It’s staying — for now, at least.
With a blast of needed good news for Iowa State (and Kansas and Kansas State) men’s basketball fans, the Big 12 Conference announced Thuursday the Sprint Center will remain the site for the men’s hoops tournament through at least 2020.
"We look forward to growing the success of our men’s basketball championship in Kansas City, while also exposing fans throughout our footprint to our postseason competitions,” Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a statement.
See the full release from the Big 12, below:
IRVING, Texas — The Big 12 is excited to announce its championship schedule for the 2015-16 academic year. The Conference has also awarded multi-year agreements in the sports of men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball.
Sprint Center in Kansas City will host the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship each year from 2017 – 2020. Pending final negotiations, the women’s basketball championship is slated for Oklahoma City in 2017, ‘18 and ‘19. The baseball championship will also remain in Oklahoma pending final negotiations, with competition taking place in Oklahoma City from 2017-2020.
“We are thrilled to announce the future sites for the championships,” noted Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. “Every city that submitted a bid did a phenomenal job – making our decision very difficult. We look forward to growing the success of our men’s basketball championship in Kansas City, while also exposing fans throughout our footprint to our postseason competitions.”
The agreement to continue in Kansas City will extend it to 11 consecutive years that Sprint Center has hosted the men’s basketball championship. It has been a sellout in each of the past two seasons and has averaged crowds of more than 18,000 every time it has been held at Sprint Center, including the third-largest session attendance average in Big 12 history in 2014.
The decision to play the women’s basketball championship in Oklahoma City in 2016 had previously been awarded, with the site now earning the event through the 2019 campaign. The conclusion of this agreement will see the number of times Oklahoma City has hosted the women’s basketball championship increased to seven, including a conference-record average attendance in 2007 (8,165).
The baseball championship returns to OKC in 2016 after a one-year hiatus. The four additional years awarded will increase the total to 21 times that the venue has hosted the baseball event. Four of the top six attendance totals in Big 12 history have come at the venue.
Fifteen different sites will host Big 12 Championships in 2015-16, including two at neutral sites for the first time. Wrestling will move to Sprint Center, while gymnastics will take place at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas.
2015-16 Big 12 Championship Schedule
Date Sport Venue Location
October 31, 2015 Cross Country OSU Cross Country Course Stillwater, Oklahoma
November 4, 6, 8, 2015 Soccer Swope Soccer Village Kansas City, Missouri
February 24-27, 2016 Swimming & Diving Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center Austin, Texas
February 26-27, 2016 Indoor Track & Field Lied Recreation-Athletic Facility Ames, Iowa
March 4-7, 2016 Women’s Basketball Chesapeake Energy Arena Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 5-6, 2016 Wresting Sprint Center Kansas City, Missouri
March 9-12, 2016 Men’s Basketball Sprint Center Kansas City, Missouri
March 19, 2016 Gymnastics Dr Pepper Arena Frisco, Texas
March 25-26, 2016 Equestrian Animal Science Arena Stillwater, Oklahoma
April 22 – 24, 2016 Women’s Golf The Dominion Country Club San Antonio, Texas
April 28 – May 1, 2016 Tennis Greenwood Tennis Center Stillwater, Oklahoma
April 29 – May 1, 2016 Men’s Golf Whispering Pines Golf Club Trinity, Texas
May 13-15, 2016 Outdoor Track & Field Lowdon Track & Field Complex Fort Worth, Texas
May 14-15, 2016 Rowing Melton Hill Lake Oak Ridge, Tennessee
May 25-29, 2016 Baseball Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
