getting any decent BYU fan representation there....BYU will never compete with Gonzaga fans at that place.

-Football is king at BYU. Many fans either don't have the time/money to spend on hoops as well or don't want to.

-Gonzaga in hoops is basically Alabama in football...except they can't get that championship. 😉 BYU hoops has never even gotten close to having the type of program or run Gonzaga has done and is currently doing. That alone brings fans in droves.

-Tiny, tiny arena with not many seats so tickets are more scarce. They have to be bought way in advance and as a complete tournament bundle and are way more expensive than single session tickets. This doesn't cater at all to large families like many BYU fans have.

-The semis and championship are on a Monday/Tuesday when many BYU fans have family obligations, already doing football later in the year and devoting vacation time to that, have church responsibilities, youth stuff, etc., etc. and make it so it doesn't work for a large percentage of BYU fans to stay multiple days especially on a Monday and Tuesday. BYU got a ton more fans at the T&M in the MWC when the championship was on Saturday.

-Gonzaga's main percentage of fans by my observation every time I have gone are a lot of senior citizens...they love travelling to Vegas for a week long trip to stay at the casino, gamble, drink, etc (all the stuff "typical" BYU fans stay away from). BYU's senior citizen fanbase that could actually make the trip for the week aren't enticed by staying in Vegas.

-I've talked to tons of Zags fans that have been going to that tourney for years (before BYU joined). Many do it because they are unable to get tickets at the Kennel because it is small and tickets are hard to come by and it is easier to do it for the tournament and they already had the system down for getting them (via other schools and places besides just the allotment given to Gonzaga) and have had a leg up on BYU fans since we joined. BYU fans are able to score tickets to see BYU play at home easily. No problems at all.

I know these are excuses and I definitively think it is way impressive what Gonzaga is able to do there, but it just doesn't cater at all to BYU, a big time football school, when there is a team like Gonzaga in the league with them. Look no further than BYU's ability to completely flood Allegiant Stadium in Vegas for the football game vs Arizona or back when we played UNLV at the old Sam Boyd Stadium. Even though it is hoops, you will also see BYU bring many more fans than they are currently at the Orleans when we move to the Big 12 and play in a decent sized arena in Kansas City on a Saturday championship format and not over the weekend into the next week.