UMKC Opens Home Season at Municipal Auditorium

The women's and men's basketball teams began their home schedules at the downtown venue, the first home-season opening there for the programs since 2018.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Basketball

Expressive sports illustration of a basketball player in blue and yellow driving toward the hoop under warm amber arena lights. — UMKC's men's and women's basketball teams opened their home seasons Friday at Municipal Auditorium, the first home-season opening there for both programs since 2018. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you support using city bond money to upgrade Kansas City's downtown event venues?

UMKC's women's and men's basketball teams opened their home seasons at Municipal Auditorium on Friday, the first home-season opening at the venue for both teams since 2018. Kansas City City Council members also approved plans this week for upgrades to Bartle Hall, Municipal Auditorium, and the Music Hall.

Why it matters

The upgrade plans build on a $100 million bond Kansas City voters approved in August, directing public investment into the city's downtown arena and convention facilities. The venue has long served as UMKC's home court and has hosted nine Final Fours.

Municipal Auditorium has hosted nine Final Fours, while the $100 million bond approved by Kansas City voters in August is the funding source for the planned upgrades. The extraction does not detail how the bond proceeds will be divided among Bartle Hall, Municipal Auditorium, and the Music Hall.

The players

Brandon Martin

Brandon Martin is UMKC's director of athletics, a former University of Southern California player who once hit a game-winning shot against UMKC by one point.

UMKC

The University of Missouri-Kansas City is a public university whose women's and men's basketball teams play home games at Municipal Auditorium.

The details

Upgrade plans approved by City Council include modernized arena seating, restrooms, and concessions, along with exterior work connecting the building to Barney Allis Plaza. Martin, UMKC's director of athletics, played for the University of Southern California in the 1990s and once hit a game-winning shot against UMKC by one point.

Friday: UMKC women's and men's teams open home seasons at Municipal Auditorium.
August: Kansas City voters approve the $100 million bond.
This week: City Council approves upgrade plans for Bartle Hall, Municipal Auditorium, and the Music Hall.

The Tech Race

The venue's nine Final Four hostings place Municipal Auditorium among the Midwest's longstanding collegiate basketball sites, and the $100 million bond extends that role into the next phase of its facilities. The upgrades echo the broader trend of older downtown arenas being modernized with public financing to stay competitive.

Fans planning to attend UMKC home games at Municipal Auditorium can expect the same venue as in prior seasons during the teams' home schedules. The upgrades to seating, restrooms, and concessions will affect future game-day experiences once construction is complete.

The takeaway

Public investment in older downtown venues like Municipal Auditorium can extend their useful life while preserving the sports traditions tied to them. Readers attending games can watch for seating and concession changes as the upgrades progress.