The attendance for tonight’s championship of the Big West Men’s Basketball Tournament is 7,564, the largest to witness a final in its 18-year tenure in Anaheim (1977-82, 2001-12).

The total surpasses the old record of 7,433 that saw Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State in 1982.

This is the second year the tournament has been held at Anaheim’s Honda Center.  A three-day total of 18,976 fans attended this year’s event, representing a 23% increase over last year. 

This year’s tournament also saw an increase in attendance for each of the five sessions over the 2011 event.  The combined total of 8,803 for Saturday’s men’s and women’s championship game eclipsed last year’s number of 6,474.

In 2013, the event will begin with women’s first round games on March 12 on the campus of UC Irvine.  The tournament then moves to Honda Center for men’s quarterfinal games on March 14.  The men’s and women’s final four will be held March 15-16 at Honda Center.