Big 12 women’s tournament returns to historic Municipal Auditorium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Kansas and Kansas State women’s hoops kick off the first night of the Big 12 Championship Tournament inside the Municipal Auditorium for the last time.

The No. 9-seeded Wildcats take on the No. 8 seed Texas Tech at 5 p.m., and then No. 7 seed Kansas follows at 7:30 against the No. 10 seed TCU.

Both will be played in the historic auditorium but can also be watched on ESPN+.

Tickets are available online or through the Municipal Auditorium box office. Box office hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The play on the court matters the most, but the tournament weekend also features musical acts coming to town, like Fat Joe and Shaquille O’Neal. There will also be a friendly competition between on-air personalities like yours truly (Joe Hennessy), Bill Hurrelbrink, Morgan Mobley and Marleah Campbell, who will be competing in a shooting contest on Saturday.

It is “Youth Night” as well for Day One of the games so the first 500 youth in the door receive a Big 12 gift.

Both teams starting it off is great for the local fans in Kansas City, all around Kansas and Missouri, and several players from both KSU and KU are from the area.

A star player to look out for Thursday: Jayhawks center Taiyanna Jackson. She’s this season’s Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist and a Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Candidate.

Municipal Auditorium History

Kansas City was the initial host of both the Men’s and Women’s Championships in the first six years of the Conference (1997-2002), and again in 2005, 2008, and 2010-12. The men’s postseason event has continued its run in KC since 2010, while the Women’s Championship returned in 2021 after the cancellation of the 2020 event. Both Championships will be played in Kansas City through 2027.

The Arena has a rich history in College Basketball, often hosting the Big 12 Women’s Tournament, and is the permanent home of the NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. More than 80 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games have been played in the Arena, including nine Final Fours, more than any other facility.

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