by By Teddy Feinberg/Sun-News Sports Editor , Las Cruces Sun-News

WAC Commissioner Karl Benson made the announcement Wednesday afternoon, saying that the tournament will be held for two seasons at the Orleans Arena, March 9-12.

It will be the first time since 1994 that the conference tournament will take place on a neutral court, when it was played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"It's a tremendous day for the WAC and our basketball programs," Benson said.

The conference coaches have agreed for some time that a neutral gym would level the playing field throughout the league. In past years, the tournament has been held at host-school sites, with Reno, Nev., holding the competition last year and this season as well. The two years prior saw the tourney played in Las Cruces, with New Mexico State University winning the whole thing during the 2006-07 campaign and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies beat Utah State in the finals that year, a program led by coach Stew Morrill.

Morrill and the UtAgs were able to win in enemy territory this past season, beating Nevada in the WAC finals and moving on to the NCAAs.

"It's a very unique situation," Morrill said of playing on an opposing team's home floor with a conference championship on the line. "We were fortunate enough to win this year. The feeling I've had going into those championship games, playing on those other team's homecourt, it was a feeling that this isn't right. We should play it at a neutral site."

Coaches from around the conference agreed that the Orleans Arena provided a state-of-the art basketball facility with enough recourses to satisfy the respective programs making the trip to Las Vegas.

"Walking through the arena, it gave a great feel," NMSU women's coach Darin Spence said. "The locker rooms are adequate, are good sized. The entry way for teams going in and out of the arena is good sized, it's easy access. I don't think there's a bad seat in the arena. There's nice skyboxes for boosters to entertain different people. I just thought it was a good, comfortable feel."

While Las Vegas does provide an appealing destination for college basketball fans, there are some reservations about moving away from host sites. One will be attracting enough fans to sell out the building on a nightly basis. While certain WAC programs - Utah State, NMSU, Nevada, Hawaii and Fresno State - have notoriously had strong fan bases that travel well, others - Idaho, Louisiana Tech and San Jose State - remain works in progress.

Past tournaments have seen the WAC request each of its member schools to purchase 100 tickets for the conference tourney. Once again, a requirement will be set, although the number has not yet been determined. Benson said that an average all-session ticket price at the tournament is being estimated at $150, although nothing has been finalized. The arena will seat 7,500 people at the tourney.

"Despite our geography, Las Vegas sits right in the middle of it," Benson said in regard to WAC school locations. "Vegas is known for big-time events and we are expecting to build and cultivate and establish this as a big-time event.

"We believe if we can sell the building out, and that's certainly our goal, we will be able to generate the same revenues."

The 2011 Mountain West Conference basketball tournament will be held in Las Vegas as well, played at the Thomas & Mack Center. In other words, the MWC and the WAC will overlap dates and possibly games.

"I don't know if I see it as either," Morrill said when asked if he thought having two tournaments in the same town was a benefit or a detriment. "I think our WAC Tournament will be fine, attracting the fans from all the teams and attracting a certain local element as well ... I think Vegas can handle both."

For Benson and the respective WAC programs, the pros in moving the tournament to a neutral site outweighed the cons. The biggest pro of all? An equal playing field for each team.

"At the end of the day, it's a huge advantage that the tournament is on a neutral court," Aggie men's coach Marvin Menzies said. "There will be no more conversation about a team having an unfair advantage."

Notes: Benson said that nothing was set beyond the 2012 season as far as tournament locations were concerned. ... The 2009 WAC volleyball tournament will also be held at the Orleans Arena. ... The closest WAC school to Las Vegas is Fresno State, located 396 miles away. The University of Nevada in Reno is 448 miles away from Las Vegas, while Utah State 500 miles away. Las Cruces is a 681-mile distance. ... Benson said that no decision has been made on whether alcoholic drinks would be sold at the tournament.

Teddy Feinberg can be reached at tfeinberg@lcsun-news.com; (575) 541-5455

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