Big 12 Tournament guide: Game schedules, food recs and activities in Kansas City this week
Big 12 fans will be treated to two weeks of tournament basketball starting Thursday, as the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will kick off in back-to-back weeks for the first time ever at the T-Mobile Center in downtown Kansas City.
For some schools, such as the University of Houston and Brigham Young University, it’ll be a first-time experience. For those on the way out the door — the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas — it’ll be the last. But no matter where your school falls on the spectrum, here’s what you need to know about the best games to watch and where you can grab some food and drinks.
What are the Big 12 Tournament schedules?
The Big 12 women’s basketball tournament tips off on Thursday and ends with the championship game on Tuesday. Here’s the schedule for the women’s tournament:
First round, Thursday
Game 1, 5:30 p.m.: No. 12 Texas Tech vs. No. 13 Houston
Game 2, 8 p.m.: No. 11 Cincinnati vs. No. 14 UCF
Second round, Friday
Game 3, 11 a.m.: No. 5 Baylor vs. Game 1 winner
Game 4, 1:30 p.m.: No. 8 Oklahoma State. vs. No. 9 TCU
Game 5, 5:30 p.m.: No. 7 Kansas vs. No. 10 Brigham Young
Game 6, 8 p.m.: No. 6 West Virginia vs. Game 2 winner
Quarterfinals, Saturday
Game 7, 11 a.m.: No. 4 Iowa State vs. Game 3 winner
Game 8, 1:30 p.m.: No 1 Oklahoma vs. Game 4 winner
Game 9, 5:30 p.m.: No. 2 Texas vs. Game 5 winner
Game 10, 8 p.m.: No. 3 Kansas State vs. Game 6 winner
Semifinals, Monday
Game 11, 1:30 p.m.: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner
Game 12, 4 p.m.: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner
Big 12 Championship, Tuesday
Game 13, 8 p.m.: Game 11 winner vs. Game 12 winner
The men’s tournament starts as the women’s tournament ends. The men’s bracket starts Tuesday and ends Saturday, March 16. The seeds for each team have not been decided yet, as the men’s regular season ends this weekend.
Tuesday, First Round
Game 1, 11:30 a.m.: No. 12 Seed vs. No. 13 Seed
Game 2, 2 p.m.: No. 11 Seed vs. No. 14 Seed
Wednesday, March 13, Second Round
Game 3, 11:30 a.m.: No. 5 Seed vs. Game 1 Winner
Game 4, 2 p.m.: No. 8 Seed vs. No. 9 Seed
Game 5, 6 p.m.: No. 7 Seed vs. No. 10 Seed
Game 6, 8:30 p.m.: No. 6 Seed vs. Game 2 Winner
Thursday, March 14 - Quarterfinals
Game 7, 11:30 a.m.: No. 4 Seed vs. Game 3 Winner
Game 8, 2 p.m.: No. 1 Seed vs. Game 4 Winner
Game 9, 6 p.m.: No. 2 Seed vs. Game 5 Winner
Game 10, 8:30 p.m.: No. 3 Seed vs. Game 6 Winner
Friday, March 15 - Semifinals
Game 11, 6 p.m.: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner
Game 12, 8:30 p.m.: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner
Saturday, March 16 - Championship
Game 13, 5 p.m.: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner
How much do tickets cost?
Tickets for the Big 12 Tournament are sold in sessions for both the men’s and women’s brackets. Sessions are split up into segments of two consecutive games on the same day, and each tournament has seven sessions. The championship games stand alone.
Premium seating options range from $35 to $85, depending on the session for the women’s tournament. Sideline reserved seats range from $15 for early rounds to $25 for the championship game. General admission tickets can be purchased starting at $10 online.
As of Wednesday, only all-session tickets are available online for the men’s tournament since the Big 12 standings are not finalized. Prices for all-session tickets start at $290.
What can I eat around Kansas City?
For visitors coming to Kansas City, there are plenty of restaurants to try near the T-Mobile Center, downtown, at the Crossroads or the River Market:
Johnny’s Tavern - 1310 Grand Blvd.
Blue Sushi Sake Grill - 101 E. 14th St.
The Farmhouse - 300 Delaware St.
The Peanut - 418 W. 9th St.
Town Topic - 1900 W. Baltimore Ave. and 2021 Broadway Blvd.
Arthur Bryant’s Barbecue - 1727 Brooklyn Ave.
Grinders - 417 E. 18th St.
The T-Mobile Center will also serve themed food and drinks, honoring the teams playing in the tournament:
BAYLOR BRISKET SLIDERS: Dr Pepper-glazed brisket, sweet slaw, brioche bun.
COSMO’S CHURROS: A caramel-filled churro with a sweet cream drizzle, mini marshmallows, cinnamon sugar,and toffee crumble.
UCF CITRONAUT DRINK: Orange soda and vanilla ice cream.
CINCY CHEESE CONEY: Jumbo hot dog, Cincinnati-style chili, onion + cheddar cheese.
SHASTA’S BRISKET TACOS: Chopped beef brisket, corn & black bean salsa, cilantro, lime, corn tortillas.
ISU GREEN CHILI PORK WALKING TACO: Doritos, green chili pork, shredded lettuce, cheddar and Jack cheese, sour cream.
BIG JAY’S LOADED MAC AND CHEESE: Cavatappi pasta, creamy cheese sauce, house-smoked pulled pork, BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions with a dash of Crimson Red pepper flakes.
POWERCAT PB&J: Fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
OKLAHOMA ONION BURGER: Tobacco onions, ranch dipper.
OSU’S ORANGE POWER PIZZA: Pepperoni, sausage, ham, sweet pepper bacon, mozzarella, cheddar, ranch drizzle.
COWTOWN LOADED TOTS: Fried tater tots, spicy queso sauce, chopped house-smoked brisket, corn and black bean salsa, topped with Horned Frog Purple sour cream.
BIG BERTHA LOADED BAKED POTATO: Chopped house-smoked brisket, cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream, butter, BBQ sauce.
THE MASKED RIDER BURGER: An all-beef patty, cheddar, fried onion rings, sweet pickled jalapenos, and Red Raiders BBQ sauce.
MOUNTAINEER PEPPERONI ROLL: Sliced pepperoni and mozzarella cheese roll.
BIG 12 DOG: A foot-long all-beef hot dog with ketchup, mustard, red cabbage slaw, black sesame seeds, diced white onion, spicy cheese sauce and sauteed orange peppers.
What entertainment options are there when I’m not watching the Big 12 Tournament?
Shaq is back.
The Big 12 announced that Shaquille O’Neal (also known as DJ Diesel) will perform a 45-minute DJ set following the men’s championship game on March 16. The show will begin at 9 p.m. at the Kansas City Live! stage in the Power & Light District.
O’Neal also performed during the Big 12 Tournament in 2023.
The Big 12 Fan Fest also starts Thursday and runs until March 16, bringing a lineup of hoops challenges, gameday giveaways and activities for all ages at Grand Boulevard in front of the arena. Daily pep rallies will take place at the Kansas City Live! Block, featuring appearances from each college’s band, cheerleaders, mascots and more, according to Visit KC.
Charlie Hustle, the local merchandise company, will operate a pop-up store with gear for every Big 12 team. The store opens Thursday and is located at 1380 Main St. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
