,482 of them to make the trip.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.