Storm

Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott announced the women’s Pac-12 tournament will relocate to KeyArena beginning in 2013. It’s the fourth different location for the event since its inception in 2002.
No. 2 Stanford has won the tournament nine times, playing before a combined total of 7,720 fans for a four-day session last week. The drop in attendance since the tournament debuted before 27,000-plus at McArthur Court on Oregon’s campus is one of the reasons for the move.
“We are extremely proud of the rich heritage the Pac-12 has in women’s basketball and we feel strongly that this new partnership will enhance the tournament experience for our student-athletes and fans,” said Scott in a released statement. “Seattle is a beautiful city that has proven to be a prolific women’s basketball market. Force 10 Sports Marketing shares our commitment and passion for women’s sports and we look forward to growing the tournament together.”
The new agreement, which runs through 2015, moves the tournament to the first full week in March to strengthen television windows and maximize national exposure. ESPN2 will televise the championship game, while all other games will be carried nationally on the Pac-12 Networks. The 2013 tournament will be played between March 7-10.