KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - WAC Tournament Brings the Crowds to Reno
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John Potter
Channel 2 News
Welcome crowds are streaming into the airport for the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The first signs of a busy week of games were marching bands, cheerleaders and welcomes from officials. If it all looked a bit over the top, you have to look at what we've been through: 24 Reno flights were lost to the recession. And on a day when another down month for gaming was announced, this is a Reno "favorite thing."
About 12,000 people are flying into town for the tournament. There are usually about 8,000 seats a day coming in and out of Reno, so those seats are 90% filled most days now.
Last year attendance was down 31% from the time before in 2006, and the tournament ended up $200,000 in the red. How's it going this year? The answer is in those ticket sales. Wolf Pack Athletics Director Cary Groth told us, "Last night we had a push on ticket sales. A lot of people called, so we're hoping to have a good turnout…I think ticket sales are about the same as last year"
Ticket sales equals booked rooms equals money spent in Reno. To step up ticket sales, the RSCVA has been banging the drum in visiting team cities. Building up to this week, they've been distributing flyers and making promotional announcements during the games in those visitor cities, so they know the WAC tournament is here, and which hotel their team is staying at so they can stay in the same place to cheer them on.
Last year, 25% of WAC spectators came from out of town. As of today, traffic is crazy around Lawlor. So much so, there's a 7am to midnight schedule for the free Sierra Spirit buses this weekend.
Some in the hotel business are calling this an extra New Year's, considering all the hotel room booked. They're all going to make the most of it. This is the last year Reno is hosting the tournament, before it heads to a neutral site beginning next year.
