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Kansas City, MO. — Further cementing the area’s reputation as a hoops hotbed, Kansas City is now home to the state-of-the-art College Basketball Experience (CBE). Connected to the new Sprint Center arena via a common lobby, the 41,500-square-foot entertainment facility contains hands-on, interactive basketball exhibits and houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
CBE opened on Oct. 17 adjacent to the new Kansas City Power & Light District. Visitors to CBE will experience the coach-player relationship first-hand. Beginning with a last-minute pep talk inside the entrance elevator, a coach’s voice accompanies fans throughout the facility, guiding them through several dribble, pass and shoot stations to hone their skills.
The Kansas City-based National Association of Basketball Coaches founded the facility with the intent of redefining the American sports hall of fame.
"The CBE is not a museum and the main attractions are not artifacts behind glass. This is the long-awaited celebratory home for the sport of men’s collegiate basketball," NABC Foundation Executive Director Jim Haney said.
Sweating is almost inevitable as CBE’s high-energy exhibits recreate the intensity of a college basketball game — from foul-line hecklers to a last-second buzzer beater. Visitors can even experience the excitement of a slam dunk, no matter how high they can jump. Sports Center fans will feel right at home behind the ESPNU anchor desk, where they can call the play-by-play of college’s most memorable games. Inside the Mentor’s Circle area, the nation’s finest coaches describe who inspired them and visitors can record their own video testimonials.
Each visitor’s journey ends with a stop in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, a quiet space devoted to the game’s greats. Interactive kiosks offer a glimpse into each inductee’s legacy.
CBE was designed by New York City-based ESI Design, best known for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.
"We wanted to bring fans inside the college game and invite them to physically interact with, and contribute to, the exhibits themselves," ESI Design Founder Edwin Schlossberg said. "This 21st-century sports experience thrives and grows thanks to visitors’ physical and emotional participation."
The Kansas City area is no stranger to college basketball. Although the game was invented in Springfield, Mass., it grew from its roots in and around the KC metro. In fact, Kansas City has hosted more Final Fours than any other city in the nation (10). The game’s inventor, James Naismith, was the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas in nearby Lawrence, Kan.
CBE is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children aged 6 to 17. Children 5 and under are free. For more information about CBE, visit www.collegebasketballexperience.com.
About Sprint Center
Sprint Center is a $276-million, 18,500-seat arena in downtown Kansas City. The state-of-the-art facility opened on Oct. 10, 2007, and will play host to major sporting events, concerts and family shows. For more information, visit www.sprintcenter.com.
About the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to enhance economic growth and quality of life for the region and its residents through marketing, sales and service for the convention and tourism industries. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at VisitKC.com.
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Photo Credit: Photos Courtesy of the Kansas City Convention
& Visitors Association
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College Basketball Experience, rendering #1
Caption: Located in the new Sprint Center, this attraction celebrates college basketball by placing visitors in electrifying, game-like situations.
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College Basketball Experience, rendering #2
Caption: Operated by the National Association of College Basketball Coaches, the new attraction features the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Sprint Center, rendering
Caption: Sprint Center opened in downtown Kansas City in October 2007. Photo Credit: Downtown Arena Design Team
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