Ron Kantowski:

NCAA’s obstinacy a sure bet

But as more states allow gambling, eventually its silly anti-Vegas rule will become obsolete

SAM MORRIS / LAS VEGAS SUN file

UNLV guard Wink Adams floats to the hoop against San Diego State at the Mountain West Conference tournament in March. The MWC was joined by the West Coast Conference in having its tournament played in Las Vegas, and will be joined by the Western Athletic Conference in 2011.

By Ron Kantowski (contact)

Thursday, June 25, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Orleans' world of sports gets wider (6-24-2009)
The Elevator: NCAA Championship Week edition (3-14-2009)
WAC eyes Orleans for 2011 (3-10-2009)
Sea World not a bad spot for MWC tourney (3-9-2009)
WCC puts faith in Las Vegas (3-6-2009)

Now & Then

Now that it has been officially announced that the Western Athletic Conference will join the West Coast Conference in holding its men’s and women’s postseason basketball tournaments at the Orleans Arena — at the time of Wednesday’s news conference, the cat had not only been let out of the bag, but was halfway to Barstow — I figure it’s only a matter of time until the Big Sky Conference announces that it, too, will move its hoops shindig to Las Vegas.

In addition to the WCC and WAC, the Mountain West Conference recently had the good sense to renew its contract with the Thomas & Mack Center. That means that over a 10-day period in March 2011 (provided the WCC renews its agreement at the Orleans, which should be a slam dunk) you’ll be able to see six No. 8 seeds get eliminated and their fans try to unload tournament passes on the concourse for a fraction of what they paid for them.

Talk about March Madness.

The only thing more maddening would be if the Big Sky fell on Las Vegas, too. I’m sure they could spruce up the old All-American SportPark and hang a couple of peach baskets on the wall. Or here’s a better idea: The Big Sky could play outdoors, at Sunset Park. The weather’s not all that bad during the first week of March. Northern Arizona could be shirts, Eastern Washington skins. You gotta win by two. Portland State, you got next.

The first thing I’m gonna do after I’m through writing this is call NAU coach (and Las Vegas native) Mike Adras to get the ball rolling.

After that, I’m gonna call the NCAA and ask when do we get our Far West regional, or whatever they’re called these days.

The WAC’s decision to follow the WCC into town to play some ball on the back lot of a casino property that offers sports betting — oh, the horror! — and alcohol — oh, the double horror! — seemed like the perfect time to call out the NCAA hypocrites for a crazy rule that states none of its championship events will be held in a casino, or within the boundaries of a state that has them.

Unfortunately, the state of Delaware beat me to it. Jack Markell, the governor of The First State, is locked in a no-holds-barred battle with the NCAA over Delaware’s decision to adopt sports betting. We can’t stop you from putting up the Eagles at minus 3 1/2, says the NCAA. But if you do, your beloved Blue Hens will never host another Division I-AA playoff football game. And George Thorogood will be banned from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, effective immediately.

Delaware has hosted 22 playoff games since 1973. This is a ruling that eventually will hit the Blue Hens right between the shoulder pads, which is how the NCAA likes it.

Why do you think they even established this misguided rule in the first place? If the NCAA didn’t want to mess with Jerry Tarkanian so badly, my guess is where they play these games would be as relevant as the Rice Owls. In fact, we probably would have been awarded a Final Four without even bidding. That’s the least the NCAA could do after Las Vegas oddsmakers blew the whistle on Hedake Smith and the little point-shaving scheme he and his fraternity brothers were running out of Arizona State a few years back.

At the news conference, WAC Commissioner Karl Benson said this Delaware situation combined with other facts, such as that most of the membership of the fine, upstanding Pac-10 now accept advertising dollars from tribal casinos, may shed new light on the NCAA’s silly argument that playing basketball in a casino will cause one’s arm to fall off and his dog to die.

“That issue is going to be vetted out,” Benson said in mentioning the consternation of Johnny-bet-lately states such as Delaware and Montana and New Jersey to the playoff ban. “The NCAA hasn’t backed off the issue. But perhaps the NCAA membership recognizes how thin the margin is of what is OK and what isn’t.”

The state of Oregon wanted to institute a sports lottery a few years ago but when the NCAA raised its heavy hand, saying that Portland could forget about hosting the Far West regional in a few years’ time, Salem backed off like the guy guarding Kobe Bryant. The Rose Garden got its regional this year. Two of the luxury suites were sold to tribal casinos. One was used to entertain its high rollers.

Nobody’s arm fell off. Nobody’s dog died.

My prediction is that one of these days, like when the gambling industry makes it an offer that would make the $6 billion it received from CBS for its basketball tournament rights look like Clark Kellogg’s chump change, the NCAA will back off, too.

They’ll say you can have the Far West regional in Las Vegas because, frankly, our big shots like to drink martinis and visit gentlemen’s clubs on the company dime, too, and that’s hard to do in Salt Lake City or Boise.

