Kansas City holds a well-documented place as a college basketball capital. This year has already proven the tradition will continue in noteworthy fashion.
A marquee coaching hire and high-stakes clashes among top-ranked teams are the latest developments from a city that has been consistently recognized for its athletic achievements. Keep reading to explore these and other updates from KC as an unmatched destination for collegiate hoops.
UMKC’s blockbuster coaching hire
As Kansas City’s only Division I athletics program, the Kansas City Roos at the University of Missouri-Kansas City represent the City of Fountains in Summit League competition. Now, the UMKC men’s basketball program is entering a new era with the recent announcement of a standout coaching hire.
Coach Mark Turgeon brings head coaching from Maryland, Texas A&M, Wichita State and Jacksonville State to the UMKC campus. His teams have earned 10 NCAA tournament bids, including Wichita State’s first appearance in nearly 20 years, and he has previously been recognized as Big Ten Coach of the Year.
With roots in Topeka, Turgeon was a four-year player and assistant coach at the University of Kansas before beginning his head coaching career. He’ll now take the helm for the Roos as the 2026-27 season begins, prepared to elevate the program to a new level of success.
It also brings high-powered hoops within easy reach for visitors traveling via the KC Streetcar. UMKC can be reached along the newly extended line.
Major matchups for Big 12 MBB
The Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament is back at T-Mobile Center, March 10-14, and it’s certain to feature a full slate of top-tier showdowns. Recent AP polls have ranked as many as six Big 12 schools within the nation’s top 25 teams.
Unbeaten Arizona will be a formidable foe for anyone on the other side of their bracket, with the Wildcats at the top of the polls as the country’s only team without a loss. They’re currently joined in the rankings by Iowa State, Houston, Texas Tech, BYU and Kansas—plus, in a conference loaded with talent, don’t discount the possibility of a Cinderella story.
The postseason will also bring its share of emerging star power, with multiple Big 12 players projected to be lottery picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Expect Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa to continue posting impressive numbers as they compete to be first off the board with this year’s No. 1 overall pick.
View the full Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament schedule and get tickets.
Big names in Big 12 WBB
The Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament returns to T-Mobile Center, March 4-8. (If BYU is playing in the championship game, it will take place March 9.) Along with five days and 15 games worth of competition, the week is certain to feature some of the sport’s biggest stars.
Iowa State’s Audi Crooks has attracted a national spotlight for her unstoppable scoring ability. She leads the NCAA in points per game and scored a school-record 47 points in a game earlier this season. Crooks was followed closely by her teammate (and Kansas City native) Jada Williams, who moved into second place with a 44-point game in January.
Meanwhile, TCU’s Olivia Miles is expected to be a projected top pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. A stellar scorer and playmaker, Miles consistently delivers must-see basketball.
View the full Big 12 Women’s Basketball Tournament schedule and get tickets.
A full month of college hoops
The Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments fill the first two weeks of T-Mobile Center’s calendar in March, but that’s far from the only hoops action arriving in the Heart of America during the month.
The MIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to Municipal Auditorium, March 4-8. Each tournament features 10 teams fighting for victory across eight games.
Just days later, the NAIA Men’s Basketball National Championship arrives at Municipal Auditorium, March 19-24. It’s a proud Kansas City tradition, with the tournament being played in KC for the 80th time in 2026.
In total, Kansas City will play host to more than 50 college basketball games this March—a fitting continuation of the community’s dominant collegiate hoops legacy.
Basketball history lives here
There’s no denying that Kansas City’s college hoops have a special heartbeat throughout the month of March, but basketball aficionados can exercise their love of the game all year long inside the College Basketball Experience.
Next door to T-Mobile Center and the Power & Light District, it’s an interactive space that provides hands-on opportunities for refinement to players at every age and skill level. The drills on display offer specific ways to sharpen your own skills, from free throws to splashy threes. It’s also home to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, where some of the sport’s most iconic experiences are preserved.
