West Coast Conference, Orleans Arena announce three-year extension

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The West Coast Conference and Boyd Gaming have announced a three-year contract extension that will keep the West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas through 2019.

As part of the new agreement for the tournament, The Orleans will make several venue enhancements, highlighted by the installation of a new center-hung high-definition video board. The arena will also install new LED lighting which will complement upgrades made over the past year, including three-sided shot clocks and LED lighting for the backboards. At The Orleans Hotel, attached to Orleans Arena, WCC fans will be offered affordable room rates in the newly renovated 1,885-room hotel through 2019.

"I am very excited the West Coast Conference and Orleans Arena will be continuing our partnership through the 2019 championships," said WCC Commissioner Lynn Holzman. "Our vision is to create an event which serves as a celebration of the West Coast Conference, its traditions and values while our student-athletes are on an international stage competing for a berth in the NCAA Championship."

The West Coast Conference Championships feature a 10-team men's and women's bracket. The 7- through 10-seeds will open play in the tournament's opening round, with the winners joining the top six seeds first competing in the quarterfinal round.

"We are excited to continue our long partnership with the WCC, and to continue to provide a first-class experience for the teams and fans that come to our property each year," said Tony Taeubel, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Orleans. "We look forward to welcoming WCC fans and student-athletes back to The Orleans in 2017."

In addition to the basketball games themselves, the week-long celebration of the West Coast Conference features the annual induction of a new class into the WCC Hall of Honor as well as the popular Kids Day community service initiative, benefitting more than 700 Las Vegas youth from the After-School All-Stars program.

In conjunction with the contract extension between the WCC and Boyd, Las Vegas Events (LVE) has announced it will continue its support of the West Coast Conference tournament in Las Vegas through 2019.

"Las Vegas is committed to hosting high-profile championship events each year, and the extension with the West Coast Conference through 2019 fulfills that vision," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "The West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships bring both great energy and enthusiastic fans to our city. Through this partnership, Las Vegas will continue to work with the WCC to create a unique atmosphere for fans, while providing an outstanding venue for student-athletes to pursue excellence on the court."

"Over the past eight years, the Las Vegas community and Orleans Arena have embraced our men's and women's basketball programs and fans," Holzman added. "We are looking forward to building on that success in the coming years."