At sporting events, there can be noise … and there can be noise. You know the distinction. It’s when one player, or team, gets a special sound, the recognition that while in theory amongst equals, there is one that resonates just that bit more.

One of those moments came in Indianapolis ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game, as basketball fans roared for each of the All-Stars as they were announced, several of them modern legends of the game. But when Indiana Fever hometown star Caitlin Clark was introduced, even if she missed out on the game because of injury, the noise was just … different.

 Clark is one of most well-known athlete in the United States today — male or female — and her stardom transcends basketball. Since she was drafted by Indiana, the team’s home attendance has more than doubled. Visit Indy’s web page on the Fever has seen a 500% increase year over year and its digital marketing in Iowa has shown significant upticks.

“It’s as big as we thought it would be because we thought it would be big,” said Leonard Hoops, president and CEO of Visit Indy. “She was so popular coming out of college and we were just hoping we’d win that Ping-Pong ball — whether it was an envelope or Ping-Pong ball or whatever. The minute we got it, I knew this would turn into a big thing for us.”

Perhaps it’s also not surprising that the success of the Fever is in Indiana, the state of Hoosiers (the movie and the team), of Final Fours and NBA Finals appearances, where a citizenry is proud to boast of its basketball heritage.

After all, as Indiana Sports Corp President Patrick Talty said: “In our neighborhood HOA covenants, one of the things that you don’t have to get approval for is to install a basketball hoop. You have to get approval for everything, to plant trees and all this other stuff — except put in a basketball hoop.”

Basketball Means More in Indiana

The perception of basketball in Indiana has changed among national outlets with the arrival of Clark last season in many ways, large and small — small screen, that is.

“I’m so used after 14 years of being in Indianapolis to checking ESPN after a Pacers game, seeing that the Pacers beat the Knicks 108-96 and seeing four of the five highlights are Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns and one highlight of the Pacers,” Hoops said. “With Caitlin and the Fever, the Fever might lose to the (New York) Liberty and three of the highlights are Caitlin (assists) and Caitlin 3’s.”

Indianapolis has said it wants to be one of the women’s sports capitals of the world by 2050 and Clark’s presence in town, Talty said, has made leaders in the community try to accelerate that benchmark. Throughout the city on All-Star Weekend, there was plenty of basketball but notably it was entirely WNBA-related with barely any Pacers blue and gold noticed around downtown.

More than a dozen temporary art installations popped up across downtown, showcasing local female artists. Monument Square, Indy’s central gathering space, became a fan hub featuring “W” sculptures, floral displays, custom sneaker stations and more. As part of Indiana Black Expo, a “Court Vision” Exhibit inside the convention center featured over 30 artists spotlighting women and girls. There was also All-Star Bounce through downtown the morning of the All-Star Game, as 2,500 youths 18 and under dribbled along a half-mile, non-competitive route.

The Indianapolis area does not just turn out for women’s basketball for one weekend per summer. One of the city’s more beloved athletes who remains active in the community is Tamika Catchings, who played her entire 15-year WNBA career with the Fever and led the franchise to its only WNBA championship in 2012. Catchings was prominent throughout the weekend attending a breast tissue donation event and at a popular stop around town during All-Star Weekend, Tea’s Me Café, which has teas available for purchase at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The city’s love for basketball and special events extends to some of its historic landmarks. Since 1902, St. Elmo’s restaurant has had one appetizer on its menu — its famous shrimp cocktail, deemed one of the world’s spiciest dishes by Travel Channel. On All-Star Weekend, the waiters were in red and yellow bowties and even the menus had special Fever branding.

A State of Major Sporting Events

Indianapolis is known for basketball and many other things in the sports world — not just the NFL’s Colts, but best for Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 on Memorial Day Weekend, an event first held in 1911 that this year drew nearly 350,000 fans.

