Agreement names Palms Casino Resort an Official Hotel Partner of the Mountain West, establishing local partnership as the Conference prepares to relocate its headquarters to Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (March 5, 2026) – The Mountain West Conference today announced a landmark multiyear partnership with Palms Casino Resort, naming the Las Vegas hospitality brand an Official Hotel Partner through 2028. This strategic agreement represents a significant local investment as the Mountain West prepares to open its corporate headquarters in Las Vegas in July 2026. By partnering with Palms Casino Resort, the Mountain West deepens its connection within the city that has hosted its basketball championships for 24 years and continues to serve as a premier hub for sports and entertainment.
“Relocating our corporate headquarters to Las Vegas represents an exciting new era for the Mountain West,” said Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “We appreciate Palms Casino Resort for embracing our vision and supporting the Conference as we deepen our presence in the Las Vegas community. This partnership will enhance every aspect of our championships.”
The partnership will officially launch during the 2026 Mountain West Men’s and Women’s Basketball Conference Championships, scheduled for March 7-14 in Las Vegas. As an Official Hotel of the Mountain West Conference, Palms Casino Resort will play a central role during Championship Week, serving as host of the Mountain West’s Fan Fest and providing accommodation for teams, administrators, and fans attending the event.
Championship Week will also highlight Palms Casino Resort’s expanded commitment to women’s sports. In addition to its role as an Official Hotel Partner, Palms will serve as the Presenting Partner of the Mountain West’s ‘Making Her Mark’ platform, which supports and elevates female student-athletes across the conference. Palms Casino Resort will also sponsor the annual ‘Power Players: Women Leading the Way’ panel and present the MVP Trophy at the Women’s Basketball Championship, creating high-visibility moments to celebrate female achievement and leadership throughout championship week.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with the Mountain West Conference at such an exciting time for both the organization and the city of Las Vegas,” said Laura De La Cruz, Assistant General Manager of Palms Casino Resort. “As the Conference establishes its new headquarters here, Palms Casino Resort is honored to serve as a home base for student-athletes, administrators, and fans. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting collegiate athletics and delivering memorable championship experiences in Las Vegas.”
Developed in partnership with JMI Sports – the Mountain West Conference’s exclusive multimedia rights partner, operating locally as Mountain West Conference Marketing – the agreement will expand in the 2026-27 academic year, when Palms Casino Resort takes on a refreshed title as the Conference’s Exclusive Hotel Partner while playing a more prominent role across all championship events.
Palms Casino Resort will then serve as the Presenting Partner for 14 Mountain West Championships, including Men’s and Women’s Basketball and all 13 Olympic Sport championships, with integrated exposure across in-game activations and digital platforms. In addition, Palms Casino Resort will host both Football and Basketball Media Days, providing dedicated space for interviews, photo shoots, and radio broadcasts as the Conference officially kicks off each competitive season.
“Hospitality plays a critical role in the conference championship experience, as member institutions, families, and fans travel from across the country to watch high-level competition,” said Pete Thuresson, Senior Vice President, JMIS Properties at JMI Sports. “Connecting the Mountain West with Palms Casino Resort strengthens the conference’s footprint in Las Vegas and creates meaningful, market-based alignment as it transitions its headquarters to the city.”
ABOUT PALMS RESORT CASINO
Palms Casino Resort is a trailblazer as the first Las Vegas resort fully owned and operated by a Native American tribe. With 766 hotel rooms and suites across two towers, Palms offers a dynamic mix of bars and restaurants, including the acclaimed steakhouse Scotch 80 Prime, the popular A.Y.C.E. Buffet, and Michelin-starred Tim Ho Wan Dim Sum restaurant. Recognized by USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards as the Best U.S. Casino for two consecutive years, Palms is home to a redesigned 95,000-square-foot casino, live entertainment venues, a pool oasis, and unique lifestyle experiences.
Amenities include complimentary valet and self-parking, the Pearl Concert Theater (a 2,500-seat venue), Ghostbar Rooftop Lounge, The Spa, the Brenden Theatre 14-screen cinema, over 190,000 square feet of meeting space, Til Death Do Us Part Wedding Chapel, and nearly 600 condominium units at Palms Place.
Located just west of the Las Vegas Strip off I-15 on Flamingo Road, Palms Casino Resort is owned by The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority (SMGHA), an instrumentality of the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation. For more details, visit palms.com or the Palms Press Room.
ABOUT MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE
Since its founding in 1999, the Mountain West has remained steadfast in its commitment to excellence in intercollegiate athletics while advancing the academic missions of its member institutions. Central to that mission is the holistic development of our student-athletes—championing their success not only in competition but also in the classroom and in their personal growth. Beginning with the 2026–27 season, the new Mountain West will feature a comprehensive membership model that brings together full-time, all-sport institutions alongside select sport-specific members. The Conference’s all-sport members—United States Air Force Academy; University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; University of Nevada, Reno; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; University of New Mexico; San José State University; University of Texas at El Paso and University of Wyoming, will continue to compete across the full Mountain West portfolio, including football. University of California, Davis and Grand Canyon University will join as all-sport members outside of football, while Colorado College (women’s soccer), North Dakota State University (football), Northern Illinois University (football and women’s gymnastics) and Utah Tech University (baseball and men’s swimming and diving) will compete as affiliate members in designated sports.
ABOUT JMI SPORTS
JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company that provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation, and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client’s economic potential through customized initiatives, from marketing and branding solutions to facility design strategies.
JMI Sports’ signature collegiate multimedia rights partnerships include the University of Kentucky, the University of Utah, UCLA, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, DePaul University, Columbia University, San Diego State University, University of California at San Diego, University of San Diego, and joint-venture properties at the University of Georgia (with Learfield) and University of Notre Dame (with Legends). JMI Sports also represents multimedia rights for several conferences, including the Ivy League, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, the Patriot League, and the Atlantic 10, and serves as third-party sales representation for premier sports properties, venues, and events including Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, the Rose Bowl, the Penn Relays, and USA Volleyball.
JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by CEO Erik Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. To learn more, please visit www.jmisports.com.
