Hosting Duties

The Greatest Arena on Earth began the year by welcoming some new-to-Vegas events. 

• The largest women’s collegiate gymnastics invitational ever held, the Super 16, debuted in early January at the Orleans Arena. 
• The Road to the Final Four stopped here as Las Vegas hosted our first NCAA West Regional semifinals in March.
• The oldest basketball tournament in the world, the National Invitation Tournament, exited Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1938 in favor of Las Vegas. 

The college sports excitement is only building, says Lisa Motley, LVCVA’s senior director of sports and special events. “You host events like this and all the eyes on Las Vegas get other promoters thinking, ‘What other events could I bring there?’ she says. “Now the College Football Playoff is giving us another look because they see what we do here in Las Vegas and how successful it is.”