By virtue of contracts, the women’s tournament is the next to go.* It’s heading to Oklahoma City, two years before the men potentially follow. Memorial Auditorium is old, and even in the Big 12 the women’s tournament pales in comparison to the men’s, but the men are likely to follow (quoted from the link above):
The Sprint Center is located in Missouri, a state that soon will not have a Big 12 member. The facility is located less than two miles from the Kansas state line, but some tax payers might not approve of an SEC state reaping rewards from the Big 12 tournament.
This continues the shifting of power from the old Big Eight southward. That era is going to lose another one of its facets soon — Kemper Arena is likely to be torn down.
In all likelihood, it would be a futile effort for Des Moines to try and get the women’s tournament, because so much would hinge on Iowa State being good those years. But even Wichita would be a little more manageable for the remainder of the Big 12 North than OKC.
*In the immediate past, there was the 11-1 decision in 2010 to keep the football championship game in Cowboys Stadium for a little while longer instead of rotation with Arrowhead Stadium. Take a second to guess the dissenting vote.
