Two travel options are being offered to West Virginia University fans for the 2009 Big East Basketball Tournament March 10-15 in New York City.

Hotel packages at the Marriott Marquis and Millennium Broadway are now available for Mountaineer fans interested in following the team on its quest to win a Big East championship. The travel opportunities are being coordinated through http://WVUSportsTravel.com, the official fan travel provider for the WVU Alumni Association and the Mountaineer Athletic Club.

This is a monumental year for Big East Conference basketball,said Steve Douglas, president and chief executive officer of the WVU Alumni Association.Not only is this arguably the most competitive year in the history of the conference, it is also the first time that all 16 teams will travel to the Big Apple and participate in the tournament.

The Marriott option (up to four-person occupancy) includes a three-night stay (March 11-14) at $975 per room. The Millennium option (up to four-person occupancy) starts at $1,195 per room and includes a four-night stay (March 11-15). Both hotels are about 12 blocks from Madison Square Garden in the heart of Times Square and the Broadway theater district.

For more information, visit www.wvusportstravel.com or call 1-800-924-9993.

The WVU Alumni Association, chartered in 1873, represents more than 170,000 University graduates residing in every county in West Virginia, every state in the nation and about 60 other countries. With nearly 100 registered chapters and constituent groups, the associations 28,000 dues-paying members support Homecoming weekend, the WVU Academy of Distinguished Alumni, the Loyalty Permanent Endowment Fund and dozens of other social and philanthropic programs.

WVU Alumni Association on the Net: http://alumni.wvu.edu