Wichita Named Best Sports-Event Host City

Wichita has been named Best Sports-Event Host City in the 2025 SportsTravel Awards, a national recognition from SportsTravel magazine that validates our city’s excellence in hosting and our proven ability to attract high-caliber events with seamless operations, elite venues and a community that shows up.

Selected by vote from a field of six finalists, this designation affirms what athletes, fans, rights holders and media have experienced first-hand: Wichita delivers. In the last year alone, our city welcomed 100+ sporting events from June 30, 2024, through July 1, 2025, generating an estimated $61 million in economic impact, powered by world-class facilities such as INTRUST Bank Arena, SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex, Park City Arena, Wichita State’s Charles Koch Arena and Wilkins Stadium and more.

Since January 2025, Visit Wichita has hosted and secured five major first-time national sporting events for the state of Kansas in just over a year. Those include: 

• In March 2026, Visit Wichita hosted the USA Judo Youth Nationals, marking the first time a USA Judo national championship event has ever been held in Kansas.
• Wichita was the host city of the 2026 Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) semifinals and championship game at Charles Koch Arena on the Wichita State University campus – a first for Kansas.
• Coming July 2026: USA Badminton 2026 YONEX U.S. Junior National Championships will be held in Wichita, another first for Wichita and the state.
• In January 2025, Wichita hosted the Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, marking the first time the prestigious event had ever been held in Kansas.
• Another national sporting event coming to the state for the first time to be announced April 2026.