KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Big 12 men's and women's basketball tournaments will remain at the T-Mobile Center through 2031, commissioner Brett Yormark said Tuesday night, shortly before Texas and Iowa State played for the women's title in the building for the first time. .
The women's tournament had long been played across the street from the dazzling downtown stadium, Municipal Auditorium, which has a tremendous history as one of the venues for the first NCAA championship games but has become dated with the time.
One of Yormark's priorities after assuming leadership of the Big 12 was to raise the profile of the women's tournament, and that meant moving it to the T-Mobile Center. That also required changing the championship dates, with the early-round games occurring last week and the title game Tuesday night after the first two games of the men's tournament.
“I think I told a lot of people last year, when I first came here to the community, met with a lot of the leaders, it was a really easy decision when I came back to Dallas that we needed to double down on this community,” Yorkmark said. . “It feels like a Super Bowl every time we're here. The fan support is tremendous. The community is tremendous.”
The men's and women's tournaments were scheduled to be played in Kansas City through 2027, bringing the extension to four years. But it also comes as the league expands its presence westward with Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah replacing Oklahoma and Texas in the league, giving the Big 12 other hosting options like Las Vegas and Phoenix.
In fact, the Big 12 will hold their football media days in Las Vegas later this year.
“We are now a national conference. We are in 10 states, four time zones,” Yormark said. “When it comes to men's and women's basketball, and women's soccer, this had to be our home. We'll be going to the soccer media day in Las Vegas, which we're excited about, and there will be other opportunities to get closer to that footprint. . . , but we needed to be in Kansas City.”
Along with the basketball tournaments, Yormark announced that the Big 12 women's soccer championship would be moved to CPKC Stadium. The first stadium built for a professional women's soccer club in the United States — in this case, the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League — is scheduled to open Saturday when the Current plays Portland.
“It's an incredible time to be in Kansas City and it's an incredible time to invest in Kansas City,” said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who supported a vote in April to renew a sales tax that would help fund renovations to Arrowhead Stadium. . , the home of the Super Bowl champion Chiefs, along with a new downtown stadium for the Royals.
“The Big 12 Conference is part of Kansas City's DNA. We all have stories about the Big 12, or if we're old enough, the Big Eight here in Kansas City,” Lucas said. “We are excited to continue sharing the story in Kansas City.”
In other news, Yormark said the outgoing state of Oklahoma and Texas, which are leaving for the SEC after this season, hasn't created any challenges even as the Big 12 looks to the future as a revamped 16-team league.
“Texas and Oklahoma are big contributors to the conference. I've been here since Day 1,” Yormark said. “They're finishing strong, obviously, and when the time comes, we'll wish them the best. But there's never been a better time to be a part of this conference.”
Yormark also indicated he would be in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament.
“I read what you read, and from what I've been told and what I'm reading, there could be a modest expansion. I think 76 is the number that has existed,” he said. “The data shows that if you expand to 76, the power four conferences will primarily benefit, and that includes the Big 12. I mean access. We have the deepest conference in America.”
