March 10, 2008

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - West Coast Conference Commissioner Michael Gilleran announced Sunday that the WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will move to the Orleans Arena in 2009.

Making the formal announcement at the press conference were Commissioner Gilleran and Steve Stallworth, Vice President and General Manager of the Orleans Arena.

This will mark the first time in conference history that the league's premier event will be held on a neutral site. The 2009 basketball championships will be the 23rd annual event on the men's side and the 17th annual women's tournament.

ABOUT THE WCC

The West Coast Conference was formed in 1952 to provide a convenient venue for five San Francisco Bay Area schools to compete in basketball. Since that modest beginning, the Conference has evolved and grown to become a nationally recognized and competitive force in intercollegiate athletics, with 13 league-sponsored sports: baseball; both men's and women's basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, and tennis; and women's volleyball and crew. The eight WCC members, Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Clara, span the western coast of the United States from Canada to Mexico. From the pine forests of Eastern Washington, to the Columbia River Basin, to the dynamic San Francisco Bay Area, to the sunny beaches of Southern California, the Conference is characterized by the stability of its membership - only two conferences have been together longer - and its unique emphasis on combining excellence in athletics with excellence in academics. For more information on the WCC, visit WCCsports.com.

ABOUT THE ORLEANS ARENA

Since opening our doors in 2003, the Orleans Arena has proven to be Las Vegas' favorite arena. The Orleans Arena hosted over 175 events in 2006 and is projected to do over 200 in 2007, including multiple concerts and touring shows; and a variety of sporting events. The Orleans Arena seats 7,471 for basketball events, and is also the home of the ECHL's Las Vegas Wranglers professional hockey team. For more information on the Orleans Arena, visit orleansarena.com.