We tried two themed dishes at the Big 12 Basketball Tournament. Are they a slam dunk?
The Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments bring 16 schools from 10 states in the country to Kansas City for a chance at the conference championship and an automatic bid into their respective NCAA tournaments.
It’s a chance to celebrate the conference for two weeks before many of the teams’ season ends, and Kansas City does its part to show appreciation for the schools by welcoming all visitors and hosting pep rallies for each school in the Big 12. They make newcomers Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah feel at home, many of whom are getting their first taste of Kansas City and all it has to offer.
Speaking of taste, the Big 12 offers fans the chance to try food items named and designed after its schools. And this year has the biggest menu so far. You can take your pick of bowls, burgers or sweet treats located at different concession stands around inside T-Mobile Center, including these creations by Illinois-based dairy farm Undeniably Dairy:
- Arizona: Wildcat Mini Chicken Chimichangas, found at Stand 108 and Skystation 225
- Arizona State: Smoked Boneless Wings, found at Chopper Chicken 115
- Baylor: Brisket Sliders, found at Stand 113
- BYU: Cosmo’s Churros, found at Chopper Chicken 115
- UCF: Citronaut Drink (orange soda and vanilla ice cream), found at Stand 106
- Cincinnati: Cheese Coney, found at 816 Market @ 101
- Colorado: Chili Burrito Bowl, found at Stand 113
- Houston: Shasta’s Brisket Tacos, found at Taco Taco 110
- Iowa State: Green Chili Pork Walking Taco, found at Taco Taco 110
- Kansas: Big Jay Loaded Mac and Cheese, found at Stand 106
- Kansas State: Powercat Steak Tacos, found at Backstage Burgers 119 and Skystation 208
- Oklahoma State: Orange Power Pizza, found at Oak Street Pizza 104 and Skystation 225
- TCU: Cowtown Loaded Tots, found at Stand 108 and Skystation 225
- Texas Tech: Masked Rider Burger, found at Backstage Burgers 119 and Skystation 208
- Utah: Majerus Special (pastrami smashburger), found at Backstage Burgers 119 and Skystation 208
- West Virginia: Mountaineer Pepperoni Roll, found at Stand 104 and Skystation 208
In deciding which of these items to try, The Star wanted to pit two of these against each other like they would on the court, hoping to find the perfect match. So we looked at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule that was accurate as of the morning of Wednesday, March 12 and locked in on the last matchup of the second round: the Kansas Jayhawks vs the University of Central Florida Knights.
This pairs the Big Jay Loaded Mac and Cheese with the Citronaut Drink. On paper, it looks like an interesting combination. Big Jay’s ingredients are cavatappi pasta, creamy cheese sauce, house-smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions and crimson red pepper flakes, while the Citronaut is orange soda mixed with vanilla ice cream.
These items make their return from 2024, but does this sweet and tangy combination work together? Is the pairing good — or better — than the two teams’ overtime thriller Wednesday?
I would imagine it does if they were eaten at the same time, but I ran into one small problem when trying to order the items — the concession stand ran out of pulled pork after the first day and had to wait on another delivery to fulfill the customer demand.
While I waited, I went ahead and ordered the drink ($16 before taxes). It’s exactly as advertised, orange soda mixed with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream was added to the plastic cup first and the server pours Orange Crush over the ice cream, filling the cup to the top. It’s garnished with an orange slice and you can either drink it with a straw or scoop it with a spoon.
Creamsicle fans and lovers of the iconic Dairy Queen item Orange Julius will love the Citronaut. Orange-flavored soda and vanilla ice cream does not sound like a good combination, but the fizzy contrast of the soda mixed with the smooth and sweet soft serve makes for a delicious treat. The ice cream doesn’t melt as fast as you’d think, so while you may feel rushed to finish it as soon as you get it, you can take your time and enjoy it as you find your seat.
The Citronaut was ordered at 2:25 p.m. and after a three-hour wait, I got my hands on the Big Jay Loaded Mac and Cheese ($16 before tax). The presentation is less glamorous than the Citronaut’s pretty colors, but when has meat ever looked better than ice cream?
The mac and cheese was added to the bowl first and topped with the additional items listed in the description. The first bite had the kick red pepper flakes carry, but it was easy to digest after. The aroma definitely turned a few heads as I was walking to my seat.
The pulled pork melted in your mouth and the crunch of the fried onions meshed well with the tenderness of the pasta. The BBQ sauce was sweeter than I imagined and my only wish is that it had more, as it was only drizzled on top of the meat. The mac and cheese tasted better with the droplets of sauce it got from the pork.
The mac and cheese was good, but it leaves you wanting more, whether that’s another order or finding another item on the menu to try. It’s also a fine introduction to Kansas City’s barbecue scene and it should encourage you to find more affordable and more satisfying options around town.
A combination of mac and cheese and Wildcat Mini Chicken Chimichangas, named after KU’s next opponent, Arizona, might be a tougher combination to stomach, much like Thursday, March 13’s game might be a tougher game for Jayhawk and Wildcat fans to watch.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 9:52 AM.
