Downtown Kansas City ready as Big 12 tournaments take over
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – College basketball is taking over downtown Kansas City as crews prepare for the Big 12 Basketball Championships.
The Big 12 women’s tournament tips off first on Thursday, and for the first time ever inside the T-Mobile Center.
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Crews are raising the bar, setting up for fans as the women’s event makes the move this year from Municipal Arena to the T-Mobile Center.
“Just to bring a new set of fans into Kansas City to continue that legacy that started at Municipal, and bring them over to the bigger arena, we can’t be more thrilled to have them here this year,” T-Mobile Center General Manager Jay Cooper said.
Kansas City Power & Light is joining the hype.
For the first time, four new teams — BYU, Houston, UCF and Cincinnati — are coming to Kansas City for the tournament as part of the Big 12’s expansion.
With larger crowds expected, Power & Light said it’s stepping up security, while keeping the party fun. Fans can expect live performances there every night after the games.
“During the women’s tournament, it’s all bands that have a lead female … vocalist, or a it’s DJs that are female,” P&L Director of Entertainment Production Jason Bradley said. “So we’re really trying to lean into that.”
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The party is open to all ages until 9 p.m., and it’s free to enter.
Outside at Fan Fest, they’ll have basketball hoops, big and small. There will also be contests, giveaways, pep rallies and games playing on the big screens.
Next Saturday during the Big 12 Men’s Championship, DJ Diesel, better known as Shaquille O’Neal, returns for a show.
Fans from all over are expected to flood downtown Kansas City. Bradley said they usually see more than 100,000 people during this tournament.
“I think it’s one of the coolest vibes of the year,” Bradley said. “You get all these people from all around the country coming together kind of combined with our local college sports fans.”
Following the recent violence in Kansas City, T-Mobile Center and Power and Light said safety is their top priority.
P&L will bring in high-tech metal detectors to keep lines moving quickly and keep any unwanted items out.
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The same no backpacks and clear bag rules still apply.
“We’ve increased our security presence even more than we normally would,” Bradley said, “and then also out here in the fan fest experience, but they’re going to have a security checkpoint as well, along Grand Boulevard.”
Doors open to the KC Live Block and Fan Fest at 11 a.m. Thursday.
