Here’s what fans of the newest Big 12 teams think about Kansas City. Will they be back?
The scent of March Madness has been in the air in Kansas City since the first week of the month when the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament saw TCU punch their ticket to the NCAA tournament at T-Mobile Center. A few days later, the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament took over downtown and will soon crown its champion.
Thousands of fans from the 16 schools in the Big 12 are here to support and hopefully see their teams become the last one standing.
While a majority of the fans in attendance are familiar to the city and know the best places to be, this season brought in four newcomers from the disbanded Pac-12 conference, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah. Last year, the conference welcomed Brigham Young University, Cincinnati, Houston and the University of Central Florida.
Despite some complaints from a Salt Lake City-based TV reporter that the tournament should be in Las Vegas to avoid any bad weather (temperatures have been in the upper 60s since the end of the women’s tournament March 9), first-time fans are enjoying what Kansas City has to offer.
“Appreciate what you have here, seriously”
The Big 12 offered all-inclusive packages for fans with tickets to every session, food and a hotel near T-Mobile Center. Arizona alumni Ron and Nancy Grant took advantage for their trip from The Grand Canyon State, while friend and alum Pete Roll traveled from Florida to be here.
The Grant’s have been to Kansas City before to support their grandchildren during their travel baseball tournaments and loved everything the city had to offer, especially the kind residents, the food and the venues. However, this is Roll’s first time in the city.
His initial thoughts? Impressed by everything.
“What I heard was this place was pretty much dead, but all of a sudden this is here,” Roll said. “And I don’t know how many years it took to get to here, but I like it.”
Even though Arizona had a double bye and didn’t start playing until Thursday they arrived Monday to take in the sights and sounds before shifting their focus to supporting their team. Some of the places the Grants took Roll include Jack Stack, Homegrown, Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
Getting here early also meant they were able to lend their support to some of their family members who are Kansas State fans. For K-State’s victory over Arizona State on Tuesday, the friends wore purple in their family’s honor. It also helped that the Wildcats were playing their alma mater’s rival.
The group had a little trouble figuring out which way was north was since they didn’t have the mountains to help, but they’re already looking forward to coming back in 2026.
“Appreciate what you have here, seriously,” Nancy Grant said. “It’s a lovely city. It’s really, really nice. Great people.”
Back in the Big 12 and back in Missouri
Bill and Karen Knorr are more familiar with Missouri than other Big 12 newcomers. Bill Knorr grew up in St. Joseph, while Karen Knorr was born in St. Louis. They both met each other in Colorado and have called The Centennial State home for the last 40 years. Colorado was previously a member of the Big 12 back when it was the Big 8, first leaving the conference in 2011.
Only Bill Knorr is a Colorado alum. Karen Knorr graduated from the University of Kansas, but finds herself cheering for the Buffaloes more these days. They’ll both find themselves in Kansas City at least once a year for the next seven years, as they’ve already pre-purchased tickets for the basketball tournament.
It was an easy adjustment for the two coming from the glamorous Pac-12 basketball tournaments held in Las Vegas, since Kansas City feels more like home. It’s tough to compete with everything you can do in Vegas, but Bill Knorr said it’s like comparing apples to oranges since basketball is basketball once you’re inside the arena.
“The basketball’s better (in the Big 12) than it was in the Pac-12, so as a true basketball fan, we’re happy to be here,” Bill Knorr said.
“Once you’re in the arena because it’s the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas and the T-Mobile Center here, you don’t really know where you’re at, other than the halftimes,” Karen Knorr said.
One place they recommended newcomers try when they visit Kansas City? Billie’s Grocery in midtown. They wish Boulder, Colorado had a similar place where in addition to eating good food, they can also take cooking classes.
Fan Fest unites all
The Big 12 Fan Fest is plopped in-between T-Mobile Center and Power & Light District’s KC Live! Block on Grand Boulevard. The setup doesn’t take up the entire street, but there’s enough foot traffic to warrant blocking off the street for the duration of the tournament.
Kids and adults from all schools were spotted taking photos with the Big 12 championship trophy and participating in the mini-games in the tent, like testing their vertical or shooting basketballs. A few games of pickup ball even started, which saw a viral streetballer jump in and show off his skills.
George Papoutsis, better known as George the Messiah on social media, gained a following challenging people of all backgrounds at basketball on public courts in New York City. Working with Hoopbus, a non-profit organization amplifying community engagement and teaching life lessons through the lens of basketball.
The Hoopbus and Papoutsis were out in full force between the first and second sessions on Wednesday. In the madness of deep threes, crossovers and posterizing dunks, the 42-year-old former cab driver had visitors glued to his every move as he backed down defenders in the post and pulled the hoods over people’s heads before laying the ball up into the basket attached to a bus.
Papoutsis hopes to see an NBA or NHL team call T-Mobile Center home after seeing the crowds come out for the tournament.
“I don’t think anybody does it better than Kansas City”
Kansas City can be a bit overwhelming, but seasoned traveler and Iowa State alum Brent Blum said newcomers should look forward to visiting the city each year. Blum, his family and hundreds of Cyclones fan make the trek to Kansas City every year and while they’ve made Kelly’s in Westport a second home, they turned downtown KC into a familiar sea of red and yellow.
Blum also helps run the We Will Collective, contributing to the university’s Name, Image, Likeness fund. His organization rented Besos y Abrazos in the KC Live! Block, a new Latin-inspired bar and restaurant and said that Kansas City does a great job of being hospitable to all fanbases visiting for the tournament.
“I’ve been to so many cities that have basketball tournaments, you know, conference tournaments, pre-season tournaments and triple-A tournaments,” Blum said. “I don’t think anybody does it better than Kansas City. I really don’t. The infrastructure, the team work, the resources, it’s all here.”
Even though the fanbases have their rivalries, it’s all in good fun. The friendly nature Kansas City brings shines on everyone, which is another reason Blum encourages first-timers to keep coming back every year. All the new schools are learning what it’s like, but he said it’s the start of a new journey for them.
Both the men’s and women’s Big 12 Basketball Tournaments will be in Kansas City through 2031, so if any of the schools’ fans have doubts about the city, they’ll have plenty of time to warm up and enjoy what the city brings.
“Once people do this once, they will come back,” Blum said. “Anytime I see a new fan, I say ‘hey, you’ll be back, won’t you?’ and they’ll say yes.”
