WALNUT CREEK, Calif., March 13 (UPI) -- The Pac-12 Conference announced Tuesday it was moving its annual men' basketball tournament to Las Vegas next year.
The 2013 tourney will take place next March at the MGM Grand Garden Arena and will be televised nationally on ESPN, FOX and Pac-12 Network.
The tournament has been played for the past 11 years at Staples Center in Los Angeles under a contract that expired this month. Vegas won out in a bidding process for a new host city that was conducted in the past 10 months, the conference said in a written statement.
"This is an exciting opportunity for us to create a new, dynamic atmosphere for our schools, our student-athletes and our fans," Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said. "Las Vegas is one of the most exciting destinations in the country and … we expect the stature and energy of the Pac-12 Tournament to continue to flourish."
The MGM Garden Arena seats 16,800 and has been a busy venue for major concerts and sporting events including countless boxing matches and pre-season NHL hockey.
Las Vegas currently hosts the Mountain West conference tournament at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of Mountain West member University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
