Las Vegas could rescue women’s Sweet 16 if NCAA would allow it

Two incredulous things happened on the Road to Dallas, which is where the women finished their version of March Madness:

1. Connecticut lost.

2. An NCAA representative dismissed a proposal to bring the entire Sweet 16 to Las Vegas, despite abysmal attendance at this year’s iteration played at four neutral sites, the worst attended regionals in 20 years.

“There’s no need to talk about Vegas, because we can’t host our championship in Vegas,” NCAA Vice President Anucha Browne said in an Associated Press story. “Not sure why that continues to become a discussion point.”

I’m pretty sure why it continues to become a discussion point:

1. Momentum among the coaches seems to be building for it.

2. It certainly merits a try. Or didn’t Ms. Brown notice the acres of empty seats in Lexington, Kentucky, where Stanford and Notre Dame — considered nobility among the distaff bounce passers — played for a Final Four berth in an arena that seats 23,500, and 2,527 spectators showed up?

And here you thought NASCAR and the Tampa Bay Rays had attendance issues.

Coaches show support

Cro-Magnon Era views about Las Vegas hosting Final Fours and Frozen Fours and other NCAA championship events also were expressed on the Road to Phoenix, site of this year’s men’s Final Four. Steve Carp’s story in the Review-Journal said the NCAA won’t be considering Las Vegas for these lucrative events in the foreseeable future.

That’s unfortunate, because many believe the women wouldn’t have attendance issues if the NCAA presidents would evolve on playing ball or dropping the puck in a gambling town, as the NFL and NHL have.

“I was impressed with their commitment to the sport, and level of facilities and amenities they could offer,” Women’s Basketball Coaches Association executive director Danielle Donehew said. “From the WBCA perspective, we do feel that Las Vegas — if it’s allowed to be in the conversation — we do feel they are worthy of consideration.

“That’s where our role stops, and the women’s committee and oversight committee begins. They are the ones who do a great job in selecting our sites.”

Nice of her to say, but perhaps Rupp Arena wasn’t such a great site — not if only 2,527 showed up for a regional final. Maybe next year it’ll be Dollar Beer Night, or they will give away NCAA refrigerator magnets or Geno Auriemma bobbleheads.

“We have a unique situation that needs to be handled,” Auriemma told reporters. “I’m not saying I know what all the answers are, but there’s certain places in America that there’s a lot of really good women’s basketball fans, and there’s a lot of places that it’s not. So to put regionals in those places doesn’t make any sense.”

Sinking the battleship

Donehew came to Las Vegas in December to check on the facilities at T-Mobile Arena and the amenities on the Strip. One of her hosts was Jim Livengood, the former UNLV, Arizona and Washington State athletic director. Livengood once was chair of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament committee — the March Madness that doesn’t have a Sweet 16 attendance problem.

“I think we’re making great progress,” Livengood said, “but nobody wants to walk too far down the path because of the principle” about not allowing Las Vegas to host championship events.

Livengood compared the NCAA Board of Governors to a battleship, in that it can be hard to move and get turned around. Eventually, he predicts both will happen, especially in regard to the women.

“The hardest thing about this year’s tournament, what everybody is talking about, is the lack of attendance,” he said. “Sure, they’re concerned about the financial, but they are a lot more concerned about advancing women’s basketball. Something has to happen that is more creative … for the good of the game.”

If you want to see creative, Livengood said, allow Las Vegas to host the women’s Sweet 16. Then watch what was a molehill grow into a mountain.

He suggested you won’t need Geno Auriemma bobbleheads (which probably aren’t legal) to attract spectators if Las Vegas hosts the women’s regionals.

”It would be a home run, a slam dunk, a four-point shot … and any other analogies you can come up with,” Livengood said.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.