The Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will be played in separate cities beginning with the 2012-13 school year, league officials announced today.
The men’s tournament will remain in Kansas City, Mo. _ site of both tournaments at the end of this season _ in 2013 and 2014. But the women’s tournament will be played in Dallas in 2013 and in Oklahoma City in 2014.
The sites were approved by Big 12 athletic directors and require final approval by the league’s board of directors, which is expected.
The decision to separate the men’s and women’s tournaments stemmed from a suggestion by women’s basketball coaches seeking to spotlight their event. The 2013 women’s tournament will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas, marking the first time for the Big 12 to hold its post-season tournament in Dallas since 2006.
The AAC served as the venue for a 2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional and drew 21,030 spectators, including a crowd of 11,508 for the regional finals matchup between Texas A&M and Baylor.
In addition, TCU _ which joins the Big 12 on July 1, 2012 _ has been added to the mix of future championship sites. TCU will host the league’s tennis championships in 2014 and the outdoor track and field championships in 2016.
Below is a list of future Big 12 championship sites announced Wednesday:
Big 12 Conference Future Championship Site Selections
2013 & 2014 Soccer – LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan.
2013 Women’s Basketball – American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
2014 Women’s Basketball – Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Okla.
2013, 2014 and 2015 Indoor Track & Field – Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
2014 Tennis – TCU, Fort Worth, Texas
2015 Tennis – University of Texas, Austin, Texas
2013 Outdoor Track & Field – Baylor University, Waco, Texas
2014 Outdoor Track & Field – Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
2015 Outdoor Track & Field – Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
2016 Outdoor Track & Field – TCU, Forth Worth, Texas
Follow Jimmy Burch on Twitter @Jimmy_Burch.
_ Jimmy Burch
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