2023 Big 12 Basketball Championship Becomes Highest-Grossing in Conference History
Last year, Brett Yormark stated that he had some ideas in mind to make the Big 12 “younger, hipper, and cooler.” On Tuesday, the results came in, and Yormark’s first Big 12 Basketball Tournament was just that.
According to a press release from the Big 12, the 2023 Phillips 66 Men’s Basketball Championship was the highest-grossing in Conference history.
“This year’s Basketball Championships saw significant growth over previous years, and I am thrilled with the results,” said Commissioner Brett Yormark. “As we continue to reimagine our Conference Championships, our number one priority will always be to create value and drive revenue for our member institutions.”
In addition to that success, the conference also met a variety of other achievements in this year’s tournaments, which are listed below courtesy of the Big 12 Conference.
- The 2023 Men’s Basketball Championship saw a year-over-year 38% increase in ticket revenue.
- The 2023 Women’s Basketball Championship saw a 20% year-over-year increase in ticket revenue.
- The new premium courtside seating sold out in advance of public sale – with four new institutions joining the Big 12 next season, courtside seats for the 14-team 2024 Basketball Championship currently have a wait list due to high demand and interest.
- The Big 12 Basketball Championships had over 76K mentions across social platforms and generated 1.3B impressions.
- From March 8 – 12, the Big 12 Conference social media channels generated 20 million impressions.
- The Conference gained 15,000 new followers across all social channels throughout the Championships.
- Total attendance for the Men’s Basketball Championship was 90,110, for an average of 18,022 per session, a 12.9% increase over last season.
- Total attendance for the Women’s Basketball Championship was 25,385 for an average of 5,077. This was a 24% year-over-year increase in average attendance.
- Levy Restaurants and the Big 12 Conference sold over 5,200 #Big12Eats dishes. Big Jay’s Loaded Mac & Cheese – the specialty item designated for Kansas Jayhawks fans – was the best-selling #Big12Eats dish, with the Longhorn Quesadilla finishing second and the TCU Loaded Tots placing third.
- The Big 12 Championships After Party featuring DJ Diesel saw nearly 7,000 fans attend.
- The Kansas City Sports Commission estimates the economic impact of the Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships was $21 million for Kansas City through the five-day period.
The Big 12 looks to be in great hands with Commissioner Yormark at the helm, and if this even is any indication, the conference’s basketball prestige might skyrocket in the coming years.
Fans can start to look forward to next year’s event as well, as the Big 12 Conference announced the dates for next year’s tournament alongside these numbers.
The 2024 Big 12 Women’s Tournament will be held at the T-Mobile Center for the very first time next year, starting on March 7 and running through March 12. The Men’s tournament will take place in the following week from March 12-16.
With an expansion-minded commissioner, and new teams on their way to the conference in just a few months, it’s an exciting time to be a Big 12 sports fan, and much of that is thanks to the efforts of Brett Yormark and his staff.
