In a press conference at the Pac-12 tournament at Las Vegas on Friday, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott announced that the conference will move the postseason tournament to the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which is still under construction, for the next three years.
The motive, he said, was all about the faithful fans and the money they undoubtedly bring to the conference by attending the tournament every year.
“Ultimately, we were convinced that the move to T-Mobile Arena would be an exciting and natural next step and progression for this event,” Scott said. “We’ve been sold out of all sessions the last two years.
“This year we announced that we were sold out even before the first session took place. And moving to this new 18,500-seat, state-of-the-art venue will allow more fans to have the opportunity to experience the Pac-12 basketball tournament, as well as take advantage of really state-of-the-art amenities and exciting opportunities for fans to participate in.”
President and CEO Dan Beckerman of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the Pac-12’s main partner in the tournament move negotiations, said that because of the high demand for tickets in the past years, they hope the added space of the new arena will better accommodate all those wishing to attend the tournament.
As you look at this year, it’s bursting at the seams,” Beckerman said. “All of the events are sold out, and it really is overwhelming what’s happening at the Grand Garden Arena. So moving to a venue with a larger capacity I think makes a lot of sense.
“But as Larry mentioned, it’s not just the larger capacity that makes this a compelling move. The arena’s going to feature state-of-the-art technology, first-class amenities and hospitality opportunities that I think make T-Mobile Arena the ideal site to showcase the great tournament that this is for the Pac-12’s fans and corporate partners.”
