Photo credit: sjsuspartans.com

By: Ana Kieu

The Mountain West announced Thursday that the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas will continue to serve as the location for its men’s and women’s basketball championships through 2023.

The league’s Board of Directors approved a recommendation from an ad hoc committee made up of two athletic directors, two Senior Woman Administrators, two men’s basketball coaches and two women’s basketball coaches, which was endorsed by the full directors of athletics group, to return to the Thomas & Mack Center for the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Mountain West Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships.

“The Mountain West is pleased to extend its long history of successful men’s and women’s basketball championships at the Thomas & Mack Center,” said MW Commissioner Craig Thompson. “Las Vegas has become a mecca for college basketball in early March and our MW fans have made it clear this is their preferred destination.”

The Thomas & Mack Center, which holds several world-class events each year, including NBA Summer League, National Finals Rodeo, concerts and boxing matches, has hosted the Mountain West Basketball Championships in 17 of the Conference’s 20 years.

The 2020 MW Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will take place March 1-7, 2020 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tickets are now on sale via each institution’s athletic box office.

“Las Vegas has had a long and storied history with the Mountain West,” said LVE President Pat Christenson. “Since its inception, we have hosted the annual basketball championships 17 times at the Thomas & Mack Center. We are proud to be able to extend our partnership through the 2023 tournament.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be hosting the MW Basketball Championships through 2023,” said TMC Executive Director Mike Newcomb. “We have a great history and relationship with the Mountain West and to be able to continue to host the championships is a great opportunity for The Thomas & Mack Center, UNLV and the city of Las Vegas.”

About the Mountain West
From its inception in 1999, the Mountain West has been committed to excellence in intercollegiate athletics, while promoting the academic missions of its member institutions. Progressive in its approach, the MW continues to cultivate opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the highest level, while fostering academic achievement and sportsmanship. Now in its 20th year, the MW has been assertive in its involvement with the NCAA governance structure and has taken a leadership role in the overall administration of intercollegiate athletics. The MW membership is comprised of 11 all-sport members: the United States Air Force Academy, Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State, University of Nevada, University of New Mexico, San Diego State University, San José State University, UNLV, Utah State University and University of Wyoming. In addition, the University of Hawai’i and Colorado College participate in the MW as single-sport members in football and women’s soccer, respectively.