Serious reservations

Steve Addy

Friday, Aug. 10, 2001 | 10:40 a.m.

College teams visiting Las Vegas often stay in gaming hotels, especially for special events such as the Las Vegas Bowl, the Las Vegas Showdown and the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament. Here are some teams that have stayed in gaming hotels in recent years: 2001

Air Force basketball -- MGM Grand (vs. UNLV, MWC tournament)

Colorado State football -- MGM Grand (vs. UNLV, Sept. 14)

Wyoming basketball -- MGM Grand (MWC tournament)

2000

Air Force basketball -- Las Vegas Hilton (MWC tournament)

Arkansas football -- Golden Nugget (Las Vegas Bowl)

Auburn basketball -- Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas Showdown)

Cincinnati basketball -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Showdown)

New Mexico basketball -- MGM Grand (MWC tournament)

Oregon basketball -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Showdown)

UNLV football -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Bowl)

Wyoming basketball -- Las Vegas Hilton (MWC tournament)

1999

Arizona basketball -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Shootout)

BYU basketball -- MGM Grand (WAC tournament)

Colorado State football -- MGM Grand (vs. UNLV)

Fresno State football -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Bowl)

Nebraska basketball -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Shootout)

Oklahoma State basketball -- Rio (Las Vegas Shootout)

Utah women's basketball -- Las Vegas Hilton (WAC tournament)

Utah football -- Sam's Town (vs. UNLV)

Utah football -- Golden Nugget (Las Vegas Bowl)

1998

Air Force football -- MGM Grand (WAC championship)

Cincinnati basketball -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Shootout)

North Carolina football -- Caesars Palace (Las Vegas Bowl)

San Diego State football -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Bowl)

1997

Air Force football -- Caesars Palace (Las Vegas Bowl)

Colorado State football -- MGM Grand (vs. UNLV)

Oregon football -- MGM Grand (Las Vegas Bowl)

Sources: Mountain West Conference, Las Vegas Bowl, listed schools

Only one -- Colorado State -- of UNLV's five 2001 home football opponents plans to lodge at a hotel-casino.

Here are those teams' hotels:

Sept. 7, Northwestern -- Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza

Sept. 14, Colorado State -- MGM Grand

Sept. 29, BYU -- Embassy Suites

Oct. 13, San Diego State -- Doubletree Club

Nov. 3, Utah -- Alexis Park

The NCAA doesn't want college basketball teams playing in hotel-casinos.

But it's still OK to sleep there.

Despite the NCAA's ongoing campaign to outlaw college sports betting, that was the mixed message to emerge from its recent indignation over three holiday tournaments to be held at Paris hotel-casino.

Though the promoter grudgingly moved the November-December events to Valley High School in response to criticism by the NCAA and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., many of the 22 participating teams still plan to bunk at Paris.

"Right now, all of the teams are at Paris," said tournament organizer Chris Spencer of Cincinnati-based Worldwide Basketball Inc. "That hasn't changed. But you never know. John McCain might say something tomorrow."

Among schools contacted by the Sun, Illinois said it is pondering moving to a non-gaming hotel, but Oklahoma State, Penn and Iowa State plan to remain at Paris, and other schools said they will probably keep the Paris bookings made by Worldwide Basketball.

Regardless, it won't be unusual for college teams to be at a gaming hotel. Teams have stayed at hotel-casinos here for years, often for special events such as the Las Vegas Bowl and conference basketball tournaments.

Colorado State's football team will stay at the MGM Grand for its Sept. 14 game against UNLV, marking the fourth time coach Sonny Lubick has lodged his team there, so far without incident.

"The first time I was a little concerned, but we haven't had any trouble," Lubick said. "We haven't lost anybody at the gaming tables, so it's been OK."

In March, the Mountain West Conference used the MGM Grand as its tournament headquarters, and Air Force and Wyoming's teams stayed there.

For 10 years the Las Vegas Bowl has housed teams at several gaming hotels, including Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Mirage, Luxor, Excalibur, Monte Carlo, the Las Vegas Hilton and the Golden Nugget.

Though the NCAA doesn't prohibit teams from staying at gaming properties, it is planning legislative steps to prevent games being played there.

Thursday, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors said it would ask its staff to develop a measure to be considered in November that would deny certification of any proposed event in a venue where college sports wagering is permitted.

"Clearly, conducting these events in such a venue is inconsistent with the position the NCAA has taken regarding sports wagering," board chairman William "Brit" Kirwan said. "But there is no criteria in place at the moment that permits the (NCAA) to deny certification of such events."

