Opening Remarks
“It’s been an outstanding year for the West Coast Conference and clearly reinforces that we are a basketball-centric conference and it’s why we are central to the national conversation across the country.
 
The West Coast Conference is ranked eighth nationally and home to three men’s basketball teams in the top 42 in NET. Only the ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, SEC and West Coast Conference can stake that claim. With that, we’re optimistic about receiving three bids to this year’s NCAA Tournament.
 
What makes our credentials meaningful is they define the strength of our conference beyond just one single team. By way of example, Santa Clara’s season has been nothing short of extraordinary. Their consistent performance coupled with the traditional standard of excellence from Saint Mary’s has challenged our entire conference and elevated our national prominence.
 
Mark Few said recently, and I quote, “Santa Clara is not only an NCAA Tournament team, but they are a team that can win a game in the tournament.” That level of respect from a competitive rival and a future Hall of Famer says much about our ability to compete on the national stage.
 
The depth of the West Coast Conference has been on full display all season long. Six of our teams sit in the top 125 of the NET, including a vastly improved Pacific team and our newest member, Seattle U, who has provided immediate value to this league over the course of the season.
 
We’re also proud to be the only conference with three head coaches who have won at least 550 Division I games. That level of leadership combined with improving coaching talent across our membership bodes well for the future strength and stability of the West Coast Conference.
 
As we look ahead, two of our incoming coaches, Denver’s Tim Bergstraser and UC San Diego’s Clint Allard, are finalists for the Joe B. Hall Award as the top first-year head coach in Division I. We congratulate both of these coaches on their early recognition.
 
The West Coast Conference’s commitment to our student-athletes’ experience and wellness have guided our regional expansion to eight of the nine largest cities in the West. Our vision of expansion in the future is defined by a commitment to doubling down in the West Coast region. We strongly believe in our footprint and in creating a forward-thinking, competitively relevant membership in this region.
 
At our men’s and women’s tournament right now, we celebrate the competition, the excellence of all of our teams, our coaches, our student-athletes and the thriving spirit that defines the West Coast Conference. Tonight, the arena will be sold out. Our fans enjoy their annual visit to this city here in Las Vegas.
 
With that, we are happy to announce the West Coast Conference will return to Orleans Arena for the 2027 tournament.
 
We’re also excited about our future with Denver joining us next year and UC San Diego joining in July of 2027. Denver just completed its best conference season since 2018, and UC San Diego has compiled its third straight 20-win season. All indications confirm that these programs are fully committed, invested and strong additions to the West Coast Conference.
 
All that being said, our national success is not limited to just men’s basketball. The West Coast Conference is recognized as a success conference by the NCAA in nine sports, more than any other conference outside the Power Four. This places the West Coast Conference leadership and coaches on national selection committees and gives us a real voice at the national level.
 
The 2025 men’s soccer season saw three West Coast Conference bids into the NCAA Tournament, and a conference program reached the quarterfinals for the third time in four years. Denver’s addition in men’s soccer further solidifies our continued success in the future.
 
Heading into this spring season, the West Coast Conference claims top 10 ranked teams in five sports, men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and beach volleyball. This fall, we are also proud to have 20 All-Americans on our rosters.
 
So, in closing, as we get ready to crown a champion tomorrow night in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, we have a lot to look forward to. As we say, ‘We Rise in the West.’
 
All right, so with that, I’ll take any questions that you have.”
 
 
On His Role As Commissioner In Turbulent Times
“It’s been our objective, recognizing that we are in such turbulent times with respect to this age of NIL, revenue sharing, the transfer portal, particularly in basketball, to not dwell in the change itself, but rather lean into coming up with solutions.”
 
“I view my role as, number one, helping stabilize this conference from a membership standpoint; continue to try to find alternative sources of revenue for our conference that are going to be badly needed to assist with our institutions and our student-athletes; and then thirdly, basically become the point guard for all of our member institutions as it relates to issues nationally that affect the collegiate space.”
 
 
On Conference Investment In Basketball
“Our presidents have shown a real commitment to lean into all of our sports, but particularly men’s and women’s basketball. And it’s not a statement. There’s clear evidence that they’re doing that.”
 
“There’s evidence all around our conference that there’s commitment there and dollars are flowing, and that’s a good thing in this environment, which unfortunately has become one that is financially based.”
 
