Welcome to the official web site of  the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. We have compiled a listing of sporting events, attractions, tournaments and facility information which we hope you will find helpful and beneficial.

We invite you to vist often for sports news and upcoming events. We also invite you to submit your ideas and comments and opinions concerning the Wichita sports scene. 

Released: November 13, 2009

Wichita, Kansas - The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announces their support for the proposal submitted by Heritage Development Group for the future use of the Kansas Coliseum Complex.

 Prairie Fire Marathon Turns Up the Heat in Wichita

Wichita, Kan. (Nov. 9, 2009) — Wichita Marathon and Via Christi leadership publically “triggered the spark” for the Prairie Fire Marathon today, unveiling the new name, look and focus of the 31st annual race, and issuing a challenge to Wichita to have 10,000 people committed to a healthier lifestyle by 10.10.10.

Formerly The Heart of Wichita Marathon, the Prairie Fire Marathon will take place on Oct. 10, 2010 (10-10-10) and have a community-wide focus aimed at turning up the heat on physical fitness in Wichita. Via Christi Health is presenting sponsor of the 2010 event.

The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission will handle the operations management of Prairie Fire Marathon. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission has a long history of organizing the area sports scene and bringing local, regional and national sporting events to the Wichita vicinity.

The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission offices will be closed on Thursday, November 26th and Friday, November 27th for Thanksgiving. We will return to our normal office hours on Monday, November 30th at 8:30 a.m.

For Immediate Release: October 29, 2009

NCAA Chooses Wichita for Basketball Tournament

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today that Wichita was selected to host first/second round games of the 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. The games will be played March 19-22, 2011 at INTRUST Bank Arena.

Wichita State University, SMG Wichita and the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission partnered on the bid.

“We are ecstatic to receive this news. This is an opportunity for our community to show the NCAA we can support a high profile event,” said Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission President/CEO, Bob Hanson. “I thank Wichita State and SMG Wichita for their cooperative efforts on this project.”

INTRUST Bank Arena General Manager, Chris Presson, greeted the news with pride and excitement.  “We are more than pleased to have received this recognition of Wichita and the INTRUST Bank Arena as worthy venues for this level of NCAA events.  I’m sure the community will welcome this news with the same level of excitement as what we are experiencing.”

INTRUST Bank Arena is a modern, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, located in the heart of downtown Wichita, opening in January 2010.

The following first- and second-round sites will host games either Saturday, March 19, and Monday, March 21 or Sunday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 22, 2011 (dates to be determined in June, 2010):  Albuquerque, New Mexico; Auburn, Alabama; Charlottesville, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; College Park, Maryland;
Columbus, Ohio; Durham, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; Salt Lake City, Utah; Spokane, Washington; Shreveport, Louisiana; Stanford, California; Storrs, Connecticut; University Park, Pennsylvania; Waco, Texas; and Wichita, Kansas.
The four selected regional sites are Dayton, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Dallas, Texas; and Spokane, Washington.

“The committee was pleased with the level of interest in our championship that we found from cities, institutions and conferences across the country,” said Jane Meyer, senior associate director of athletics at the University of Iowa and chair of the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee. “Of the 20 preliminary sites for 2011, we have 11 different conferences represented, with Wichita and Shreveport hosting for the first time.”