And then we will tell them you can stick your regional, and the restrictions about betting on them, in Pocatello or anywhere else the sun doesn’t shine, because we’re already making money hand over fist by having college basketball fans over to watch them on TV in our sports books.

As one of the city’s movers and shakers told me Wednesday, Las Vegas doesn’t need events. Las Vegas creates events. The opening weekend of March Madness at our betting parlors is just one more example of our business acumen and the tourist’s tax dollars at work.

So I’ll take Northern Arizona and lay the points. Especially if it’s cold and windy outside.

Discussion: 8 comments so far…

By TRUE_FAN

6/25/09 at 9:38 a.m.

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Great article.

And I agree 100% there's no way Vegas would restrict betting to host an event.

You've got Ty Lawson on the current National Championship team bragging how he made $250 playing craps WHILE IN DETROIT FOR THE FINAL FOUR. What exactly is left that the ncaa is trying to prevent? There's this thing called the internet. And if you really want to gamble on sports, you can do it anywhere.

We need more media outlets that show the old, rich, money-grubbing, hypocritical, anti-competitive, exclusionary, elitist, sanctimonious pigs in the ncaa for what they really are.
By Ron Kantowski (Staff)

6/25/09 at 10:08 a.m.

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True:

Thanks for the note. After the NCAA comes to its senses over these silly rules and restrictions, we should start hammering on the NFL -- another institution that our sports books help turn into a corporate monolith.
By newyorkrebel

6/25/09 at 10:28 a.m.

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"Las Vegas doesn't need events. Las Vegas creates events."

Hate to burst your bubble, bro, but you are thinking Vegas pre-2007, and it shows.

Maybe Vegas created events when capital was free flowing and we had less than 130,000 rooms that were 90% occupied at triple digit rates.

But those days are far behind us right now. Visitor count is down, spend is way down, and room rates have plummeted.

This town needs events and needs them BADLY. And will need them more than ever once City Center opens, and when and if Fountainbleu ever finds funding to open.

Some form of casino gaming is available today in 48 states. The days of simply being 'open' in Vegas and being successful are over. Vegas needs to offer gaming tourists something they can't get at the local Indian casino 30 miles away.

Events like the NCAA West Regional are EXACTLY what Las Vegas needs if its going to survive in the 21st century.

The Orleans and MGM have nice and modern but very small arenas well suited to the MWC, WAC or Big Sky tourneys.

But a much bigger obstacle to securing NCAA championship events than gaming is the fact that our two signature sports areas - the Mack and Silver Bowl - both date to the early 80's and are not suitable for crowds bigger than 20 or 30 thousand people.

Finding a few billion dollars to build some modern sports arenas so the city can lure in major events is a much bigger obstacle to overcome right now than any irrational prejudices the NCAA may have.
By Ron Kantowski (Staff)

6/25/09 at 10:41 a.m.

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NYR:

I understand your point but it's not exactly like we are losing sporting events. In fact, we are adding them -- i.e.,last week's NHL Awards Show and now the WAC basketball tournament.

In the next few weeks you will be reading about a new local marketing effort that potentially will turn the sporting events we already have into true signature events, as well as attract new ones.

Provided the downturn in the economy runs its cycle like every other one has, we should be fine.

At least that's what one the movers and shakers told me yesterday.
By Ron Kantowski (Staff)

6/25/09 at 10:56 a.m.

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NYR:

Just to clear up the statement about Las Vegas needing events ... That was specifically in reference to an NCAA regional, or similar event. Las Vegas "created" or at least has profited tremendously from the thousands of basketball fans who come into town every year to bet on the games and watch them on TV.

That's way more lucrative to the local coffers than any live regional with betting restrictions on the games would be.

But you are totally right about the stadium and arena shortcomings. Without new ones, there's only so much you can do.
By Ron Kantowski (Staff)

6/25/09 at 10:58 a.m.

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NYR:

One more thing: I haven't forgotten about your idea for creation of the Glen Gondrezick Concourse.

That's a great one.
By newyorkrebel

6/25/09 at 2:35 p.m.

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Thanks, bro.

I am biased. I would love to attend an NCAA regional without having to travel. So I want the NCAA tourney in Vegas badly.

No dispute that our local economic leaders profit from people coming into town to watch the games in sportsbooks.

But if the city could create a 'perfect storm' of basketball events - conference tournaments, followed by March Madness on TV in the books, AND NCAA first & second round, or even better, regionals live and in person, AND with a highly ranked UNLV team included in the tourney - we would truly see a level of interest in basketball this town has not seen since my (our) youth, when the Rebels were #1.

It's fine to add small events like the WAC tourney and NHL awards shows. But to sustain 137,000+ hotel rooms over the next decade, Vegas needs to transform itself into a big time sports and entertainment venue - which means snatching prime sporting events (NCAA championships) and awards (grammys, tonys) from the Coasts.

Get the Gondo Concourse rolling homie.
By Ron Kantowski (Staff)

6/25/09 at 4:29 p.m.

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NYR:

About those first four paragraphs: Salient points, one and all.

About the last one: You can count on it.