Last week, Utah beat writer Josh Furlong made a suggestion on Twitter that caught fire, and has over 1 million views as of Monday morning.
“Las Vegas was literally right there, and it was decided that Kansas City, and its blizzards, was the most ideal location for a basketball tournament,” Furlong tweeted on Wednesday.
His criticism was met with all kinds of opinions, which tends to happen on Twitter, with the most logical argument against moving the Big 12 basketball tournament being location. Sure, Vegas makes plenty of sense for the folks in Salt Lake City—but what about the fans in Morgantown or Orlando?
Kansas City is a centralized location for the conference and its members, and as it turns out, the city does an excellent job serving as a host for the tournament—hence why it will remain there until at least 2031.
“Best postseason tournament in the country. Some years, it’s not even close,” CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd responded. “Presser next week here to — perhaps — extend the current agreement that goes through 2031. So not even a discussion point as of now. Nor should it be.”
It wasn’t just fans and media that got involved in the conversation, as the Kansas City Sports Commission (KCSC) also chimed in.
“We’re excited to have the Big 12 Men’s & Women’s Basketball Championships secured in Kansas City through 2031,” said KCSC President and CEO Kathy Nelson.
“This is one of the best tournaments in all of college basketball, and we know that the players, fans and the Big 12 Conference enjoy everything there is about Kansas City. With our city being located in the middle of the country, it is convenient for fans of all Big 12 schools to attend, and the tournament also offers great walkability from downtown to the T-Mobile Center, the pep rallies in the Power & Light District and many of our wonderful local bars and restaurants.”
Sure, nobody likes dealing with blizzard conditions during travel, but it’s crazy to suggest that the Big 12 basketball tournament belongs anywhere else but Kansas City.
