Four Schools to Bid on Tournaments : Basketball: Long Beach State, Nevada, Utah State and UNLV have shown most interest in holding Big West event.

Four schools are expected to bid for next year’s Big West Conference basketball tournaments, Commissioner Dennis Farrell said Wednesday.

Long Beach State, Nevada, Utah State and Nevada Las Vegas have shown the most interest in being the host site, Farrell said. The deadline to apply is 5 p.m. Friday.

A bid by Las Vegas would be a surprise because the school will withdraw from the Big West after the 1995-96 season to join the Western Athletic Conference.

“They still have the right to bid,” Farrell said of Las Vegas. “It’s my belief the tournament should move around the conference, at least every two years. I believe the first year it’s in the new site, there’s a freshness and excitement from local communities, and maybe more interest in travel from other teams. Beyond two years that freshness dissipates. That’s why UNLV is still in the mix.”

Interim athletic director Fred Albrecht said Las Vegas Convention Center officials will actually make the bid.

“[The Big West] asked if we would purchase tickets for boosters again,” Albrecht said. “Last year we bought $250,000 worth, but we cannot do it this year; we’re going through a transitional period here.

“Still, if they hold it here, I think we have more of a fan base to draw from than other cities draw. So I think Las Vegas has a shot; I can’t see anybody else putting [financial] guarantees in, so it will be a matter of location, and factors like hotel room rates.”

Officials at the Thomas & Mack Center--which was site of the men’s and women’s tournaments the last two years--expressed disappointment at the Big West decision. The center will receive $45,000 in compensation from a buyout clause in its contract, Farrell said.

“We had a signed contract for 1996,” center director Pat Christenson said. “We were surprised the conference took the position it did.

“I can’t speak to why they don’t want to honor the contract; maybe their thinking is they can get a better deal and will pay the damages.”

There are other reasons Las Vegas may have a difficult time persuading the other conference members to return.

“I feel a more philosophical issue,” Long Beach Athletic Director Dave O’Brien said. “Once Vegas announced it was going to the WAC, clearly by that decision they are not part of our future.

“So I think the Big West is better served by not running in place for a year at a place not in our future, and by going to another institution that will be part of our future and see if it can work that way.”

O’Brien said a decision on a Long Beach bid would be made by Thursday afternoon. Part of the decision rests on whether the Pyramid or the Long Beach Arena will be used. The arena has the larger seating capacity--12,000 to 5,000 for the Pyramid.

“I met this week with the city’s visitor convention bureau and at this point I believe we will bid,” O’Brien said. “The bureau wanted a handle on what the arena’s interest is to host, and it appears to be strong. We would not split the venues; people want to do what is financially right.”

Nevada officials believe their location has a lot to offer the conference. “This is a way for us to get involved with collegiate athletics,” Nevada Athletic Director Chris Ault said.

“We know some schools will put together packages, but the most important thing is financial considerations. The conference can’t be fiscally responsible if it loses money at the tournament. We think Reno would be a good host; the school is the main attraction, the signature venue--no other colleges or pro teams. Las Vegas can have so much going on, the Big West could not always be the focus.”

Utah State Athletic Director Chuck Bell said his school “will go ahead with full force” with its bid even though Bell doesn’t think the university has had enough time to secure the other contracts needed to make a complete offer.

“It is short notice,” said Bell, commenting on the two weeks the schools have had to prepare their bids. “I’ll actually feel more comfortable with our 1997 bid. But having won a tournament championship, we know how important having the home court can be.”

Farrell said once the bids are in and reviewed, a decision could be reached as soon as next week.

“Finances . . . are the primary mover,” Farrell said. “If one bid is far and away better than the rest, then we could decide then. If they are comparable, we will narrow it down to two, and decide after some face-to-face meetings.”