KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The KC Live! block of the Power and Light District will truly adopt a college town feel Thursday as fans from eight universities, including two in Kansas, flock to the Sprint Center for the 2019 Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference men’s basketball tournament.
A series of spirit rallies, fan fest and a GameDay experience accompany the four back to back basketball games.
Kansas State University plays Texas Christian University at 1:30 p.m. Wildcats fans can enjoy a spirit rally in the Power and Light District from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.
The University of Kansas plays the University of Texas at 8 p.m. The Jayhawks will host a spirit rally from 5:30 to 5:50 p.m.
Kansas City police said buying and selling tickets on the street is not illegal in Missouri, but a spokesperson said it is risky. If you do buy from someone outside the arena, a KCPD detective recommends taking notes about the seller, such as what car they drive, license plate number, and their clothes, so you can give police leads if the ticket turns out to be fake.
A Sprint Center representative said you shouldn’t buy a ticket to this tournament that is printed on a standard piece of 8.5- by 11-inch paper. The spokesperson said tickets from the box office come on a smaller, glossy paper, or in a digital form.
The representative recommended not buying a screenshot of someone’s digital ticket because the QR code on the digital ticket changes and a screenshot would not be correct by the time the gates open.
Businesses in the area are hopeful the tournament will give them an extra boost after such a long, snowy winter.
A block south of the Sprint Center on Grand Boulevard, the owner of Songbird Cafe is opening earlier and staying open later (even opening on Saturday) to capitalize on the activity around the basketball tournament.
“So after the game, if you're reveling in victory, or drowning your sorrows in a panini for defeat, we'll be there for you. We're there for you, Big 12,” owner Chris Geil said.
The Iowa native said he plans to offer a 20 percent discount to customers who wear Iowa State colors.
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