The 2019 Mountain West Conference Tournament Guide

So   you're   thinking   about   the   MWC   Tournament?

That's great! The tournament is a great time, but it's no normal game. If you're going for the first time, it's been awhile, or you just want some tips, I'm here to share my experiences, and the best tips submitted by our Twitter followers. 

We asked some MWC Tournament pros and some fans already committed to going for the first time to take a poll to get opinions on ticket options, travel, lodging, and tips to have a good experience! Big thank you to all who helped!

Official Mountain West Tournament Page

What   is   the   MWC   Tournament   and   Why   is   it   so   great?

The MWC Tournament has been played since the year 2000 and almost exclusively at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas (UNLV) except for three years when it was hosted in Denver at the Pepsi Center. The Men's and Women's teams of all 11 Schools play a single elimination tournament over a 7 day tournament. Women's teams start on Sunday with a Wednesday Championship and the Men's games start Wednesday with a Saturday Championship. The day before Selection Sunday, but we'll save that for next time. The top 5 teams are awarded a first round bye, while teams 6-11 play day one. The remaining 8 teams play day 2 in the quarterfinals, day 3 is the semi finals, followed by the championship game. 

So   What's   the   Big   Deal?

• Basketball: There's a ton of basketball, Duh! 20 games in total if you went to every one. 10 men's and 10 women's games in a short time span. Most teams are playing for an automatic qualifier to the NCAA in the do or die tournament and the players lay everything on the line! There's some great games to be played in every session.

Sorry there Boise State

• Nevada Fans: The Pack has been traveling in impressive numbers all season long and there's evidence that the MWC Tournament will be no exception. Watching a game in an 11,000+ Lawlor is a great time, but there's something special at away games. Fans that travel tend to be some of the biggest fans, and getting them all together across a few sections is awesome and loud! An incredible chance to support the team with a great group.

Nevada fans and the Pep Band cheer on the Wolf Pack Men's Basketball Team in 2017

• MWC Fans: The conference is home to a lot of rabid fan bases. Even though the conference has been down a bit, several schools should still show up in force. The fact that this is likely the only road to the NCAA tournament for team's not named Nevada this year gives many fans an incentive to get their team to the championship game. Interacting with other fans is mostly a good time, though you'll have to deal with the occasional rude ones. All the team's fans in one building lead to some really great atmosphere's.

Nevada fans sit across from San Diego State fans in the 2018 MWC Tournament

• Las Vegas: People from Reno like to dump on Vegas for their various reasons, but it's an entertainment powerhouse and can be a fun place to visit (and/or grab a hangover). Not only is there a lot to do usually, but there is a lot of extra basketball tournaments going on at the same time. The PAC-12 and WAC Tournaments will be going on at other venues, while the WCC plays the week before. Not to mention all the sports books and bars you can watch hoops on. The weather is also pretty awesome in March, enjoy Vegas while your shoes aren't melting on the strip.

Check out these memories and try not being excited, I dare you!

• @NevadaMadness "Nevada beating Colorado State in the 2017 Mountain West Championship Game"
• @strtch33 "2017 Nevada championship!"
• @KingzFan916279 "Nevada beating Colorado State in the MW Championship game in the 2016-17 season and advancing to the NCAA tourney for the first time in 10 years."
• @Joyner Jason "2017 MW Tourney Title Game vs CSU. Drove up from New Mexico for the weekend and it didn't disappoint. The game was a slug-fest and CSU wouldn't let up. It was awesome being surrounded by all the Pack fans celebrating our championship and first at-large bid in a decade." 
• @1PackFan "Beating New Mexico for our first MWC tournament win."
• @jvelascosf "2017 Winning the Tournament over Colorado State."
• @Jamazing44 "Coming back against Fresno State in the second half of the semifinals in 2017."
• @flosan23 "Just being around all the different fans"
• @Kevin Anderson75 "The 2017 final game against CO State and storming the court afterwards.
• @CoachBosier "Being with other MWC basketball fans. Fun to watch and talk to other who share a passion for the same conference."
• Tiffany "The Championship game last year and the celebration after"
• @ghylton "Watching Nevada cut down the nets"
• @Nevadaleo032 "Getting on the floor at Thomas and Mack after NV beat Co State. Lindsey Drew gave my wife a MWC Champs sign!"
• Peggy "Couldn't pick just one"
• @AuroraBDrew "When we won it all in 2017 and Jordan Caroline was named MVP."
• @NVJosh "Muss winning it his 2nd year. First time back in the NCAA tournament since the Fox era."
• @Goodiegirl143 "My favorite memory was walking down the strip and seeing other Pack fans. Everyone was so nice and it was great to take over Vegas!!!"
• @NevadaPackFan "Just seeing Nevada on the road was exciting and new."
• @tlemieux "Watching JC graciously accept a sign my daughter made for him after their disappointing loss to SDSU. Pure Class."
• @Mc3zy10 "My first game. When Nevada beat UNLV."
• @Ttwilkinson "2017, being on the floor watching the Pack cut down the net."
• 2 people have only been to losses, don't let that discourage you!