The newly renovated $60.5 million museum at the track (a much shorter ride from downtown than one would expect) allows visitors to learn the history of the track and Indy’s racing lore, with cars all eras and areas representing the track’s ties to NASCAR and Formula 1. Those who book a “Kiss the Bricks” tour get a narrated, 30-minute bus tour that features one lap around the famous 2.5-mile oval with a stop at the start/finish line and the chance to kiss the historic yard of bricks (SportsTravel can attest that kissing the bricks tastes … like kissing a brick).

One of the other visible things throughout the city is not only its sporting heritage, but its building boom. Indianapolis has $1.6 billion invested in hotels over the next three years and within the next five years overall will have an additional 1,500 rooms, highlighted by a Shinola Hotel and a Signia by Hilton that, once it opens in 2026, will bring the total number of rooms connected via skywalks to 5,100, the most in the country.

The region is promoting the number of hotels with the goal of getting more international sports business. And one of the things that has given Indianapolis massive international sports exposure was when it hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials — Swimming at Lucas Oil Stadium, the first time the Trials were held at an NFL stadium. Over 17 sessions, the stadium saw an average of 16,000 fans per session, maxing at 22,209 on June 19 for the largest swim meet ever held. USA Swimming recently announced it will return to Indianapolis for the Trials in 2028.

“I was in Paris for the Olympics and we came across someone from Team GB and someone from Team Canada who said, ‘Oh my God, we saw what you did, now that’s changed how we have to think about our swimming trials,’” Talty said. “We never set out to think that way. We wanted to have an impactful event and have media attention here in the States — and it definitely paid off in spades.”

Between the big attendance numbers and unique visuals — Hoops remembers walking into the stadium “and the way it was lit, it took my breath away” — it also assuredly made other cities with NFL domed stadiums think about how they could position themselves for four years down the road, leading Indianapolis executives to work fast to ensure its return.

“We definitely felt like we earned the right to host the event again,” Talty said. “When you do something so transformational to a sport, we learned so much, too. So we were like, we have to do this again to implement all these learnings and make it even more grand and better and more effective. We also wanted to be a part of the domestic Games. That was extremely important to Leonard and I that part of LA28 runs through Indy.”

There was one more thing to coordinate, however. Because swimming will be held at the back end of the 2028 Games instead of the front part of the schedule, the Trials will be held in a different time period in 2028 than in 2024. So while Visit Indy and the Sports Corp had held the convention center space in anticipation of getting the Trials back, it originally was not the dates that USA Swimming now needed. Adjustments were needed and Visit Indy worked to clear multiple groups that had reserved the dates, helping them find new host cities for that summer.

“Leonard’s team had to do a ton of work to get it done,” Talty said. “Without the partnership between the Sports Corp and Visit Indy, we wouldn’t be sitting here today having (the 2028 Trials) coming back here.”

USA Swimming was on hand during the WNBA All-Star Weekend to check out the scene, as were multiple other organizations and sports commissions. From the initial touchpoint at the airport with a full WNBA basketball court and gigantic signage around the entry way,  to the billboards all around downtown spotlighting Clark and other W stars, visitors saw an example of why Indianapolis continues to bring in so many sporting events.

“People expect to see something on the JW when it’s a big event,” Talty said, referring to giant signage on the side of one of the city’s tallest buildings. “Those things were done first at one point and then that learning continued. The advantage that we have here in Indy is two things. One, we have so many of these big events that come on a somewhat regular basis that you have continuity of people who have the experience and can share that experience and bring on new leadership and people into the system and learn. The other piece of that is we, as a sports commission, are lucky enough that we can have a standing staff that helps execute these events. We have full-time professionals that are event operators that help put on those events again and again and again.”

The United States Golf Association has announced that Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York, will host the 92nd U.S. Women’s Open in 2037, the first women’s major championship golf to take place at the club which has previously hosted seven men’s professional major championships.

Founded in 1901, Oak Hill has previously hosted three U.S. Opens, as well as three additional USGA championships and the 1995 Ryder Cup. The club will welcome the 2027 U.S. Amateur Championship, marking its third time as host of the country’s oldest amateur competition.

