Big 12 to partner with Rucker Park, hopes to host exhibition games on court
The Big 12 announced Thursday it is partnering with Rucker Park to launch a series of youth clinics featuring its head basketball coaches in Harlem this summer and hopes to host exhibition games on the famed playground court in 2024.
The conference is aiming to host men’s and women’s exhibition games at Rucker Park in the summer of 2024, pending approval from the NCAA. The Big 12 will send men’s and women’s basketball coaches to New York City to lead the clinics for local sixth graders and younger this summer.
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“Rucker Park is one of the great landmarks in basketball and is a cultural icon — we are excited to be able to bring Big 12 basketball to its court,” Yormark said in a statement. “We are committed to growing the conference’s footprint in a variety of ways, and we want kids across New York City to experience Big 12 basketball first-hand.”
The conference has made the announcement in advance of Kansas State taking on Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in New York on Thursday for a spot in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats have four New York City natives on their team, led by point guard Markquis Nowell and forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
“Rucker Park is like a home away from home,” Nowell said in a statement. “Playing in that atmosphere is great. All the fans are watching you and you have to do your thing out there, so it’s a special place for me. I think this partnership between the Big 12 and Rucker Park will be beneficial to the culture — just all the little kids growing up and wanting to play there. Now, you bring all these great players from the Big 12 who are going to be pros and they get to show out in front of the fans. It’ll be special.”
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who was CEO of the Brooklyn Nets from 2005 to 2019, is partnering with NYC Parks on the program. Yormark has said he’s determined to grow his league’s footprint to become a more national conference and embrace its status as arguably the top college basketball conference in the country.
“Big 12 coaching clinics at New York City’s Rucker Park is an iconic collaboration,” said New York City mayor Eric Adams. “I’m thrilled that through this partnership, our young people will have the chance to learn from some of the best in the business, bringing Big 12 basketball right to their front door.”
Texas, the Big 12 tournament champion, and incoming conference member Houston also made the Sweet 16 in the men’s bracket and could meet in the Midwest Region final on Sunday.
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What does this mean for the Big 12?
While the Big 12’s efforts to expand into the West Coast by adding Pac-12 schools have garnered much attention since Yormark was hired last July, he’s serious about trying to make the Big 12 a truly national brand. This is a logical first step to plant a flag in New York City given his background in the market and in pro basketball. Expect to see more new ideas like this going forward. It’s worth noting Kansas City is locked in to host the Big 12 basketball tournaments through 2027. But Yormark wants to bolster the conference’s East Coast presence, and he doesn’t necessarily need to expand or relocate its tournaments to do so.
Related reading
• Kansas State’s Nae’Qwan Tomlin didn’t play high school basketball. Now he’s in the Sweet 16
• Markquis Nowell, K-State’s ‘arrow,’ is writing March magic into his NYC hoops origin story
(Photo: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