NCAA president Cedric Dempsey was sharply critical of schools for agreeing to play at Paris in the first place.

"It is wrong for member institutions to participate in tournaments conducted in casinos," he said last month. "This is the very environment we've been working so hard with Congress to change -- legal wagering on college sports in Nevada.

"I'm disappointed and dismayed that we'd have institutions take advantage of a loophole in our certification process and not use good judgment."

Not every school has taken advantage. Fresno State pulled out of a proposed four-team basketball event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center after university president John Welty learned the games would be on casino property.

The NCAA's foremost concern is having games played in such proximity to sports books, fearing bettors might try to contact players for inside information or even attempt to lure them into point-shaving.

Despite fears of predatory sharpies following players, coaches who have lodged teams at gaming properties say they have seen no such incidents.

"We constantly talk to (our players) about the whole gambling issue, to keep their eyes and ears open for people of a shady nature," New Mexico basketball coach Fran Fraschilla said.

"Nothing I'm aware of has happened like that (in Las Vegas). But you don't have to be in Las Vegas for guys to try to get hold of your players. They can call you in Fort Collins (Colo.) or Albuquerque."

The MWC assigned Fraschilla's team to the MGM Grand for the 2000 tournament, but he asked to be put in a non-gaming, non-Strip property this past March. The Lobos stayed at the Doubletree Club off I-215, and reached the MWC championship game.

"I'm not saying that's the reason we played well, but it was much less hectic staying off the Strip," Fraschilla said. "The MGM is a great hotel, but with all the fans and the activity, I didn't think the atmosphere was conducive to getting a team ready to play."

Lubick said a megaresort such as the MGM Grand is better for his team's traveling party because it has more meeting rooms and better banquet capabilities than smaller properties. And he said his players, many under the legal gambling age of 21, have stayed out of trouble.

"As a coach you're always concerned about something like (players sneaking into the casino after curfew)," Lubick said. "Heck, if I was 18, I might try to sneak out.

"But our players are usually tuned into the game when we arrive. They have an 11 p.m. curfew, just like at our other road hotels. Then they get up, play the game and go home."

Lubick instructs his players about staying out of the casino and away from the sports book.

"We tell them ahead of time that there will be more temptation there, but we have a pretty good group of kids," he said.

Fraschilla said most of his players obeyed similar advice, though he ran into two 21-year-old Lobos playing nickel and quarter slots on the 2000 trip.

"I said, 'Guys, we're not here for that,' and I pulled them out of there," he said. "It was small potatoes. We monitor our guys fairly closely on the road, but we also try to give them a little bit of free time."

Air Force's basketball team stayed at the MGM Grand twice last season, for a game against UNLV and the MWC tournament. Academy athletics spokesman Troy Garnhart said football coach Fisher DeBerry refuses to lodge his team in a gaming hotel, but basketball coach Joe Scott "doesn't think it's a big deal."

The NCAA has no formal policy on teams staying in gaming properties.

"We leave it to the discretion of the member institutions," NCAA spokesperson Jane Jankowski said. "We would hope that the coaches discuss responsible behavior with their student-athletes in that situation."

The Mountain West has no rule against teams staying in gaming hotels, commissioner Craig Thompson said. The MWC has a sponsorship deal with Marriott that gives teams reduced rates, but Thompson said teams can stay where they want.

In fact, in its three years of existence, the MWC has headquartered many events at Las Vegas gaming properties, including football and basketball media days at the Four Seasons Hotel at Mandalay Bay.

This season, instead of assigning team hotels for the basketball tournament, the MWC is allowing schools to make their own arrangements. Spokesman Javan Hedlund said several teams have booked into the MGM Grand.

When hosting college teams, the MGM Grand doesn't follow special procedures to supervise players, MGM MIRAGE spokesman Alan Feldman said.

"We expect them and their chaperones to act responsibly," he said. "We always make contact with the proper adult authorities on the team, just to remind them what the rules are.

"We definitely have no desire for anyone under 21 to be anywhere they don't belong -- in a bar or in the casino. There are no special accomodations."

Feldman said security incidents involving players have been rare.

"We've enjoyed a very good working relationship with the teams and the leagues," he said. "The coaches are overwhelmingly responsible. They're not going to do anything to besmirch their university, and the players are good kids, by and large. They understand there's a responsibility to their team and their school."

Sun sportswriter Steve Guiremand and the Associated Press contributed to this story.

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