KANSAS CITY– The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all event, announced today that Kansas City will serve as one of the regional locations for the 2025 event. JHX Hoops, a Kansas University alumni team, and Purple Reign, a Kansas State University alumni team, will host as the featured teams in the eight-team Kansas City Regional.
JHX Hoops (pronounced “Jayhawks Hoops”) will be organized by general manager and former Kansas basketball star Tyshawn Taylor and Stephanie Temple.
Purple Reign will be organized by former Kansas State basketball stars Jordan Henriquez-Roberts, D.J. Johnson, and Martavious Irving.
The 2025 Kansas City Regional will be played at Municipal Arena in the Kansas City Convention Center July 18-23. Municipal Arena is one of the most historic venues in basketball, hosting 80 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games and nine Final Fours. The arena currently plays host to the NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament, and the MIAA Men’s and Women’s Conference Tournaments.
This summer will be the first time Kansas City has hosted a TBT regional.
“We’re excited that TBT has decided to make both Kansas City and JHX Hoops a regional host,” said general manager Tyshawn Taylor. “Expanding to Kansas City allows us to interact with more KU fans, and gives them a chance to experience the excitement of TBT. We plan to assemble a great team Jayhawks fans will be eager to see this July.”
“On behalf of Purple Reign, we’re looking forward to moving to Kansas City this summer,” said general manager Jordan Henriquez-Roberts. “We loved competing in Wichita these past few years, but are eager to connect with K-State fans throughout Kansas. Our players are really excited about us coming to Kansas City, and we look forward to putting together a great team Wildcats fans will be proud of.”
“We are excited to bring TBT to Kansas City and Municipal Auditorium for the first time,” said TBT founder and CEO Jon Mugar. “Kansas and Kansas State fans have always been among the most passionate in TBT.”
JHX Hoops, formerly playing under the name Mass Street, will be entering TBT for the third consecutive summer, reaching the Round of 16 in 2023 and 2024. Last year, Frank Mason and Dedric Lawson led JHX Hoops to the Wichita Regional final, narrowly falling to Team Colorado.
Purple Reign, formerly named Purple & Black, will be entering a Kansas State alumni team into TBT for the ninth time. Last summer, a star studded team led by Jacob Pullen and Kamau Stokes fell just short to Andre Roberson and Team Colorado in the first round.
JHX Hoops and Purple Reign will make additional roster announcements in the spring via their social media pages, @JHXHoopsTBT and @PurpleReignTBT. Additional teams playing in the Kansas City Regional will be announced at a later date.
The winner of the Kansas City Regional will advance to the TBT Quarterfinals on July 29. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and the TBT $1 Million Championship will be played on Sun. Aug. 3.
For the first time, TBT will give each host team the opportunity to have home court advantage for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the $1 million championship game. Should two regional hosts face off, the tie breaker will be determined by which host sells 4,000 tickets the fastest.
Tickets for the 2025 Kansas City Regional will go on sale May 6. Fans can sign up for ticket and team notifications at tbthoops.com/tickets/notifications.