 
On Changing The Tournament Bracket
“We have in our tournament utilized an extended bracket that has a feel of ridiculousness. I mean it does.”
 
“The possibility still exists that a team would have to win six games if they’re the lowest seed to win a championship. The next tier of teams would have to win five games to win a championship.”
 
“I don’t favor that bracket. I’m going to be honest with you and have expressed that to our members.”
 
“Fortunately, our Executive Council, the Basketball Operations Cabinet, and ultimately, the Presidents’ Council voted to move to a traditional bracket for next year’s tournament which would include a first round games and then move directly into the quarterfinals. I like that bracket for a number of reasons.
 
“It lessens the fatigue and increases the opportunity for a team to actually make a run in our tournament. When you have your one and two seed in the quarterfinals, I think ESPN will like that. They will have the opportunity to see them three times instead of two.
 
“It’s just better for the student-athletes. It gives them a sense of hope, more of an experience. The all arrive in town relatively at the same time, versus we have some teams arriving on Tuesday and other teams arriving on Saturday or Sunday. It does not really build a sense of community.
 
For those reasons we are going to try it for a year and see how it unfolds. We could always have the opportunity to go back to what I call the silly bracket that we have now, at a later date.”
 
 
On A Possible Scheduling Alliance In The West
“I have tried. There doesn’t seem to be an appetite currently for any scheduling alliance among the Western Conferences. I am speaking about the Big West, Mountain West and Pac-12. I get it, the Pac-12 has bigger fish to fry. They are trying to launch a conference. This is the first year of their new basketball conference. Entertaining the idea of a scheduling alliance does not make a lot of sense. That being said, the other conferences out West we have not been able to align ourselves in any scheduling alliance. We’ve tried to take a leadership role in that area without success.”
 
“It still could happen. It needs to happen. In any other region in the country, there are not four conferences from a basketball standpoint that need either other more than we do.  
 
“In terms of developing competition, better metrics, a better broadcast property, I can’t think of anywhere else in the country where we need each other more.”
 
 
On Possibly Looking Beyond The West For Scheduling Help with the American, Atlantic 10 or Missouri Valley
“I would consider this, but the issue there is the obvious one. The dollars and the travel. Could you have a scheduling alliance that is more abbreviated versus a conference-to-conference alliance? That may make some sense. I mean, you make it up — you take your top four teams and go play somewhere or meet at a neutral site in Dallas or Chicago. I’d have an appetite for that. I believe our broadcast partner would as well. I would rather stay here at home if we could.”
 
 
On the NCAA selection process and Santa Clara
“Never doubt the integrity of that committee. At any mention or prospective mention, before it rolls off anybody’s tongue, Dan Gavitt sends you out of the room.”
 
“They actually have a bell that rings to bring you back into the room.”
 
“Even in our social time — the dinners, the breaks — it’s as if you have a disease. No one will talk to you about your schools.”
 
“I don’t really get any feedback at all, informal, certainly not formally, but even informally.”
 
“My stomach will turn with respect to Santa Clara.”
 
“I have to feel at the moment that Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga likely are in the field, but with Santa Clara, we’re getting down here to the cut line.”
 
 
On Keeping Marquee Conference Tournament Games on Monday and Tuesday With Student Attendance
“It’s difficult from a broadcast standpoint. Tonight, the first game is on ESPN and the second game is on ESPN2. Tomorrow night, we’re on ESPN on a window on Tuesday night that’s really exclusive across the country. All eyes are going to be on the West Coast Conference. That’s difficult to give up.”
 
At the same time, I am happy to hear that all of our students are studying. I wish they could do both.”
 
 
On Broadcast Negotiations
“We just began our initial talks with ESPN. One encouraging sign was that those talks weren’t really scheduled to begin until June 1st and they wanted to move up the date. So, we made it March 1st.”
 
“We’re encouraged by our initial conversations, even with the departure of Gonzaga.”
 
 
On Oregon State and Washington State as Affiliate Members
“I can’t speak glowingly enough about the relationship we’ve had with Oregon State and Washington State.”
 
“The anticipated strengthening effect that they have had actually happened the way we thought that it would.”
 
“Both of them have provided us more metric, resume-building opportunities for our teams in the middle and particularly our top teams and that is a positive. They have been outstanding members.”
 
“I think they’ve been a net added value to the WCC.”