Arizona was fresh off a 22-point win over UCF in the Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday afternoon. The No. 1 seed in the Big 12 had very little trouble beating the Knights. But it was evident that neither team had a robust fan base in attendance. Granted, Orlando and Tucson are each more than 1,000 miles away from Kansas City, the long-time home of the Big 12 Tournament. It’s not an easy trip, and it’s not a cheap trip. I get it. But it’s one of the conundrums for the Big 12, when you have a league that spans over 2,000 miles from East to West. Kansas City’s strength is its central location, and its ability to embrace the Tournament arguably better than any other comparably-sized city. But understandably, there are fan bases who feel left out. So what’s the play for Brett Yormark and the Big 12 when the KC contract ends in 2031? It’s not around the corner, but it’s something that’s worth discussing.
And in recent days, we’ve seen a column in the Arizona Daily Star receive plenty of attention for advocating for moving the conference tournament. Also this week, Kansas City mayor Quinton Lucas made the case in The Kansas City Star as to why his city is the best location for the tournament.
So what does Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd think?
Tommy Lloyd on the Big 12 Tournament Location
My question was sparked by a comment made by Lloyd earlier in his press conference, when he admitted, “I think our fans all waited to buy tickets, They all assume that we’re going to San Diego [for the NCAA Tournament], and they’re making a lot of assumptions now, and they’ve saved all their money. I just didn’t feel like we had a great presence in the arena today.”
That lead to my question, “Coach, you mentioned that maybe your fan base didn’t show up today like you expected. Iowa State fans tomorrow night, they’re going to obviously be out in full force. This tournament, do you want to see it moved around and get a better setup for your fan base?”
Lloyd responded, “I mean, listen, you guys are asking a lot of questions here. I want to talk about the ballgame. 100 percent. Would I want this in Vegas? Yeah. 100 percent I will. But you know what? I didn’t ask to be in the Big 12. We got put in the Big 12. I didn’t have any input on it, but I love being in the Big 12. So if they tell me we’re going to play in Kansas City, we’re loading up the plane and going to Kansas City. We’re not going to sit there and overthink it. You guys can do all that stuff or have another coach give you opinions on what he would want. I just want to get on the floor and try to kick ass and play 40 minutes. That’s it.”
For video context, you can watch and listen to Tommy Lloyd here.
My Reaction
First off, I have no problem with what Tommy Lloyd said. He didn’t seem thrilled with the question, but it’s a fair question to ask when his fans are talking about it, columnists who follow his team are writing about it, and he’s specifically talking, unprompted, about a limited Arizona crowd in Kansas City.
He should want the Tournament to move around from Kansas City. That’s in his program’s best interests. But it also doesn’t mean it’s going to, or that it should. But it’s in his best interest to lobby for the move, even if he didn’t think it was the perfect time to do it.
The Big 12 Tournament is in KC through 2031, that much we know for certain. And until Brett Yormark signs an extension beyond then, coaches will continue to get questions about it. The questions are fair, and they’re responses to advocate for what’s in the best interest of their program, players and fans is fair, too.