“Major championship golf is in the DNA of Oak Hill and we are thrilled to bring the U.S. Women’s Open to the club for the first time,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA chief championships officer. “Oak Hill has long been a proven stage for some of golf’s biggest moments and we are proud to add the U.S. Women’s Open to its storied history. We are certain the local community and fans across the world will embrace the worthy test it will provide for the game’s best players.”

The 2037 U.S. Women’s Open will be the seventh held in the state of New York. The Empire State will also host the 2036 U.S. Women’s Open as part of a back-to-back with the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. The last U.S. Women’s Open in New York was held in 2013 at Sebonak Golf Club in Southampton.

“Hosting the U.S. Women’s Open for the first time is a proud and historic moment for Oak Hill,” said Ron Billitier, president of Oak Hill. “Major championships are part of our pedigree, and we cannot wait to welcome the world’s best to compete at our club. For more than 75 years, golfers from around the globe have been tested by the challenge of Oak Hill, and we look forward to sharing that experience once again with both players and fans.”

Oak Hill has been associated with some of the greatest champions in U.S. Open history. With his victory in 1989, Curtis Strange became the first player to win back-to-back U.S. Opens since Ben Hogan (1950–1951). Cary Middlecoff won his second U.S. Open in 1956 and Lee Trevino captured the first of his two U.S. Open victories in 1968. Miller Barber won the second of his record three U.S. Senior Open titles in 1984.

When most people think of women’s baseball, what comes to mind is the film A League of Their Own, the 1992 box office hit which tells an interpretative version of real-life events surrounding the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which existed from 1943–1954, with Geena Davis, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell and others playing the parts of key players on the Rockford Peaches.

That movie put Rockford, Illinois, firmly on the map as the home of women’s baseball past. Now, the community is working toward making the destination the present and future of the sport.

Dr. Kat D. Williams, chief executive officer of the International Women’s Baseball Center, has a dream for Rockford. She wants it to be the Cooperstown of women’s and girls’ baseball.

“There’s a home for men’s professional baseball in Cooperstown,” said Williams. “There’s a home for Little League in Williamsport. And there is no home for girls and women’s baseball. We have established that in Rockford and we’re now attempting to build an actual physical facility.”

World Cup Action Coming to Rockford

Williams’ dream has three phases: renovate Beyer Stadium (home of the Peaches), build an activity/recreation center and erect the first museum dedicated to women’s and girls’ baseball.

The price tags for this vision aren’t cheap, but Williams has the passion and enthusiasm to push this agenda forward. And she has a little bit of timing on her side. The World Baseball Softball Confederation recently selected Rockford to host the 2026 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage.

“Internationally, girls’ and women’s baseball is extremely popular,” Williams said. “And the home for it is in Rockford, so we are trying to build on that. To have the World Cup stage come to the home of the Rockford Peaches is some of the most amazing symmetry I can even imagine.”

Rockford will host the Group Stage competition from July 22–26. Williams and GoRockford have bid to host the actual World Cup competition in 2027 and are awaiting word on that bid.

“This is the best pure baseball people are going to see,” Williams said. “We need to put people in the stands. We need to make sure people understand the significance of this. Most people don’t even know there is such a thing as a Women’s Baseball World Cup. But there is and it’s only been in the U.S. one other time. We need to show that we can do it better.”

John Groh, president and chief executive officer of GoRockford, has his focus on which events he can help bring to the city to further its reputation as a host.

“Our community has sports in our DNA, especially competitive amateur sports and what we’ve built over the last couple of decades with soccer and softball,” Groh said. “From a destination marketing perspective, we’re adding another pillar to our product lineup and really leaning into women’s baseball. That opens us up to a whole new multi–generational market.”

This first phase of Williams’ dream — to renovate and update Beyer Stadium, where the Peaches played for 11 years — is underway. The updates include new bathrooms, the installation of an outfield fence, lighting and an overhaul of the playing surface.

The World Cup Games will not be played at Beyer, but instead at Rivets Stadium, home of the Rockford Rivets of the Northwoods League collegiate circuit. Beyer Stadium will be used during the World Cup for ceremonial purposes, as well as practice and potentially exhibition games for some of the international teams that arrive in Rockford early.

