NCAA wrestling, NAIA basketball means another busy KC weekend
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sports fans are taking over downtown Kansas City. The NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship is at Municipal Auditorium, and the NCAA Wrestling Championship is descending on T-Mobile Center.
It’s another busy weekend in downtown Kansas City.
People from across the country are pouring into the area to watch collegiate athletes hit the mat or court.
“Go big red, go big red,” parents Joe and Laura Hutmacher said.
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“Here to watch some March Madness, see some good games,” Drew Douglas said.
Thursday was the first day of the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship at the Municipal Auditorium. The single-elimination championship runs through March 26.
Kyle Witherspoon, owner of Johnny’s Tavern, said foot traffic has been great over the last few weeks thanks to college hoops.
“This year there’s been so many additions to the March calendar with the Women’s Big 12 across the street, at the same time the MIAA tournament’s going on. We rolled right into the Big 12 tournament and basketball,” Witherspoon said.
“Now we have the NCAA National Championships, and we have the NAIA in town, and so March has just been a great month for downtown Kansas City and the Power and Light District.”
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Witherspoon said they opened at 9 a.m. Thursday to feed the wrestlers biscuits and gravy, and the bar was full. They expect that to continue this weekend.
“I just love the electricity and excitement in downtown. Kansas City in March is fantastic, and it’s this way every single year,” Witherspoon said.
“All the people who’ve come in town for basketball and wrestling have all said, ‘Man, what a great set up Kansas City has with the arena, Power and Light, the hotels, the surrounding areas.'”
Over at T-Mobile Center, the NCAA Wrestling Tournament is underway. Officials expect 17,000 fans from around the country to attend each session over the next three days.
The Hutmachers drove more than 7 hours from South Dakota to see their son take the mat.
“For him to make it here after not even wrestling in college for 4 years is just amazing,” Laura Hutmacher said. “So we are just so excited to be here.”
“It’s my first national tournament,” Joe Hutmacher said. “So to be going to one that my son’s playing in is pretty incredible.”
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Their son Nash is a senior at Nebraska. The All-10 defensive lineman in football decided to go out for wrestling this year. He qualified for the national tournament.
His parents are proud.
“He can do anything he sets his mind to,” Laura Hutmacher said. “Win, lose today — whatever happens — we could not be more proud of him.”
Friday and Saturday’s NCAA wrestling sessions are already sold out, though some tickets are available on the resale market.
