Wichita to Host 2026 and 2027 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament

The NCAA has announced that the 2026 and 2027 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals and finals will be in Wichita, Kansas, at Charles Koch Arena on the Wichita State University campus.

This will be the first year that Wichita will host the final WBIT games. The city most recently hosted women’s basketball tournament games when it was the site for a March Madness regional in 2022.

“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.”

The 2026 semifinals will take place on March 30, with the championship on April 1. The 2027 semis will be on March 29, with the title game on March 31.

“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.”

This will be the third year of the WBIT, with Minnesota taking home the WBIT trophy in 2025 and Illinois winning in 2024.

“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.”