“We are in good shape to get phase one finished and we will then turn our attention full force to phases two and three, which is the biggest haul,” Williams said.

A Museum of Their Own

Across the street from Beyer Stadium is where the International Women’s Baseball Center facility will be built. The venue is “first and foremost for the community in which Beyer resides, which is an underserved community,” Williams said. “So we are attempting to build a home for girls and women in baseball, but we’re also building a community center in a neighborhood that desperately needs it.”

“People already make a pilgrimage to Beyer Field where the Peaches played,” Groh added. “This larger vision for an international center, a hall of fame and an activity center for neighborhood youth, honors the legacy of the Rockford Peaches and the women who played in the 1940s and 50s.”

The overall project has a price tag of around $20 million, with the bulk of that going toward the community center and museum. The City of Rockford has committed $300,000 each year for the next five years and Illinois Senator Steven Stadelman has committed $400,000. Major League Baseball has contributed $250,000.

But fundraising efforts are still ongoing and needed.

“The IWBC is a non-profit that’s only 10 years old and until I was hired as CEO two years ago, everything we did was volunteer,” Williams said. “We have come a long way in our 10 years. And now we’re in a position where I think with the World Cup, getting Beyer renovated and the other things that we’re bringing in, that’s going to go a long way in fundraising.”

For the city of Rockford, the attention that women’s baseball continues to bring to the area is welcomed from a tourism standpoint.

“We see people who come here for soccer or volleyball or wrestling and they do come back,” Groh said. “And we think it will be the same way during the World Cup Group Stage and we hope to host the World Cup in 2027 and further build upon our commitment to women’s baseball. Sports tourism has been a way that we’re able to differentiate and improve our community in multiple ways.”

It would be hard to find anybody more dedicated to, or passionate about, women’s baseball than Williams. She is aware that hosting World Cup games is a full circle moment for the IWBC and Rockford and imagines what it will be like for Japan’s Ayami Sato — one of the best female baseball players ever — to step on the field at Beyer Stadium where the Peaches played.

But Williams makes sure the vision remains on the overall project, not just the play on the field.

“We are very careful not to focus only on the Peaches or the All American Girls Professional Baseball League, because women have been a part of baseball since baseball’s inception,” Williams explained. “But that league and the Rockford Peaches — if people know anything about women’s baseball, that’s what they know. And we are very aware of that. But we also don’t want to stop there because women did not start playing baseball in 1943 and we did not stop in 1954 when that league ended.

“With the help of GoRockford, the city government and Rockford University, we all have the opportunity to prove that we are up to this task of creating something special for women’s baseball.”

The Women’s National Basketball Association has announced Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia will receive expansion teams, bringing the league’s total to 18 teams.

The three new teams join the league’s 15 existing teams, including the Golden State Valkyries, who tipped off in May 2025, as well as the previously announced expansion markets in Toronto and Portland that will be active in 2026. Cleveland will begin play in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia the season after, assuming they get approval from the NBA and WNBA Board of Governors.

Both Cleveland and Detroit had WNBA teams in the past and Philadelphia was the home for an ABL team.  The Cleveland and Detroit ownership groups said the Rockers and Shock — the names of the previous teams — would be considered but they’d do their due diligence before deciding on what the franchises will be called. The Detroit and Cleveland teams will play at the NBA arenas that currently exist, while Philadelphia is planning on a new building that will be completed hopefully by 2030.

“The demand for women’s basketball has never been higher and we are thrilled to welcome Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia to the WNBA family,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “This historic expansion is a powerful reflection of our league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talent across the game, and the surging demand for investment in women’s professional basketball.”

The ownership groups for the new franchises include Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, and Philadelphia 76ers owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, in addition to Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment investors David Adelman and Brian Roberts in Philadelphia. Each paid a $250 million expansion fee, which is about five times as much as Golden State dished out for a team a few years ago.

The new WNBA team in Cleveland will be owned and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, the entity that houses REG Chairman Gilbert’s sports and entertainment properties. The WNBA previously had a team in Cleveland, the Rockers, from 1997 to 2003.

