The Western Athletic Conference announced recently that it will play its 2011 and 2012 conference championships at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. The conference announced earlier that its 2009 volleyball tournament would be there as well.

Nevada President Milton Glick, chair of the WAC board, said the move will attract more of the fan base to the tournaments.

The Orleans Arena is also home to the Las Vegas Invitational and Las Vegas Classic collegiate basketball tournaments and has hosted volleyball, ice hockey, boxing and mixed martial arts events.

“WAC head basketball coaches have been pushing for a neutral site for a number of years,” said Stew Morrill, Utah State head men’s basketball coach. “Las Vegas will be an exciting location. The Orleans is a great venue, and most importantly, no team will have a home-court advantage.”

Las Vegas hosted the tournament from 1997-99 at the Thomas & Mack Center when UNLV was a conference member.

“I believe for the WAC to continue growing and take its place among the top leagues in the country, we do need to play the tournament on a neutral court,” said New Mexico State women’s coach Darin Spence. “Las Vegas should attract more fans from all schools and be a positive experience for all of us.”

The 2010 tournament will remain at Nevada’s Lawlor Events Center in Reno.