Wichita State wins bid to host NCAA women’s basketball postseason
High-level college basketball is returning to Wichita.
It was announced Thursday morning at Mayor Lily Wu’s briefing that Wichita State has won a bid to host the championship final four of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament in 2026 and 2027.
“(The WBIT) represents the incredible growth in women’s basketball and the increasing recognition of exceptional talent and dedication of female athletes,” NCAA’s assistant women’s basketball director Jessie Carmack said at the briefing. “The WBIT has been an instrumental platform allowing programs to compete in postseason play and gain valuable experience on the national stage.”
The 32-team postseason tournament debuted in 2024 to give NCAA-funded opportunities to the best teams in the country that missed the cut for the NCAA Tournament. The WBIT, which is the equivalent to the NIT in men’s college basketball, will be played at Koch Arena on: Monday, March 30 and Wednesday, April 1, 2026, and Sunday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 31, 2027.
“We are very excited to welcome — for the first time — this tournament that showcases some of the best in women’s basketball and delivers high-energy matchups that fans won’t want to miss,” said Visit Wichita vice president of sports development Josh Howell in a statement. “In addition to the positive local economic impact and national TV exposure, this is a great competition for basketball fans in the region to experience in person.”
WSU has a long history of success hosting The Basketball Tournament annually in the summer at Koch Arena, while the venue has also recently hosted the American Athletic Conference volleyball tournament.
Visit Wichita has also helped bring the NCAA Tournament to Wichita’s Intrust Bank Arena on several occasions. Downtown Wichita first played host to March Madness in 2011 for women’s opening-round games, then hosted women’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games in 2022. Wichita also hosted opening-round men’s games in 2018 and 2025.
Officials with the NCAA said it chose Wichita because of its track record in hosting national sports competitions, and its central location.
“We are delighted to bring the WBIT to Wichita,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball, in a statement. “Since the first WBIT in 2024, the postseason event has been a tremendous success for women’s basketball programs. With women’s basketball thriving, we are eager to build on this momentum in Wichita. The Wichita community has consistently supported NCAA basketball, twice hosting successful Division I women’s basketball tournament rounds. Its central location and accessibility make it an ideal location to continue growing this event.”
Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse played host to the first two years of the WBIT, which was won by Illinois in 2024 and by Minnesota in 2025.
Tickets for the 2026 WBIT are currently on sale for single sessions and all sessions at goshockers.com.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 10:44 AM.
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