So   What's   the   Problem?

There's no problem, but it's not just as easy as a normal sporting event to buy one ticket and your're set. Some planning ahead can go a long way and that's part of the reason I put this together. So let's look at the ticket options, travel, and lodging, then we can get back to the fun stuff!

Tickets

This can be the trickiest part, it definitely was for me the first time we went, but we can get through this! This was what actually motivated me to write this guide as you've got a few options that range in price, access, and flexibility. 6 out of 10 people who were going to the Tournament for the first time hadn't bought tickets yet and only 1 had an idea of what tickets they were buying so don't worry, you're not alone.

Expected game times at the bottom of the page.

​Official Ticket Information

The All Session Passes!

• Bought from the School's Athletic Department
• Includes All 20 games, Women's and Men's
• 2019 VIP Price $750 ($37.50/game) - VIP without Hospitality $450 ($22.50/game). Only 330 (30 per school) of these tickets are available. Double those per game prices if you can only make the Men's games.
• 2019 All Session Lower Bowl Pass $250 ($12.50 per game, $25 per men's game)
• Only guarantee to sit with your team's fans (add quote and caveat)

Why or Why not?

• If you're there to watch a ton of basketball, then you can't find a better deal. $12.50 per game for 20 games of $25 a game for only the men's games is a steal. And you're set for the whole tournament, no scrambling each day for the next game's tickets.
• If you're only there to watch one team, and if you don't plan to watch other games if your team loses, then you're out. You can always try to sell them to fans of an advancing team if that happens, but don't expect to break even. You can also give them away if that happens too.
• The other good thing is you don't have to worry about a third party.

The bad news is all of Nevada's All Session Passes have been sold out. You'll have to order through another school. 

Based on the seating chart your best best is to try for Wyoming. Unfortunately for Nevada fans, to the left and right are San Diego State, Utah State, and New Mexico who typically travel well. If none of those are available try Air Force, Fresno State, and San Jose State.

Pollster Tips"

• Michael McDonald @Mc3zy10 "It's great to watch Nevada but also able to watch their possible opponents"
• Todd Lemieux @tlemieux72 "You get to sit with your fellow pack fans in an extremely jacked environment"
• @d1rader "Low risk option as good as Nevada is this season"

Single Session

• ​Tickets range from $20 for Women's games, to up to $60 for the Men's Semi-Finals
• You can purchase these through the UNLV Ticket Office - UNLVTickets.com
• You can also purchase from scalpers, or from third party sites such as StubHub. *Tip* If you're going to buy from scalpers, have them follow you to the door and pay when you can confirm the tickets are real.

Why or Why Not?

• You only pay for the games you go to, so if you plan to just watch Nevada games you can potentially save some money here. 
• If your team goes out early, you didn't already pay for future games, that you'll be too upset to go to.
• You have to buy new tickets every day. This can be annoying and end up being more expensive in the end.
• If you can't make all of your team's games this can be a great option. 25% of those polled cannot make the whole tournament.
• One thing you can do is go to the first game your team plays, and if they advance try to find someone willing to sell their all session pass after an early exit. Thanks to @NVPack89519 for the tip!
  

Tips from Pollsters:

• @Brian Rich "You can find good deals. I paid $40 per ticket last year Center Court. Lower Level Sec 10"
• Ryan "Gives you more flexibility. There's a lot to do in Vegas"
• @AuroraBDrew "If your school plays earlier in the game there are usually tickets available and even if your seat is up higher you can move down"
• Many people mentioned that they can't make each game

Pollsters:
Those that went with either choice mostly gave their choice a vote of high value. 
​
Most people will go the same route this year:
​Those who bought an All Session  pass in the past, 5 will get single tickets.
Only 1 person who went with single session tickets in the pass is getting an all session pass.

Expectations:
Nevada is excellent this year, but winning 3 games in 3 days can be extremely tough. Only 7 regular season champions have also won the tournament in the last 20 years. So that could play a factor in how you plan your weekend.

Getting   There

The tournament is played at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, NV - So what's the best way to get there?

Driving:
As you can see, Las Vegas is about a 7 hour drive from Reno to the arena which sits just outside the strip. Personally I've done at at least 10 round trips, and it's a long one. But that doesn't mean it isn't a good option. Though it's all desert, there's some nice views and random stops. Some of the clearest skies I've ever seen and acres upon acres of untouched land.

