KC to host NCAA Tourney in 2013

[KCMax]

NCAA men's basketball tournament will return to KC in 2013

Kansas City will be a first- and-second round site for the men?s NCAA Tournament in 2013, the NCAA announced Monday.

The 2013 event will mark the 75th anniversary of the tournament. Kansas City was host to the Final Four at the 50th anniversary season of 1988.

First/second round sites for 2013: Auburn Hills, Austin, Dayton, Kansas City, Lexington, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, and San Jose.

Indianapolis, Dallas and Los Angeles will host regional finals, with one site left to be determined. The Final Four will be in Atlanta.

Also, Omaha landed a first/second round site in 2012, and St. Louis got a regional final for 2012.

NCAA releases sites for 2011-2013 tournaments

[KCPowercat]

Sucks we didn't get a regional but I was told we had a conflict in 13 with something else in the city that wouldn't allow us to host that weekend.

[KCMax]

Sucks we didn't get a regional but I was told we had a conflict in 13 with something else in the city that wouldn't allow us to host that weekend.

To be honest, I kinda like having it opening weekend. I guess its not as prestigious, but there is a high energy in the opening weekend from having so many teams still in it. KC also does a terrific job selling out the first round, while other sites have trouble filling seats.

[ignatius]

Hopefully P&L retail sites are mostly occupied by then and Xroads can better support the non-P&L type crowd even better than today.  Should land more tourneys if the energy and diverse options are there. Downtown/P&L already has more to offer visitors within walking distance of arena than 90% of those cities getting an upcoming tourney (except hotel rooms).

Are the regionals being played in football domes for the most part?  Don't think KC will ever get one unless some are in 18K arenas.

[KCPowercat]

They are played in both....ie, LA in 2013 I assume is in staples center.

[LenexatoKCMO]

Are the regionals being played in football domes for the most part?  Don't think KC will ever get one unless some are in 18K arenas.

It isn't a pre-req for the regional - just the finals.  However, you often see the football stadiums pop up in the regionals because the NCAA likes to give the final four host city a "practice run" as a regional host prior to their year on top.  For example, a couple years ago KU had to play regional games on a ridiculous court at Ford Field - the next year Detroit hosted the finals.  It can be a bit ridiculous for a regional - we played Davidson that year and I am pretty sure you could bring every davidson alumn that ever went to the school and still not take up their share of that dome. 

[WSPanic]

It isn't a pre-req for the regional - just the finals.  However, you often see the football stadiums pop up in the regionals because the NCAA likes to give the final four host city a "practice run" as a regional host prior to their year on top.  For example, a couple years ago KU had to play regional games on a ridiculous court at Ford Field - the next year Detroit hosted the finals.  It can be a bit ridiculous for a regional - we played Davidson that year and I am pretty sure you could bring every davidson alumn that ever went to the school and still not take up their share of that dome. 

The NCAA does it because they only care about selling tickets and making money. Regardless of atmosphere, history, playing conditions, etc. The "practice run" is a nice sounding excuse - and probably has some validity. But, that doesn't excuse basketball in the Metrodome last year, or 2003 or 2006.

[KCMax]

You are both right. The NCAA does like to have a "practice run" the year before, but they also usually have another site as a dome. Usually it is two domes, two conventional arenas for the four regional sites, although its looking like the future trend is going to be three domes and one conventional arena.

[LenexatoKCMO]

The NCAA does it because they only care about selling tickets and making money. Regardless of atmosphere, history, playing conditions, etc. The "practice run" is a nice sounding excuse - and probably has some validity.

I don't know that the selling tickets conspiracy holds up - I haven't seen any of these regionals in domes that aren't half full or worse.  Even the best travelling, blue chip programs aren't going to send enough people to fill up more than a third of one of these things at best and in the regionals you still probably have several programs without much travelling base that aren't going to fill more than one small section. 

[KCMax]

I don't know that the selling tickets conspiracy holds up - I haven't seen any of these regionals in domes that aren't half full or worse.  Even the best travelling, blue chip programs aren't going to send enough people to fill up more than a third of one of these things at best and in the regionals you still probably have several programs without much travelling base that aren't going to fill more than one small section. 

My impression was that those games do sell out, but corporations buy a lot of the tickets, and people often don't show up because their team was eliminated or they don't care because it was a free ticket from their company. I could be wrong. Either way, I think the NCAA is getting their money. I don't see any other reason for them to keep selecting huge domes as sites other than money. Its certainly not a great college basketball atmosphere.

[LenexatoKCMO]

My impression was that those games do sell out, but corporations buy a lot of the tickets, and people often don't show up because their team was eliminated or they don't care because it was a free ticket from their company. I could be wrong. Either way, I think the NCAA is getting their money. I don't see any other reason for them to keep selecting huge domes as sites other than money. Its certainly not a great college basketball atmosphere.

Corporations do buy tickets but I doubt its enough to handle those surplusses - who in detroit is going to snap up an extra 30k tix or so?  Having been to these regionals, I would say you can usually expect a couple bigger, traditional schools that have ~5-7k each in fans, and a couple smaller schools that probably show up with 1-2k in fans, at best - so thats probably 12-16k in actual travelling fans.  Throw in a few thousand local fans who show up despite not having a horse in the race - some probably corp tix.  That's pretty par for the course at these things - where in the heck are the extra 30+k tickets ever going to go? 

If there were suitable domes in Lexington, Charlotte, or KC, and KU, UK, or NC got seated there you might get halfway close to filling one of these things for a regional - but even then I doubt it. 

[beautyfromashes]

Does this give any indication of whether we will be the permanant site for the Big 12 tournament?  Could that have been what the conflict is?  Also, I know we have Big 12 the next two years.  So, in 2012 we will have neither the Big 12 or NCAA?  That sucks!

[LenexatoKCMO]

Does this give any indication of whether we will be the permanant site for the Big 12 tournament?  Could that have been what the conflict is? 

Nah - the conference is a couple weeks out from the regional and the opening round (which we got) comes in between, so conflict between these wouldn't make much sense - there would actually be an extra week of clearance between the two. 

[WSPanic]

So, in 2012 we will have neither the Big 12 or NCAA?  That sucks!

Have they announced any location for the 2012 Big XII tourney?

[geeman68]

I'm excited that we have the 2010-2011 Big Twelve tourneys following with a NCAA first/second round in 2013  Hopefully, we'll have something big and prestigious for 2012. 

[loftguy]

I'm excited that we have the 2010-2011 Big Twelve tourneys following with a NCAA first/second round in 2013   Hopefully, we'll have something big and prestigious for 2012. 

A DNC vs. RNC showdown?

[KCPowercat]

The conflict wasn't the big 12....the person who told me this couldn't rememeber what it was.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Sucks we didn't get a regional but I was told we had a conflict in 13 with something else in the city that wouldn't allow us to host that weekend.

NAIA

[GRID]

KC to host NCAA Tourney in 2013 ?

Nice.  That was quite a tease.

The title should really be changed to imply it's only a regional.  That's great for KC, but just about any city with an arena lands the regionals on a regular basis it seams.  It's good to see the ncaa back though.

[KCPowercat]

these aren't regionals, they are 1st/2nd round games....and I don't think it's common to get them this frequent....but the NCAA is looking at historic sites for the 2013 tournament according to the article.