The NCAA revealed that Charles Koch Arena on the Wichita State campus will host the 2026 and 2027 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals and finals in Wichita, Kansas. The final WBIT games will be held in Wichita for the first time this year. The most recent time Wichita held a women’s basketball tournament was in 2022, when it hosted a March Madness regional.
ESPN platforms will broadcast the WBIT semifinals and finals. The dates for the Wichita semifinals and finals are listed below:
- 2026: March 30 (semifinals), April 1 (final).
- 2027: March 29 (semifinals), March 31 (final).
“We are delighted to bring the WBIT to Wichita,” said Lynn Holzman, NCAA vice president of women’s basketball. “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.”
The WBIT is in its third year; Minnesota won the trophy in 2025, followed by Illinois in 2024.
“Visit Wichita is honored to host, in partnership with Wichita State University, the 2026 and 2027 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament, bringing even more high-level women’s sports to Wichita,” said Josh Howell, vice president of sports development at Visit Wichita. “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. 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.”
“Wichita State is excited and honored to be selected as the host of the WBIT finals in 2026 and 2027,” said Brad Pittman, Wichita State senior associate athletics director. “We strive to provide memorable championship experiences both in our city and on our campus and have had the opportunity to host many successful external events over the last few years. We are excited to showcase the city of Wichita and our campus on a national stage, and to show the rest of the country the passion for women’s basketball that exists in Wichita.”
The NCAA owns and finances the WBIT postseason tournament. The Association’s two tournaments (the 32-team WBIT and the 68-team championship) give Division I women’s basketball teams 100 postseason chances. On March 15, the 2026 WBIT tournament, pairings, and selections will be revealed.
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