Why March Madness is not as mad as 2018 — and why KU fans are rooting for Missouri
Day One of Wichita’s 2025 NCAA tournament basketball experience has come and gone. And while March Madness wasn’t what it was seven years ago, it was still pretty mad.
Wednesday was “open practice day” at Intrust Bank Arena, an opportunity for the locals to get a free first look at the eight teams that will battle it out for a trip to the Sweet 16 next week.
It’s hard not to draw comparisons to 2018, when Wichita hosted the first and second rounds of the tournament for the first time since 1994 at the Kansas Coliseum, which is now a hangar for NIAR, Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research.
The 2018 edition galvanized the entire city around college basketball and countless thousands packed into the arena, bars and street parties downtown to be part of, or at least close to, the action.
Wednesday was different.
When I got to the arena in the morning, it was pretty dead. Things picked up in the afternoon, but I’d say open practice day peaked at maybe half the 2018 crowd.
There were reasons.
▪ In 2018, the University of Kansas was a No. 1 seed and in the Wichita tournament field, drawing fans like a flock of Jayhawks. KU had (for them) a down year this season and managed a mediocre seventh-seed bid, opening tournament play today in Rhode Island.
▪ In 2018, the weather for tournament weekend was excellent. On Wednesday, we had a freak one-day winter storm. Temperatures were in the 30s, so were the wind speeds, and light sleet and snow fell throughout the day.
▪ In 2018, hundreds of area schoolchildren were bused over to the arena to experience practice day, and they loved it loudly. This year, it’s spring break for Wichita schools, so there were a lot fewer kids on hand.
It’s been one hard luck story after another. We were supposed to host the tournament in 2021. But COVID-19 happened.
The good news is that today is supposed to be way better than Wednesday weather-wise, sunny and with a high near 60. Forecast temps for Friday (67), Saturday (72) and Sunday (66) promise to be more conducive to street partying.
And those who did attend practice day had a great time watching each team do a light shoot-around workout, set to loud music from the arena sound system or the pep bands that traveled with their teams.
“The music is awesome, it’s very upbeat,” said Tori Kaiser, who was dancing in her seat. “Very high energy. It’s free, it’s fun, it’s good to see all the teams that will be playing tomorrow.”
The team with the shortest trip to Wichita is the University of Missouri Tigers — historic rivals of the Jayhawks. But even die-hard KU fans appear willing to set aside Border Wars of the past for at least this weekend.
Elida Sandoval, a retired teacher who now substitutes part-time in Derby, came decked out in full KU regalia to watch Missouri’s open practice.
“I know KU and Missouri are not too good of buddies, but you know what? I hope they go far, Missouri,” she said.
Probably the biggest reason for the pro-Missouri sentiment — standing 6-3 and weighing in at 205 pounds — is Missouri’s star senior guard Caleb Grills. He was born in Wichita and played his high school ball at Maize.
I caught up with him in the tunnel at the arena and he said it’s cool to be getting a home game, hopefully two, to start out his tournament.
“It’s awesome, just the support of everybody’s here,” he said. “Being able to play close to home and having everybody come to the games and come to these open practices has been special to me, just to see everybody who’s impacted my life being able to support my last go-round.”
Missouri starts its tournament run against former Wichita State rival and Missouri Valley Conference champ Drake University, at 6:35 p.m. today.
