KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Expect a lot of visitors in the metro for the next few days. Some of the best athletes in the college ranks and their fans are in Kansas City for the beginning of the Big 12 men’s basketball championship.
Wednesday’s action includes Kansas State against TCU at 6 p.m., followed by Texas taking on Texas Tech at 8 p.m.
While organizers want fans to have a great time, the real focus is on the players. For some, this will be their last time ever playing college basketball.
More than 200 volunteers shuttle coaches, players, parents to Crown Center, the Country Club Plaza, and restaurants during free time. The president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission says that a lot of new things are being done for the players this year.
“We have video boards showing highlights of their team in each locker room, so there are a lot of new things were doing this year for the student athlete to show them we are serious about this and we want to make sure they leave with a very memorable experience win or lose,” said Cathy Nelson.
If you’re a fan headed down to the Power and Light District, check out the following gallery for information about street closures, rallies and events happening through this weekend.