Last week, the Big 12 held their annual football media days, but Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark did discuss several other topics, including the potential future locations for the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournament.
The tournament has been held in Kansas City since 2010, and it doesn’t sound like it will be going anywhere else anytime soon. Currently, the tournament is set to be held in Kanas City through the year 2027, but commissioner Brett Yormark hopes the relationship between Kansas City, the T-Mobile Center, and the conference continues beyond 2027. Bet on Big 12 basketball, football, and more with the best sports betting promo codes in Kansas!
This past year’s tournaments were the first for Yormark as the Big 12 commissioner after taking over the job on August 1, 2022, following in the steps of Bob Bowlsby, who served as commissioner from 2012 through 2022. Yorkmark said he was “hugely impressed” with Kansas City with the city and how the fans showed up throughout both tournaments.
“The community, they really embrace this tournament,” Yormark told media at the Big 12’s media days. “When I think about Kanas City now, I certainly think about that market and that championship as I’d like to double down on,” he added. Also, according to the conference, they have already begun discussions about extending their relationship with the city as well.
Outside of Kansas City, the tournament has also been held in Dallas, Texas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. But the tournament has been held in Kansas for the majority of its time since 1997, including 1997-2002 and 2005. After being held in Dallas in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007 in Oklahoma City, the tournament returned to Kansas City and has remained there ever since. Since its beginning in 1997, the conference tournament has been sponsored by energy company Phillips 66. The tournament is currently held at the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City. The arena holds arena football, basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, and concerts, among other sports and entertainment events.
The 2023-2024 NCAA Division I men’s basketball season will get underway on November 6, 2023. Last season, the Kansas Jayhawks won the Big 12 Regular Season Championship with a 28-8 overall record, including 13-5 in Big 12 play. The Texas Longhorns, however, would win the conference’s tournament championship, defeating the Jayhawks in the Big 12 Title game. On the women’s side, Oklahoma and Texas split the regular season title, while Iowa State took home the conference tournament crown, defeating Texas in the Big 12 Championship game.
Next year’s Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament will be held from March 12 through 16, while the women’s tournament will be held from March 7 through March 12.
There are currently no futures for the Big 12 championship next spring, but early futures for next year’s NCAA Champions include the Kansas Jayhawks as the top favorite. Houston, one of the conference’s newest members, is also among the top 10 favorites as well. No future for the women’s sides of the Big 12 has been set.
This upcoming year’s tournament will be the first for the Big 12 after adding BYU, Cincinnati, Central Florida, and Houston to the conference on July 1, 2024. BYU comes to the conference after being a part of the West Coast Conference, while Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston all make their way into the conference after being part of the American Athletic Conference. Cincinnati and Houston are both historically strong basketball schools, while BYU and UCF are historically much more middle-of-the-pack college basketball schools.
