Nick’s Picks | Sports, Immigration, Booze and More …

Big 12 Takes Over Downtown

It’s that time of year when workplaces start clearing out early to chase a bouncing orange ball. The Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship rolls into town this week… the first sign that March Madness is on the way.

K-State takes the court at T-Mobile Center on Tuesday. KU plays Thursday.

Outside, the party spills onto Grand Boulevard with Fan Fest, pep rallies and watch parties.  Last year’s tournament drew 150,000 fans and $34 million for the local economy, according to officials at Visit KC.

On Sunday, West Virginia was crowned the Big 12 Women’s Basketball Champions.

KC Current Kick Off a New Season

Kansas City’s powerhouse women’s soccer team opens the 2026 season on Saturday at CPKC Stadium against the Utah Royals.

The season also comes with a big World Cup twist. The team’s training complex will host the Netherlands national team this summer, forcing the KC Current to find somewhere else to practice.

The National Women’s Soccer League is also taking a four-week break to accommodate the FIFA World Cup. That means the KC Current will cease regular season play between May 31 and July 2.

“Crucial” Kansas Stadium Vote

Kansas lawmakers are teeing up what’s being called a “crucial vote” this week that could determine the fate of a proposed new Chiefs stadium in Wyandotte County.

Lawmakers need to pass a bill creating a new public sports authority that would take ownership of the $3 million domed stadium.

Chiefs’ officials say that public ownership is essential to their financing plan. Without it, nearly 45% of the project’s bond funding could be subject to federal taxes — blowing a massive hole in the stadium budget.

With the legislative session nearing its end, the clock is ticking.

While it’s hard to imagine lawmakers outright rejecting the bill, the debate will give them their first real chance to air concerns and grievances about a deal some critics have blasted as “a taxpayer giveaway” to billionaire sports owners.

ICE Prison Vote in Leavenworth

After more than a year of political and legal wrangling, Leavenworth leaders are poised to vote Tuesday on whether to allow a private prison to reopen as a federal immigrant detention center.

The former CoreCivic facility would house up to 1,100 ICE detainees. 

The prison, which closed in 2021, is located 16 miles west of KCI airport.

A Masked Agent Vote

Jackson County lawmakers are expected to make another attempt at reining in federal immigration agents operating in the county.

After weeks of delays, lawmakers could vote today on a measure penalizing law enforcement officers — including ICE agents — who conceal their faces or badge numbers.

Supporters call it a stand for transparency. The county’s own legal counsel says it may exceed local authority and set off a costly court fight with the federal government.

Single-Serve Liquor Ban?

The Kansas City Council is expected to finally vote Thursday on a single-serve liquor ban. If passed, the measure would outlaw the sale of miniature alcohol bottles and single beer cans that officials blame for street litter and rising crime problems.

But opponents have challenged the measure as discriminatory. The sales ban would only apply to targeted areas of the city, including the Prospect Avenue corridor and Independence Avenue.

Pain at the Pump

U.S. strikes on Iran are now being felt at a gas station near you.

The average price at the pump today is $2.97. That’s up 38 cents on last week, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 752 stations in Kansas City.

Kelce Countdown

Is Travis Kelce coming back for another season with the Chiefs — or calling it a career?

The 11-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer is expected to decide within days.

Kelce’s contract expires this week. He officially becomes an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday.

St. Patrick’s Day Comes Early

Kansas City’s parade season begins this weekend. Brookside marches on Saturday at 2 p.m., while North Kansas City and Belton kick things off earlier that day at 11 a.m.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas will join the Martin City St. Patrick’s Parade on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The big Kansas City parade follows next Tuesday through midtown and Westport. It starts at 11:30 a.m.

And the Oscar goes to…

Hollywood’s biggest night returns this weekend with Conan O’Brien hosting the Academy Awards.

Producers promise some big changes to Sunday night’s telecast, included an expanded “In Memoriam” segment featuring a reunion of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan to honor When Harry Met Sally director Rob Reiner.

Friday the 13th… Again?

Didn’t we just do this? For the second month in a row, the calendar is serving up a Friday the 13th. Whether you blame bad luck, superstition, or just a quirk in the calendar, the ominous date is back again — giving the superstitious another reason to avoid ladders, watch out for black cats, and maybe postpone that big decision until Saturday.

Nick Haines tracks the week’s most impactful, confusing and downright head- scratching local news stories on Week in Review, Friday nights at 7:30 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.