Kansas City basketball is coming to local TV.
In a press release on Thursday, the athletic department announced a new partnership with Kansas City’s NBC affiliate, KSHB 41.
This partnership includes eight basketball broadcasts and marks the first time Kansas City basketball will be broadcasted on a local station since the 2017-2018 season.
“Bringing Kansas City men’s and women’s basketball games to local TV provides elevated visibility,” Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics, Dr. Brandon Martin said in the release. “Connecting with the Kansas City community is one of our top priorities and providing increased access to our athletic programs will help us meet Roos fans where they already are.”
All games will be in the new year, during Summit League competition, with six men’s and two women’s basketball games will be broadcasted this season.
“We are thrilled to have the Kansas City Athletics and UMKC coming to 38 The Spot,” station manager and news director of KSHB and KMCI, Jeff Mulligan said in the release. “It’s no secret Kansas City loves all its sports, and for us to be able to offer several Roos basketball games on 38 The Spot, that are free and over-the-air, will provide a great opportunity for our audience to capture every amazing moment.”
Game broadcasts aren’t the only benefit the athletic department and teams are getting out of this.
KSHB and 38 The Spot will host spotlights on UMKC, a Kansas City Athletics landing page on the KSHB website, a Summit League scoreboard on Saturday evening news and commercial spots.
Basketball season begins with a women’s basketball exhibition game on Saturday at 2 p.m and the regular season begins for both teams on Nov. 4. The men’s team will be at home against Hannibal-LaGrange, while the women’s team will play Utah State on the road. Both games will tip off at 7 p.m. central time.
The local broadcasts begin on Jan. 4, 2025 with a men’s basketball game against Oral Roberts. The games continue on and off through Feb 27.
While 38 The Spot can’t be found on many streaming services, it can still be found on a few cable providers.
“It’s a wonderful time to be a Roo. Kansas City’s Division I basketball teams are on the rise,” said UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal in the release. “Watching Roos on the court is a fun and engaging experience, so we’re excited that even more of the community can watch these competitions on TV.”
Tickets for all games can be found at this link.
