Despite departure of Mizzou, Big 12 athletic directors want bball to stay in KC

NEW YORK - The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament is inked in Kansas City through 2014, and possibly much longer after a meeting Tuesday in New York.

Athletic directors from Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State discussed a number of issues during the meeting, according to a press release issued by the Big 12 Conference.

Of particular interest to Kansas City, the athletic directors reaffirmed the league’s commitment to having the annual men’s basketball tournament champion in March in Kansas City.

"Kansas City has a rich college basketball history," said Big 12 Conference athletics director chairman and Iowa State University athletics director Jamie Pollard in the release."[Kansas City] remains an attractive destination for our men's championship.

"It is an integral part of the Big 12 footprint and staging our championship at Sprint Center reinforces the strong presence of the Conference in the greater Kansas City area."

Also discussed were the league’s football scheduling, the Bowl Championship Series, television contracts and other issues.