Kansas City, Mo. -- Fans heading to Kansas City for the 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships will find a whole new experience in Kansas City. The sold-out Men’s Championship will be played in the new Sprint Center, located in the heart of downtown. The Women’s Championship will be contested at historic Municipal Auditorium, and tickets are still available. Between the two venues, visitors will find the new Kansas City Power & Light District. Plus, with new museums and attractions around the city, watching basketball is only part of the fun. Here’s a look at what’s in store. For more information, visit the fan site at VisitKC.com/big12basketball.

Sprint Center & College Basketball Experience
Downtown Kansas City is now home to one of the finest arenas in the country. The $276 million Sprint Center is a state-of-the-art, 18,500-seat arena for major sporting events and concerts. It opened on Oct. 13 with a concert by Elton John, and brought Garth Brooks out of retirement for nine sold-out shows. The first basketball event was the CBE Classic, which featured UCLA, Michigan State, Maryland and Missouri.

Attached to Sprint Center is the College Basketball Experience (CBE), a 41,500-square-foot facility that houses the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as well as hands-on, high-energy exhibits that place visitors in electrifying game-like situations. As a sign in the building warns, "This is not a museum. You might sweat!" The CBE will be open throughout the Championships.

Kansas City Power & Light District
For the Big 12 Championships, more than a dozen restaurants and entertainment venues will be open in the new eight-block Power & Light District, with more venues opening later this year. The Kansas City Live! block, across the street from Sprint Center, will be the heart of the action. Its Kansas City Live! Stage will feature Jeff Jenkins and the International Band of Leisure (Mar. 13, 4-6 p.m.), 90 Minutes (Mar. 14, 8:30-9:30 p.m.) and Sister Hazel (Mar. 14, 10-11:15 p.m.). Throughout the district you’ll also find strolling jazz musicians and the Road to Glory, a unique experience showcasing basketball greats.

Big 12 Fan Fest
Even if you don’t have a ticket to the game, Downtown Kansas City is the place to be during the Championships for Big 12 Fan Fest, which takes place March 13-16 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Fan Fest tents will feature Kansas City food favorites, drinks and big-screen televisions to watch the tournament action. Fan Fest will be located across the street from Sprint Center near Truman Road and Grand Boulevard. Also look for the Sunkist inflatable, Phillips 66 interactive trailer, Chick-fil A tent and inflatable cow, XM broadcast tent and Geico inflatable and promotions tent.

Spirit Rallies
Spirit rallies for men’s and women’s teams will be held throughout the week. For printable schedules of your team’s spirit rallies, go to VisitKC.com/big12basketball and click on "Spirit Rallies."

Beginning March 11, spirit rallies for the women’s teams will take place on level two of the Kansas City Convention Center, Rooms 2502 B and 2404 A. Access the Convention Center from 14th Street between Central and Wyandotte streets (just south of Municipal Auditorium).

Beginning March 13, spirit rallies for the men’s teams will take place in the Fan Fest tent, which is located across the street from Sprint Center near Truman Road and Grand Boulevard.

Shuttles & Parking
In an effort to ease traffic congestion downtown, visitors are encouraged to use convenient park-n-ride shuttles. All shuttles are $2 each way.

• Crown Center Shuttle: Begins running 55 minutes prior to the first game, with shuttles every 15-20 minutes. Pick-up points at Union Station, Westin Crown Center and the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Parking at Union Station is free for the first three hours, and then $1 for every additional half hour (Maximum fee is $10).
• Country Club Plaza Shuttle: Begins running an hour and 15 minutes prior to the first game, with shuttles every 25 minutes. Pick-up points at the Raphael, Sheraton Suites Country Club Plaza, InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza, Marriott Country Club Plaza, Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza, Best Western Seville Plaza and Embassy Suites Country Club Plaza.
• Kemper Shuttle: Available for those who park in Lot B of Kemper Arena. This shuttle will only operate from 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on March 13-14. Parking at Kemper Arena is $10 per day and includes shuttle service for up to four people (with paid parking receipt). Additional riders will pay $2 each way.

Download Related Images

Photo Credit:  Photos Courtesy of the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association

	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. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	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. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Power & Light District #1 Caption: Opening in spring 2008, the Kansas City Live! block of the Power & Light District will feature a permanent performance stage surrounded by dining and nightlife venues. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Power & Light District #2 Caption: Opening in spring 2008, the new nine-block Power & Light District will offer dining, shopping and nightlife in the heart of downtown Kansas City. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Sprint Center, rendering Caption: Sprint Center opened in downtown Kansas City in October 2007. Photo Credit: Downtown Arena Design Team Download:  Low-Res; High-Res