Las Vegas will continue to be the home of men's and women's Mountain West basketball tournaments through the 2019 season.
"Mountain West fans have made it clear they prefer Las Vegas as the site for our basketball championships," Mountain West Commissioner Craig Thompson explained in a press release. UNLV's Thomas and Mack Center has been the home of Mountain West basketball championships since 2007 and from 2000 to 2003. Pepsi Center, the home of the Denver Nuggets, hosted the tournament from 2004 through 2006.
In last year's Mountain West men's basketball final, Wyoming finished off its improbable run to NCAA Tournament with a 45-43 upset win over San Diego State. The attendance at the Mountain West tournaments have continued to thrive. In total, the average annual attendance at the Mountain West tournament is 65,842.
The Thomas and Mack Center has been in the spotlight since its grand opening in 1983. It has been the site to many concerts, rodeos, boxing matches, and became the first non-NBA city to host an NBA All-Star Game in 2007.
The arena recently completed a $72.5 million renovation to improve seating, sound systems, and other amenities.
San Diego State and New Mexico lead the Mountain West with four tournament championships apiece. UNLV and Utah have combined for three championships, and BYU, Colorado State, and Wyoming all have one title.
Last year's MW Tournament featured only 10 teams as San Jose State was left out of the event due to Academic Progress Rate penalties. Starting in 2017, the Mountain West Tournament will include only the top eight men's and women's teams, hoping to improve the overall performance of the tournament. This change will also decrease the length of the tournament from four to three days.
The 2016 tournament will return to its 11-team format and will be played Wednesday, March 9th through Saturday, March 12th.