<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754593787576.jpeg" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
                    </figure><div><p><em>Wichita State Athletics</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Wichita has been named&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitwichita.com/articles/post/wichita-named-best-sports-event-host-city/" target="_self" data-sv-linklookup-id="https://www.visitwichita.com/articles/post/wichita-named-best-sports-event-host-city/" data-sv-linklookup-type="plugins_nav_external_link" data-sv-targetauto="true"><strong>Best Sports-Event Host City</strong></a>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<strong>2025 SportsTravel Awards</strong>, a national recognition from&nbsp;<em>SportsTravel</em>&nbsp;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.<br /><br />Selected by vote from a field of six finalists &ndash; Atlanta, Boise, Charlotte, Des Moines, Milwaukee and Wichita &ndash; 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&nbsp;<em><strong>$61 million in economic impact</strong></em>, powered by world-class facilities such as<a href="https://www.visitwichita.com/listing/intrust-bank-arena/26554/" target="_self" data-sv-linklookup-id="26554" data-sv-linklookup-type="plugins_listings_listing" data-sv-targetauto="true">&nbsp;INTRUST Bank Arena</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitwichita.com/listing/scheels-stryker-sports-complex/32070/" target="_self" data-sv-linklookup-id="32070" data-sv-linklookup-type="plugins_listings_listing" data-sv-targetauto="true">SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex</a>, Wichita State's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitwichita.com/listing/charles-koch-arena-wichita-state-university/26174/" target="_self" data-sv-linklookup-id="26174" data-sv-linklookup-type="plugins_listings_listing" data-sv-targetauto="true">Charles Koch Arena</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.visitwichita.com/listing/wilkins-stadium-wichita-state-university/32324/" target="_self" data-sv-linklookup-id="32324" data-sv-linklookup-type="plugins_listings_listing" data-sv-targetauto="true">Wilkins Stadium</a>&nbsp;and more.</p>
<div>
<div data-civid="68efd5b6c36311ddb918e66f" data-gtm-vars="{ &quot;tCore&quot; : { &quot;contentNum&quot; : &quot;4&quot; } }" data-sv-index="25" data-sv-time="56">
<section data-guid="c58f42b3-d41b-41ab-ab37-2717ae942be7" data-sv-core-textbox="">
<h3><strong>Sporting events hosted in 2025</strong><br />(June 30, 2024 - July 1, 2025)&nbsp;</h3>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships (first-ever in Kansas), resulting in Visit Wichita being awarded the<strong>&nbsp;Sports ETA 2025 Event Marketing Campaign of the Year</strong></li>
<li>NCAA Men's Basketball Division I Championships - First &amp; Second Rounds</li>
<li>Athletes Unlimited Softball (AUX &amp; Championship seasons)</li>
<li>NAIA Men's &amp; Women's Wrestling National Championships&nbsp;</li>
<li>Professional Fighters League (PFL 6)</li>
<li>The Basketball Tournament (TBT) - Wichita Regional, Semifinals &amp; Championship</li>
<li>AJGA Wichita Junior Championship</li>
<li>US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup</li>
<li>USA Lacrosse WCLA Championships</li>
<li>NJCAA &amp; NAIA Men's &amp; Women's Soccer National Championships</li>
<li>Other impactful events held in Wichita supported by Visit Wichita included Wichita Open, National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series,&nbsp;Prairie Fire Marathon and&nbsp;Mid America Youth Basketball&nbsp;(MAYB) Tournaments</li>
</ul>
</section>
</div>
<div data-civid="68efd5b6c36311ddb918e671" data-gtm-vars="{ &quot;tCore&quot; : { &quot;contentNum&quot; : &quot;5&quot; } }" data-sv-index="26" data-sv-time="56">
<section data-guid="eafb57da-c04b-4afa-b4d3-b87ed83e4c9b" data-sv-core-textbox="">
<h3><strong>Sporting events coming in 2026 and beyond:</strong></h3>
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>NAIA Men's &amp; Women's National Wrestling Championships (March)</li>
<li>Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) Championships (March)</li>
<li>Banana Ball | Firefighters vs. Coconuts (May)</li>
<li>Prairie Fire Marathon Spring &amp; Fall Races (May &amp; Oct. 2026)</li>
<li>US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup (July 2026, 2027 &amp; 2028)</li>
<li>National Baseball Congress World Series (July 2026)</li>
<li>MAYB Boys Nationals (July)</li>
<li>NJCAA DI Men's Soccer National Championships (November)</li>
<li>More to be announced soon!</li>
</ul>
</section>
</div>
</div></div>

Wichita named Best Sports-Event Host City