Sites and stops along the way include:

• Big horn sheep sightings at Walker Lake, the cross the road to get water so watch out!
• Getting a picture with old bombs in Hawthorne from the Army Weapons Depot. 
• Avoid being murdered at The Clown Hotel in Tonopah, and grab a beer at the Tonopah Brewery.​

Don't forget to fill up!

• Get a speeding ticket in Gold Field
• Grab some candy at Death Valley Nut and Candy Co. in Beatty, and don't forget to turn left onto 95 so you don't drive 30 miles out of the way...  
• Take in the desert views because you're going to be there awhile.

Flying:
Las Vegas is only a 1 hour and 15 minute flight from Reno, so bring your free drink ticket, you'll probably have time for one of them. The Arena and strip are very close to McCarran Airport, so you likely won't need to rent a car if you Lyft or Uber. 

Thomas and Mack Center 2017

How our pollsters travel:

So what's the best way?

Because I've done the drive so many times I'd rather just fly, but if you have a family or fun group with some extra time and want to save some money, hit the open road!

Lodging

Hotels:
You're in Vegas, plenty to choose from. There are some closer ones to the Arena though, and Nevada will be staying at the Palms.
​Tips from the pollsters:

• @GoodieGirl143 "Stay on the Strip. Uber was less than $10 and you can walk to dinner and events from the hotel."
• @CaboGolf19 "There are several hotels within walking distance to the arena. Hyatt Place, Hard Rock are decent.

• Andrew recommends the Best Western across the street

Airbnb:
If you've never used airbnb, you can save a lot of money especially if you need more than one room. No resort fees, but you will have some cleaning fees. I haven't used one in Las Vegas, but I've had success other places.

Thomas   and   Mack   Center

Getting to the Stadium
Parking:
​I can't find anything about the parking right now, but if I remember correctly you can pay cash there. Expect around $20 or so.
@BearitNV "Arrive early as the line to park can back up"
Ride Share or Cab: Many people mentioned this as their preferred option. Around $10 rides from the strip using Lyft or Uber.

At the Stadium:
Yes, Thomas and Mack serves alcohol. 
​Ryan says the Philly Cheesesteak is great, and Peggy says the vanilla soft serve cones are a treat!

​Eliana Bernal @ebernal23 "Review the Thomas and Mack bag Policy"
Great reminder! It's small purse or clear bag, policy here -> Bag Policy

Bars and Restaurants Around Thomas and Mack:

• Brad Platt @1PackFan "There's an awesome dive bar right by T&M called the World Famous Double Down" This was seconded by many pollsters
• @loriwohetz "Culinary Dropout is one of my favorites!"
• @NVJosh recommends PTs Pub (UNLV Bar with lots of TVs and Bar Food"
• @kurtisbu12 "I always end up at Robertos across from UNLV Campus"
• @JoeMJoyner - Cafe Rio
• @kdev915 - Born and Raised, Babystacks for food
• Stan - Hofbrau House
• Multiple people mentioned: 
• Hooters Casino - Great drink specials, fire pits
• Crown and Anchor
• Metro Pizza

Places not so close but worth the trip:

• Tacos el Gordo
• Andrew says - Firefly Tapas and Tacos and Beer on Paradise
• @NevadaMadness - Naked City Pizza on Paradise
• There's some good breweries in Henderson and Boulder, so go get yourself a dam beer.
• @ShoupNathan - "Party at my house, but bring your own Coors Light, this isn't a charity."

The   Tournament

Official Schedule

With a lot of basketball to be played, what teams other than the Wolf Pack are Nevada fans most excited to see play?

​Utah State was the big winner followed by San Diego State and Fresno State.

Projecting   Nevada's   Games

Nevada locked in the #1 Seed Saturday night with a win over San Diego State and will play the following schedule if they advance.

• The top 5 Seeds have a bye on the first day. Nevada will play their first game at Noon on Thursday (Game 4) against the winner of Game 1 (Boise State vs Colorado State).
• Win that game and they would play Friday at 6pm (Game 8) vs the winner of San Diego State and UNLV. You get to see the second semi-final game directly after.  
• If they can advance to the Championship game they will play at 3pm Saturday (Game 10), which will be against the winner of the other side of the bracket - New Mexico, Wyoming, Fresno State, San Jose State, Air Force, and Utah State. 

Final   Tips

Have fun, plan a little at least. Be proud and loud, but don't be that guy. Represent your University.

Let us know what you think or if we missed something! Go Pack!

Thank   You!

Big thank you again to those who contributed!