Friday, March 9, 2012

Remember when: Big 6 Holiday Tournament

Long before postseason college hoops tournaments became the cash cows they are now for the various collegiate leagues was the Big Six holiday basketball tournament, held at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

The conference holiday tournament started in December 1946.  At the beginning, it was a six team tournament held over three days, then grew as the league expanded over the years.  As a kid growing up, the tournament helped fill the void between Christmas and New Year.  What was even better was the access provided by the tournament--players and coaches would stay at the Muehlebach Hotel and then walk through the hotel's and auditorium's underground garage to get to the games in Municipal.  Many was the time I walked in alongside one of my idols from the Kansas Jayhawks, or perhaps next to one of those rivals from Kansas State or Missouri.

Not surprisingly, as the league expanded, coaches from teams other than Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri grew less fond of the collegial setting in Kansas City--they were keenly aware of the fan base advantage of the three local schools.  And, the three local schools not only had fans in Kansas City, they also typically boasted good teams.

There were 33 holiday tournaments and 27 of those titles were won by the three local schools.  There was only one year where KU, KSU or MU didn't play in the championship game--in 1969 Oklahoma beat Colorado for the title.  Ted Owens, former head coach of Kansas, won eight holiday tournament titles; Norm Stewart of Missouri won five; and Tex Winter, of KSU, won four.

In 1977 the Big Eight started a postseason tournament which was the beginning of the end for the holiday tourney.  Coaches didn't like the possibility of playing each other four times in a given year and thus the 1978 tournament became the last holiday event for the league.

This week, with the various activities going on in downtown Kansas City, I am reminded of those holiday tournaments and how the city came alive with the teams and fans who made K.C.  home over those three days.

(Source:  Tournament Town Kansas City, by Blair Kerkhoff)

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