Las Vegas' bids for getting NCAA championship occasions struck snag
A possible landmark change in the NCAA's stance versus placing champion occasions in Nevada now seems to be on hold.
Next month, the NCAA Board of Governors will consider an official proposal from UNLV and the Mountain West to stage three NCAA champion occasions in Las Vegas from 2019-22.
Separate from those is a proposition to play the whole women's Sweet 16 to the Final Four in Vegas. That would need to be authorized by different NCAA entities.
Numerous sources have told CBS Sports the opportunity of those quotes being approved have reduced of late. Due to the fact that the NCAA continues to be a plaintiff fighting a New Jersey law passed in 2014 enabling sports betting within the state, that's.
Far, New Jersey has stopped working on every front to implement the law. In addition to the NCAA, plaintiffs combating the law consist of the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball, along with the Department of Justice
The U.S. Supreme Court is in the procedure of choosing whether it will hear New Jersey's appeal in the case. West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin have likewise submitted briefs with the court in support of New Jersey.
Simply put, it's a case of bad optics for the NCAA at this time. Sources state the association would be reluctant to approve championship occasions in Nevada while it battles sports betting in New Jersey.
The NCAA's long-time policy has been to withhold champions from states that permit sports wagering. The week started with the Oakland Raiders revealing a relocation to Las Vegas. The new T-Mobile Arena in the city will be the home of the growth Golden Knights of the NHL next fall.
Multiple conferences play their postseason conference basketball tournaments in the city. This previous season, North Carolina and Kentucky fulfilled in T-Mobile for a neutral-site game.
College types thought the momentum for NCAA occasions in Nevada-- particularly Vegas-- was inescapable.
" This is rhetorical," said Jim Livengood, who retired as UNLV's athletic director in 2013 and is now a specialist for Las Vegas Occasions, an occasion management company which has worked on the quote, "however would not you think that if there was an issue with NFL, it would not pertain to Nevada?"
The in-depth bid for several champion occasions in the state of Nevada is believed to be the very first of its kind to be thought about by the NCAA.
" We're held to a various requirement," said UNLV AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who has long combated for NCAA occasions. With hockey coming in and the wonderful Raiders, there is definitely no excuse for this coming in."
A successful bid would basically open the NCAA to Las Vegas after years of the association preventing the betting Capital. The proposals include Las Vegas hosting a men's basketball regional in T-Mobile Arena in addition to fumbling and males's ice hockey nationwide champions.
If the board does not approve the bids, Nevada would be shut out until at least the next quote cycle start in 2023.
" We're going to miss out on that four-year window," Livengood said. "The tragic thing about that is it's not about Vegas, but the experience the student-athletes and teams might have."
In early March, Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference competition, kept in Las Vegas.
It has actually been just recently the NCAA relatively shifted its position concerning staging champion occasions in Nevada, which legislated sports betting in 1949.
In December 2015, NCAA president Mark Emmert kept in mind "exactly what typically appears to be a hypocritical stance," by the association regarding Las Vegas. At that time, he predicted there would be "robust conversation" among the NCAA membership regarding Nevada.
Social mores have changed. Four Division I conferences stage their postseason college basketball tournaments in Las Vegas (Pac-12, WAC, West Coast and Mountain West). Those events aren't governed by the NCAA.
" [Our fans] probably wouldn't travel there if it wasn't in Vegas," said Gonzaga coach Mark Few, whose team plays yearly in the West Coast Conference competition. "It will be interesting to have an NFL group down there. I make sure Las Vegas has actually been waiting on that."
As for the worry about Sin City's vices, Few said, "Gambling is everywhere.
The NCAA board will consider the latest Nevada proposal on April 25. That is after the NCAA Council meets April 12-14 when it would submit a recommendation.
" I think it was tracking well," one high-ranking NCAA official said of Nevada. "I believe we have actually had these test pilots being out there a lot, championship game that have actually managed it well.
" It appears like a sensible location when you take a look at that area of the nation. It's available. There are simple flights."
Western cities haven't been applying to host NCAA men's tournament sites because of the dearth of places because area. From 2008-16 the West Regional rotated between Anaheim (Honda Center), Los Angeles (Staples get more info Center) and the Phoenix area in every year but one (2010, Salt Lake).
This month, the West Regional was played in San Jose, California. Until this week in Glendale, Arizona, a true Western city hasn't played host to the Last 4 given that 1995 (Seattle).
Nevada is among 4 states across the country to permit sports betting. In an odd one-off, the NCAA did enable the ladies's basketball West Regional to be played in Las Vegas in 1991.
It is believed there has been no revenue-sport championship event played in the state since then.
" There will at some point be NCAA champion events held in Nevada," Livengood said. "That's going to happen. It's not an if, it's a when."
The NCAA's long-time policy has actually been to keep champions from states that enable sports wagering. The week started with the Oakland Raiders announcing a relocation to Las Vegas." We're held to a various requirement," said UNLV AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who has long battled for NCAA occasions. Four Division I conferences stage their postseason college basketball tournaments in Las Vegas (Pac-12, WAC, West Coast and Mountain West)." There will at some point be NCAA champion occasions held in Nevada," Livengood said.