KC Sports Commission working to keep Big 12 basketball tournaments in KC beyond 2031
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Starting Wednesday, basketball will be played at T-Mobile Center for 10 of the next 11 days. The Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Conference Basketball tournaments will be in town for two weeks of tournament basketball.
Currently, both of the Big 12′s postseason basketball tournaments are under contract to be played in Kansas City through 2031. The men’s tournament has been played at T-Mobile Center every year since 2010, while the women return for a second consecutive season after making the move over from Municipal Auditorium.
“We cannot take this for granted. Even though we do have a contract, that does not mean they cannot move this around. I think that’s what we have to be aware of,” said Kathy Nelson, the President and CEO of the KC Sports Commission and Visit KC. “It’s a big deal to lock up a championship like this into your city, a big deal when you are talking Big 12 basketball. For us to lock this in and then encourage people to show up, means that we are doing something right.”
READ MORE: Five K-State women named to All-Big 12 Teams
Nelson said the Big 12 is impressed by Kansas City, and that KC offers a lot as a tournament host. T-Mobile Center and the Power & Light District are the perfect pairing for postseason college basketball.
“For us, securing it long-term came down to walkability,” Nelson said. “Fans can come down, stay at a hotel, they can walk and get a meal, they can walk to a game, they can walk right back to Power & Light District and grab a beer. That’s a big deal.”
Kansas City also does something else important to the Big 12 – fills up the arena. KC has consistently proven itself as a city that comes through the gate to the tournaments it hosts.
“Kansas City shows up. Butts in seats is a real thing,” Nelson said. “On television, it looks amazing.”
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The sports commission and Visit KC projects the next two weeks of tournaments to bring in $33.5 million to Kansas City. You can find more information about the tournaments, parking, transportation, and much more here.
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