University of NM to host NCAA basketball games
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The NCAA says the University of New Mexico will host first- and second-round games in the 2012 Men’s Basketball Championship. Four games will be played March 15, 2012, and two are scheduled for March 17, 2012. It will be the 10th time UNM will host the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. The last time the university had tournament games was in 2005. UNM’s athletic director, Paul Krebs, says it’s great to see games return to Albuquerque. He says tournament rounds are returning because of renovations now being made to University Stadium, known as The Pit. The NCAA on Monday announced preliminary round sites for the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Men’s Basketball Championships.
8 comments:
As much as I hate UNM this is good new for the state. Also a a nit pick. It's University Arena, Univ Stadium is for football.
Well, I hope they do some major renovations to the Pit, because it was nasty the last time I was there.
So the Pan Am Center has tons of updated and a very succesful WAC Tourney. Why can't we get any NCAA Tourny Games here?
Las Cruces doesn't have the hotel nor airport nor public transportation infrastructure to handle an NCAA regional.
C'mon DH. Why would they have games in Las Cruces when they can do it in ALBQ?
I agree DH. The Pan American Center is decent and is still considered to be a large arena by college standards. It would be nice if the Pan Am could at least host first and second round games.
I guess the airport being way over in El Paso might be a factor. Also, Las Cruces does not have the luxury accomodations of larger cities.
I understand why people in Las Cruces question why the Pan Am is not selected as a regional site for the NCAA's, but people in Las Cruces have to understand how far behind things are there. I live in San Antonio we get the Final Four alot but people in Las Cruces have no idea how much money is put into the hotels and tourism here...places like the Hotel Encanto and the Ramada don't even compare. People that attend the NCAA events want to stay in nice places and quite frankly they want to be in cities where they can have a blast. Las Cruces has lots of good points for it's residents, but it's a little boring for certain types of travelers and tourists.
Pure and simple.
Las Cruces does not meet NCAA criteria to host.
First, you must have a major airport.
Second, you must have x number of hotel rooms.
Third, the Pan American Center doesn't seat 20,000.
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