Following the NCAA’s decision to expand the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments to 76 teams beginning in 2027, Visit Wichita says the city could pursue hosting opportunities for opening-round games.
The NCAA announced this week that both tournaments will grow from 68 to 76 teams, adding four more opening-round matchups on both the men’s and women’s sides. The change is expected to create additional host-site opportunities across the country.
Wichita has a long history of hosting NCAA Tournament games at INTRUST Bank Arena and has become a regular destination for postseason basketball events. Visit Wichita President and CEO Susie Santo said the organization is reviewing what the expansion could mean for the city.
According to Santo, Wichita has already proven it can successfully host large-scale NCAA events, and the additional games could provide another opportunity to bring visitors and economic activity to the area.
The NCAA has not yet announced where the added opening-round games would be played or how the expanded format will work. More details are expected in the coming months.
Wichita most recently hosted first- and second-round NCAA men’s tournament games in 2025 and has previously hosted multiple tournament appearances over the last decade.
