WHEELING — The Mountain East Conference Basketball Tournament isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. It will stay in Wheeling for the next three years — and the MEC’s commissioner said Tuesday there’s good reason for that.

During Tuesday’s preseason basketball press conference at WesBanco Arena, MEC Commissioner Reid Amos reiterated what the conference announced on the last day of the 2025 men’s and women’s tournaments. The MEC and City of Wheeling agreed to extend the conference’s March residency at WesBanco through 2028.

When explaining Tuesday why the MEC Tournament would remain in the Friendly City, Amos said the reasons were bountiful.

“At the point that we complete this extension, we will have spent a decade here,” Amos said. “Over that decade, the outstanding support we’ve received from The Health Plan and CEO Jeff Knight and Dave Flatley who coordinates an organizing committee, the support we’ve received from the City of Wheeling and we’ve worked with the current mayor, Denny Magruder, when he ran WesBanco Arena, and now we work with Kelly (Tucker) and the Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority.

“We’ve built some roots here and we have received tremendous support from the community,” he continued, “which is crucial to have a successful event like we’ve built in the seven years, and soon to be eight, nine and 10.

“The support leads to our student-athletes, coaches and fans having an enjoyable experience.”

Amos said the conference has seen a rise in attendance since the move to Wheeling in 2019. It was held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center from 2014-18. Two of the conference’s more fervent fan bases — West Liberty University and Wheeling University — are right up the road. It also has meant a $3 million economic impact to Wheeling, according to the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“We have seen an increase in attendance over the years that we’ve been here,” Amos noted, adding that the MEC Tournament outdraws several NCAA Division I Tournaments. “Getting people to come out in these times is tough, but we’ve got a super crew here and we’re looking forward to continuing that.”

The 2025-26 tournament is scheduled March 4-8.