KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City’s love affair with college basketball couldn’t be more obvious than during the next month, as the city prepares to host major tournaments for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Tickets remain for all tournaments but the NCAA games.

Downtown Kansas City will roll out the red carpet during the month of March, hosting 56 teams and 51 tournament games in just 11 days. The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association estimates the combined economic impact of all the tournaments to be more than $14.2 million.

More details on each tournament follow.

2009 MIAA Postseason Men's and Women's Basketball Championships
March 5-8, Municipal Auditorium
Tickets: 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com  

• Seventh consecutive year in Kansas City
• The MIAA is a NCAA Division II Conference made up of 10 institutions in Missouri and Kansas. More than 60,000 area alumni attended these schools, six of which are within a two-hour drive to Kansas City.
• Sixteen teams (eight men’s and eight women’s) will vie for the conference’s two titles in a single-elimination format.
• For more information, visit themiaa.com.  

72nd Annual Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship
March 18-24, Municipal Auditorium
Tickets: NAIA, 816-595-8000 or naiakchoops.org; Ticketmaster, 816-931-3330 or ticketmaster.com

• Currently the longest-running collegiate national championship of any sport in the country
• This is the 46th time the tournament has been held at Municipal (1937-74 and 2002-present).
• The NAIA is comprised of nearly 300 of the finest accredited small colleges and universities in North America.
• The competition will host 32 teams in a 31-game, single-elimination format. The field of participants includes 16 conference qualifiers, one independent qualifier and 15 at-large bids.
• Special events include Faith & Family Night (March 20), Youth Day (March 21), Rotary Night (March 21), Special Olympics Day (March 22) and Chamber Night (March 24).
• For more information, visit naiakchoops.org.

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, First and Second Rounds
March 19 & 21, Sprint Center
Tickets are currently sold out. In the event that additional tickets become available, fans may visit sprintcenter.com/ncaa for additional information regarding registering for the opportunity to purchase up to four (4) all-session tickets (subject to availability).

• This will mark the 28th time Kansas City has hosted a portion of the NCAA Men’s Division I Championship. The city last hosted the First and Second Rounds in 2004.
• Eight teams will travel to Kansas City to compete for a chance to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Teams will be announced on March 15 when the tournament brackets are unveiled.
• Kansas City has previously hosted 116 NCCA Men’s Division I tournament games—more than any other city. KC also holds the record for hosting the most championship games (10).
• On Wednesday, March 18, all eight teams will hold practice sessions at Sprint Center. This event is free and open to the public. The arena will open at 11 a.m. and practices will last from noon to 7:20 p.m. Each team will practice for 40 minutes.
• On Thursday and Saturday, spirit rallies for each team will be held on the KC Live! Stage of the Power & Light District. Times and details of those rallies are still being finalized.  
• For more information, visit the Official Kansas City Fan Information Site at VisitKC.com/NCAA. 

Downtown Events
Basketball fans will have plenty to do Downtown between games. Here’s a look at major events happening during the time frame.

• The Midland by AMC will host the inaugural Pride of Kansas City Basketball Tip Off Party on March 18 beginning at 7 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Motown Madness, a group of entertainers who portray music legends such as Aretha Franklin, The Blues Brothers and Ray Charles. Proceeds benefit Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet. For more information, go to btllf.org/pride.html.
• The 36th Annual Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of the nation’s largest, will begin at Linwood and Broadway at 11 a.m. on March 17, and travel south on Broadway through Westport to 43rd Street. For a map of the parade route, go to kcirishparade.com.
• Also on St. Patrick’s Day, the Power & Light District will host Shamrocks & Shenanigans, a day-long festival of Irish and rock music. Festivities start at 6 a.m., and the live entertainment begins at 11 a.m. For more information, go to powerandlightdistrict.com.
• The following free events are planned for basketball fans in the KC Live! Block of the Power & Light District:
  • Thursday, March 19, late night: Performance by DJ Skribble (famed New York DJ); Must be 21 or older
  • Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m.: A concert by country star Kevin Fowler
  • Saturday, March 21, late night: DJ performance; Must be 21 or older
• For more events, go to VisitKC.com to search Kansas City’s most comprehensive online events calendar.
  

About the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
The KCCVA 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 about all there is to see and do in Kansas City, visit the organization’s Web site at VisitKC.com.

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

	College Basketball Experience Caption: Located in the new Sprint Center, this attraction celebrates college basketball by placing visitors in electrifying, game-like situations. Photo credit: Erik Miner Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Municipal Auditorium Caption: This historic venue has played host to more Final Fours than any other facility in the nation. Download:  Low-Res; High-Res
	Sprint Center Caption: Sprint Center opened in downtown Kansas City in October 2007. This image is not available for download. Download:  Click here to request image.
	Sprint Center #2 Caption: Sprint Center is a state-of-the-art, 18,500-seat arena offering marquee concerts and sporting events. This image is not available for download. Download:  Click here to request image.