“The WNBA’s return to Cleveland marks a pivotal moment for women’s sports. Years from now, we will reflect on this day as a truly monumental point in Cleveland sports history,” said Gilbert. “The passion, support and continued commitment of our fans and community for our professional sports teams played an essential role in making this possible.”

Gores is owner of the Pistons and chairman and chief executive officer of global investment firm Platinum Equity. The WNBA is also making its return to Detroit, where the Shock played from 1998–2009, winning three championships (2003, 2006, 2008), ranking in the top five in attendance for five consecutive seasons. Detroit sports stars Grant Hill, Chris Webber and Jared Goff will have minority ownership stakes in the team.

“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” said Gores. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”

The Philadelphia WNBA team will be owned and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the New Jersey Devils, the Prudential Center and Unrivaled Sports.

“Philadelphia is one of the most storied basketball cities in the world and our region is home to some of the best women’s players and coaches to ever grace the hardwood. It’s only right that this city gets the WNBA team it deserves, and we’re humbled to help usher in a new era of Philadelphia basketball,” said Harris.

Engelbert said she was impressed with the number of cities that bid for expansion teams, a list that included St. Louis, Kansas City, Austin, Nashville, Miami, Denver; Charlotte and Houston.

The WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee has announced a statewide scavenger hunt across Indiana leading to the mid-July event at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Fans can sign up at allstarhunt2025.com to get early access to clues, one hour before they go public on the date designated for a city.  Clues will be released via email and on Pacers Sports & Entertainment’s social media and whoever is the first to arrive at the correct location with the right answer will receive two tickets for either the 3 Point Contest and Skills Challenge on July 18 or the All-Star Game on July 19.

“As part of this summer’s red-hot celebration for WNBA All-Star, the All-Star Scavenger Hunt will engage Hoosiers from around the state and tap their knowledge of our state’s rich history of women’s basketball,” said Mel Raines, WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee founding chair and Pacers Sports & Entertainment chief executive officer. “WNBA All-Star Weekend is about so much more than what happens on the court and this scavenger hunt will showcase legendary Indiana basketball moments while sparking some interactive fun along the way.”

The National Women’s Soccer League has announced PayPal Park in San Jose, California — home of NWSL’s Bay FC and the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer — as the site of the 2025 NWSL Championship.

The game will be played November 22 and include a variety of events including the return of Fan Fest and the 2025 NWSL Skills Challenge.

“We’re thrilled to bring the NWSL Championship back to the West Coast and to a region with as rich a history in women’s soccer as the Bay Area,” said NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman. “This community’s passion for the game, combined with the excitement surrounding one of our newest teams in Bay FC, makes it the perfect setting to celebrate the league’s top talent and crown our next champion. We are grateful to our partners at Bay FC, the San Jose Earthquakes, the San Jose Sports Authority and the Bay Area Host Committee for their commitment and collaboration in bringing this event to life.”

The Bay Area is no stranger to elite women’s soccer, producing stars like Julie Foudy, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, and Bay FC’s Founding Four — Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton and Aly Wagner.

“The history of women’s soccer runs deeply and strongly in the Bay Area,” said Chastain, Bay FC Co–Founder and USWNT Alum. “From the roster of the national team players born and raised here to the first-ever professional domestic league champions coming from here, our community’s fabric is woven with the greatest the game has to offer. We are thrilled to host the next set of champions in the NWSL final in the place women’s soccer calls home.”

Tickets for the 2025 NWSL Championship will be available for purchase in August. Fans can enter the Google Pixel Superfan Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip for two to the NWSL Championship and a Google Pixel prize package.

Unrivaled Sports will host its inaugural Unrivaled Flag High School Girls’ Nationals June 14–15 at ForeverLawn Park, adjacent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

The event is a first-of-its-kind invitational that will feature two competitive divisions and capitalizes on the growth of girls’ flag football across the country.

This year’s nationals will feature the 5v5 Open Division on June 14, including round-robin play, playoffs and championships. The 7v7 Division will run across both days, with championships on June 15.

