WCC basketball tournaments will remain at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas through 2025

Sept. 7, 2022 Updated Wed., Sept. 7, 2022 at 9:38 p.m.

Gonzaga forward Anton Watson sports the game net as a necklace as he walks to the locker room after the Zags defeated Saint Mary's in the 2022 WCC championship game at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo

By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com (509) 459-5585

Gonzaga fans who make the annual trip to the West Coast Conference basketball tournaments in Las Vegas won’t need to adjust their future plans.

The WCC and Boyd Gaming announced a contract extension that will keep the women’s and men’s tournaments at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas through 2025. The conference tournaments have been held at the Orleans since 2009.

“Our goal is to put on a world-class conference tournament, both in terms of the student-athlete experience and fan engagement,” WCC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said. “We are excited to extend this valuable partnership with the Orleans and Boyd Gaming that brings together the combination of an outstanding venue with elite basketball. The Orleans and Boyd Gaming have proven to be excellent partners for over a decade.”

The WCC was the first to bring its conference tournament to a neutral site in the Las Vegas area, which has become home to the Pac-12, Mountain West, Western Athletic and Big West women’s and men’s conference tournaments.

The 2023 WCC tournaments are scheduled for March 2-7.

Gonzaga fans have traveled by the thousands to fill most of the 7,471 seats at the Orleans Arena for tournament games involving the Zags. GU’s men are 30-3, including 11-3 in title games, since the tournament moved to Las Vegas in 2009. The GU women have captured 10 tournament championships, including nine at the Orleans Arena.

The WCC is coming off one of its best seasons with three men’s teams (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s and San Francisco) and two women’s squads (GU and BYU) advancing to their respective NCAA tournaments.

Gonzaga’s men reached the Sweet 16, Saint Mary’s was eliminated in the round of 32 and USF lost its opener. The GU women lost in the second round while BYU fell in its opener.