One-year extension on Big 12 for Kansas City

On Friday the Big 12 Conference announced it will be extending its agreement to have its men’s and women’s basketball championships in Kansas City, which will remain in Kansas City through 2025.

The tournament was shut down after the first round due to the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. The end to the highly anticipated annual event was bad news for teams, fans and the Kansas City economy alike. The men’s and women’s tournaments were projected to have a $20 million economic impact, including the booking of 16,000 hotel room nights, according to an article by the Kansas City Business Journal.

The decision to cancel followed an announcement from the NCAA stating they would not allow fans in as well as an announcement from Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas declaring an emergency and banning all events exceeding 1,000 people.

“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 Sports Commission President and CEO Kathy Nelson said in a news release.

Kansas City has served as the host city for the Big 12 postseason championship 18 times, according to a news report from KSHB. The recent extension will now continue to allow Kansas City area fans to participate and enjoy Big 12 events locally for the full term.