The top two teams in each division will earn bids to the 2026 Youth World Championships. The event will also have off-the-field experiences and an awards ceremony for the first- and second-place teams and tournament MVP for each division.

The tournament includes high school girls’ flag football teams from Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada and New York. Each team was invited based on competitive performance and regional representation.

In 2025, 81,000 youth athletes will participate in Unrivaled Flag programming — a 25 percent increase from years prior. Unrivaled Sports hosts 39 flag tournaments and development experiences and operates 213 leagues across 21 states, with flag programming active in 33 states overall.

Ashlea Klam — member of the USNFT Women’s National Team and NFL Global Flag Ambassador (Houston Texans) — will also be on the sidelines as the event ambassador.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026 will be held at the International Women’s Baseball Center in Rockford, Illinois, the first time in the state and only the second time in the United States.

Scheduled for July 22–27, 2026, the event will be played at Rivets Stadium in neighboring Loves Park, Illinois. The IWBC and WBSC will activate World Cup programming at venues across the region, including Rockford’s historic Beyer Stadium.

“This is a landmark moment for Rockford and a proud milestone for GoRockford,” said John Groh, president and chief executive officer of GoRockford. “Hosting the Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage 2026 puts our community on the global stage and reaffirms our deep commitment to advancing women’s sports. The prestige of this tournament brings powerful economic, reputational and civic benefits to our region — while honoring the legacy of the Rockford Peaches and inspiring and supporting the next generation of athletes. We’re proud to stand with the International Women’s Baseball Center in championing this historic event and can’t wait to welcome the world to Rockford.”

As the world’s only nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and advancement of women’s and girls’ baseball, IWBC collaborated with the WBSC and local and national partners — including GoRockford — on a multi-year bid process. The IWBC’s impact extends through several programs including educational symposia; celebrating cultural icons like the Rockford Peaches and the film A League of Their Own; hosting community block parties and youth clinics; and cultivating global opportunities like the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup.

The IWBC and Rockford continues the quest to build a six-acre headquarter campus adjacent to Beyer Stadium. To date, IWBC has invested $2.5 million in the south Rockford project and neighborhood.

“When the International Women’s Baseball Center came to Rockford in 2016, we promised to bring the world to this community,” said Dr. Kat Williams, IWBC chief executive officer. “The IWBC is excited to partner with GoRockford, the City of Rockford, Rockford University, Rockford Park District and the Rockford Rivets to host the very best of women’s baseball next summer.”

The WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup is the most prestigious women’s baseball event in the world. A two-stage program over consecutive years, the 10th edition of the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup concludes in the summer of 2027 with the six-team finals of which IWBC and Rockford remain a finalist to host.

“We are delighted to take the Women’s Baseball World Cup back to the United States,” said WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari. “The 2018 edition at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida, attracted unprecedented attention and helped players and younger fans reconnect with the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. In 2026, the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup will land in Rockford, Illinois, where that legend started. It will be a memorable experience for the whole WBSC family and the international women’s baseball community.”

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.”

Buffalo, New York, and Cleveland will be the U.S. host venues for the 2025 Rivalry Series event between the U.S. and Canadian women’s hockey teams.

The four-game series staged in November and December serves as a lead up to the 2026 Olympic Winter Games for the two teams. Rocket Arena in Cleveland will host the opening game on November 6 while the KeyBank Center in Buffalo will be the site for game two on November 8.

Canada will host the final two games of the series in December 2025, with more information about those games announced in the coming months.

Now in its sixth season, the Rivalry Series was introduced by USA Hockey and Hockey Canada in the 2018–2019 season.

The 2024 version featured a five-game series, with three taking place in the U.S. and two in Canada. The Canadian team emerged victorious, taking three of the five matchups. Overall, Hockey Canada holds an 18–15 edge in Rivalry Series games.

Tickets will go on sale for the November 6 game in Cleveland on June 6 at 10 a.m. ET, while tickets for the November 8 game in Buffalo will be available to purchase on June 5 at 10 a.m. ET.

NHL Network is expected to broadcast all four games of the series live.