WCC announces future tournament plan

 The WCC will grow to nine teams next year with the addition of BYU. A nine-team configuration will obviously impact scheduling and the conference tournament format.

 Those topics, and several others, were addressed when a handful of reporters sat down with WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich prior to the Saint Mary’s-Santa Clara men’s semifinal.

 The 2012 WCC Tournament dates are set for the Orleans: Feb. 29-March 5. The format will remain the same in terms of a single bye for the 3/4 seeds and a double bye for the 1/2 seeds. All nine teams will qualify. On Feb. 29, it’ll be 9 vs. 8 (men and women). That winner will take on the No. 5 the following night, along with the 6-vs-7 matchup.

 The semifinals will be played Saturday. There will be no games on Sunday (BYU doesn’t play on Sundays) with the championship game on Monday night.

Jim Meehan