KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new partnership announced Thursday between Kansas City Athletics, the University of Missouri - Kansas City, KSHB 41 and KMCI 38 the Spot will showcase UMKC men's and women's basketball games in 2025.
The agreement includes broadcasting eight Kansas City basketball games on 38 The Spot as well as other promotional benefits for Kansas City Athletics and UMKC.
“Bringing Kansas City men’s and women’s basketball games to local TV provides elevated visibility that is critically important in our quest for intentional excellence,” Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics, Dr. Brandon Martin said. “Connecting with the Kansas City community is one of our top priorities and providing increased access to our athletic programs will help us meet Roos fans where they already are.”
The Roos’ men’s team returns all five of its starters and enters the 2024-25 season as the Summit League preseason favorite for the first time in program history. KC ended last year with a second-place regular season finish and Summit League Coach of the Year honors for Head Coach Marvin Menzies.
The women’s team returns two All-League players and looks to continue to elevate in the third season under Head Coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett.
38 The Spot will show eight games throughout the year, marking the first time since 2017-18 that Kansas City Athletics events have been shown on local linear television. All broadcasts will come during Summit League competition, featuring six men’s and two women’s games.
“We are thrilled to have the Kansas City Athletics and UMKC coming to 38 The Spot,” said Jeff Mulligan, station manager and news director of KSHB and KMCI. “It’s no secret Kansas City loves all its sports, and for us to be able to offer several Roos basketball games on 38 The Spot, that are free and over-the- air, will provide a great opportunity for our audience to capture every amazing moment. In addition, we are excited to be able to offer extended and exclusive coverage on KSHB 41 across all platforms. This partnership solidifies our commitment to be the best spot for sports in our community and for the team.”
The Roos’ broadcast schedule on 38 The Spot will kick off on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, when Kansas City Men’s Basketball hosts Oral Roberts on the opening weekend of conference play. Other broadcasts will feature men’s basketball versus South Dakota State, St. Thomas, North Dakota State, North Dakota and Denver while women’s opponents will include Denver and St. Thomas. The full broadcast schedule can be found below.
DATE | TIME (CT) | OPPONENT |
| Jan. 4, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs Oral Roberts |
| Jan. 15, 2025 | 7 p.m. | WBB vs Denver |
| Jan. 23, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs South Dakota State |
| Jan. 25, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs St. Thomas |
| Feb. 6, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs North Dakota State |
| Feb. 8, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs North Dakota |
| Feb. 19, 2025 | 7 p.m. | WBB vs St. Thomas |
| Feb. 27, 2025 | 7 p.m. | MBB vs Denver |
The partnership will extend beyond the court, giving Kansas City Athletics and UMKC visibility across KSHB and KMCI channels. The stations will host spotlight segments on UMKC, a dedicated Kansas City Athletics/UMKC landing page on the KSHB website, a Summit League scoreboard on KSHB Saturday evening news and commercial spots on KSHB and KMCI.
“It’s a wonderful time to be a Roo. Kansas City’s Division I basketball teams are on the rise and so is Kansas City’s top university, which saw its largest freshman class in history two years in a row,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal. “Watching Roos on the court is a fun and engaging experience, so we’re excited that even more of the community can watch these competitions on TV.”
Roos supporters can get a first look at the 2024-25 squads in the coming days. Kansas City Women’s Basketball is hosting the Roo Debut tonight at the Marriott and Kansas City Men’s Basketball is hosting its annual Dunker’s Club Tipoff Event at the College Basketball Experience on Oct. 25.
Basketball season tips off on Saturday at 2 p.m. with KC Women’s Basketball hosting St. Mary’s for an exhibition. The men’s team will open regular season play at the Swinney Center against Hannibal- LaGrange on Nov. 4.
Kansas City Basketball single-game and season tickets are available for purchase now. Click here or contact the ticketing office at (816) 235-2752 for more info.
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