Four major tournaments converge next month in downtown Kansas City
Recreation
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February 27, 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Kansas City’s love affair with college basketball couldn’t be more obvious than during the month of March, as the city prepares to host postseason play for four organizations: the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the Big 12 Conference and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Tickets remain for all events.
Kansas City rolls out the red carpet every March, hosting more college basketball games than anywhere else in the country. In 2013, the total comes to 66 teams and 58 games in just 12 days. The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association (KCCVA) estimates the combined economic impact of all the championships to be more than $22.9 million. Highlights of each event follow.
MIAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships
March 7-10, Municipal Auditorium
- This is the Championships’ 11th consecutive year in Kansas City, with an estimated attendance of 15,000 fans and an economic impact of $1.8 million.
- A century old, the MIAA is a NCAA Division II Conference made up of 15 institutions in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. More than 80,000 area alumni attended these schools, six of which are within a two-hour drive to KC.
- Sixteen teams (eight men’s and eight women’s) will vie for the conference’s two titles in a single-elimination, 14-game tournament format.
- All-session tickets are $65; single-session tickets are $20; available at Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 800-745-3000. Student/youth tickets will be available only at Municipal Auditorium box office during the event.
- For more information, visit TheMIAA.com.
76th Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship
March 13-19, Municipal Auditorium
- As college basketball’s oldest national championship, the NAIA tournament returns to Municipal Auditorium for a milestone 50th time in 2013 (1937-74 and 2002-present).
- Attracting tens of thousands of fans over its six-day stretch, the anticipated economic impact of the NAIA tourney is $2.5 million.
- The NAIA is comprised of nearly 300 accredited small colleges and universities in North America.
- The competition will host 32 teams in a 31-game, single-elimination format. The field of participants includes 16 conference qualifiers, one independent qualifier and 15 at-large bids. The bracket will be unveiled on March 6.
- All-tournament passes $75 for general admission and $100 for reserved seating (single session tickets available March 1). Purchase tickets at NAIAHoops.com or at the Municipal Auditorium box office.
- Special events include a Tip-off Banquet (March 12), Scout Night (March 15), DST Youth Day (March 16) and Military Service/First Responder Night (March18). The Championship Game will be televised nationally March 19 at 7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
- For more information, visit NAIAHoops.com.
Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship
March 13-16, Sprint Center
- Kansas City hosts the Men’s Championship for an unprecedented 12th year in 2013. This also marks the fifth time Sprint Center will serve as the venue.
- Slated to return to Kansas City through 2016, the estimated economic impact of the Men’s Championship is $9 million.
- The league’s 10 teams, including new competitors TCU and West Virginia, will compete in a single-elimination, nine-game format.
- An additional block of tickets have been made available for the general public. The purchasing opportunity begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 (while supplies last) and is available online only. Fans may visit SprintCenter.com for the opportunity to purchase four all-session tickets.
- Games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU and the Big 12 Network. Click here for the complete schedule.
- For a spirit rally schedule and other info, visit the Official Kansas City Fan Information Site at VisitKC.com/Big12Basketball.
NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship (Second/Third Rounds)
March 22 & 24, Sprint Center
- March 2013 marks the 75th anniversary of NCAA March Madness. This year is the 29th time Kansas City has hosted a portion of the NCAA Men’s Championship, having last hosted opening rounds in 2009.
- The estimated economic impact of the Kansas City NCAA games is $9.6 million.
- Eight teams will travel to KC to compete for a chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Teams will be announced on March 17 when the tournament brackets are unveiled.
- Two sessions (four games) will be played on March 22 and one session (two games) will be played on March 24. Two teams will advance to the NCAA Regionals.
- On Thursday, March 21, all teams will hold practice sessions at Sprint Center. This event is free and open to the public. A practice schedule will be announced following Selection Sunday.
- Full session tickets begin at $198 and are available at SprintCenter.com or by calling 888-929-7849.
- The Kansas City second- and third-round games are hosted by the Missouri Valley Conference.
Fan Fests and Other Basketball Events
Basketball fans will have plenty to do Downtown between games. Here’s a look at major events happening during the time frame.
- March 9 – The Uptown Theater will host the 5th Annual Kansas City Basketball Tip-Off, featuring country artist and American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. Tickets start at $35 with proceeds benefitting Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet. For more information, go to btllf.org/pride.html.
- March 13-16 – The Big 12 Game Day street festival presented by Phillips 66 will be located just outside Sprint Center on Grand Boulevard. The free, interactive experience features games, music, mascots, autograph opportunities and promotional giveaways. The schedule is as follows:
- Wednesday, March 13: 3 to 7 p.m.
- Thursday, March 14: 2 to 7 p.m.
- Friday, March 15: 2 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, March 16: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- March 13-16 – The Miller Lite Basketball Fan Fest presented by Sports Radio 810 will feature the following free concerts in the KC Live! Block of the Power & Light District:
- Wednesday, March 13, at 10:30 p.m.: DJ entertainment
- Thursday, March 14, at 10:30 p.m.: DJ entertainment
- Friday, March 15, at 10:30 p.m.: DJ entertainment
- Saturday, March 16, at 10 p.m.: Live Music – Band TBD
- For the above events, all fans must be 21 or older. All weekend long, fans can cheer on their teams at pep rallies in KC Live! and watch basketball games on the big outdoor screen (all ages welcome).
- March 16 – Kick off March basketball by participating in Kansas City’s Inaugural Big 12 5K Fun Run & Family Stroll on Saturday, March 16, at 9a.m. Set in the heart of Big 12 Country, the 5K course will wind around downtown Kansas City through the Power & Light District. The overall male and female winners will receive $1,000 in free gas from Phillips 66 and be recognized at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship final. The first 100 registrants will receive a unique stocking cap. Strollers are welcome for this family-friendly event. More info at kcbig12run.com.
- All month long – The College Basketball Experience (CBE) and National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame will host extended operational hours during the month of March. Show your Big 12 ticket during the CBE’s published hours at the CBE Box Office inside the Sprint Center lobby and save $2 on regular admission, March 13-16. For a complete schedule of extended hours, go tocollegebasketballexperience.com. (This offer cannot be used with other available CBE discount offers for admission).
About the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
The KCCVA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, the KCCVA supports a vital and growing component of the local economy—generating 45,000 jobs and $4.5 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.
