KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City is getting a do-over after the 2020 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The conference announced a one-year extension Friday to keep the tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, through 2025.
“We were all looking forward to having our basketball championships back together in Kansas City in 2020,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement from the conference announcing the extension. “While the pandemic didn’t allow that to happen, this extension provides an additional year for our institutions and fans to take part in the Big 12 basketball atmosphere that has become synonymous with Kansas City.”
The women’s tournament, which was last played in Kansas City in 2012, was set to return in 2020 before COVID-19 effectively shut down the nation for several months.
“With the plans we had in place to celebrate the men’s and women’s basketball championships being back together in Kansas City, the 2020 Big 12 Basketball Championships were poised to be especially exciting, “ Kansas City Sports Commission President and CEO Kathy Nelson said in a statement. “The unfortunate cancellation of those events due to COVID-19 definitely left our community wanting more. We are excited and grateful that the Big 12 Conference has decided to extend our agreement to host both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships through 2025.”
Kansas City — which has served as the host city for the Big 12’s postseason basketball championship 18 times, including hosting the men’s tourney each year since 2010 — shuts down streets between the Sprint Center and KC Power and Light District to create a massive street party in conjunction with the Big 12 men’s tourney.
Municipal Auditorium — which has undergone a $5 million renovation to upgrade video boards, sound and lighting systems, and lower-bowl seating — will now host the women’s tourney for the next five seasons from 2021-25, while the men’s tourney will remain at the Sprint Center, the Big 12 said.
