WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Wichita is feeding off the success of the men's tournament hosted here in 2018. That tournament brought the city $9 million, according to the Center for Economic Development and Business Research at Wichita State University.  Brad Pittman, the senior associate athletic d irector for WSU, said the NCAA returns because of the trust in the people organizing the event.  "It's working with what you have," Pittman said. "The amount of time Wichita's local organizations invest is what makes Wichita a perfect destination for the NCAA Tournament." WPD ensures safety at arena with drones, SWAT, K9s "You can't control the size of the city, you can't control how many planes fly in and out of your city, how many hotels you have, but you can control how you treat people and the work and effort you put in," Pittman said. Compliments from the NCAA board, paired with events set up around the arena so that fans have a good time, make Wichita attractive.  On top of it all, Intrust Bank Arena, opening its doors in 2010, helped to fit the business model of what the NCAA now looks for in a host.  "This event is not here without Intrust Bank Arena. You look at the events and facilities they go to these days. They're all fairly modern, new venues that are 15,000-plus-seat arenas that have the space backstage," Pittman said. Pittman said the memories created for fans and the dollars generated for Wichita make all the planning worth it.  Kids hunt for autographs at NCAA Tournament practice, enjoy open practice "That's what makes it special. Those moments, the last time we did this, Jordon Poole nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send Michigan to the Sweet Sixteen. You see the jubilation on the Michigan side and the heartbreak on the Houston side, and that honestly optimizes what this tournament is all about," said Pittman.  Pittman said they did bid on having the tournament return in 2027 but knew going into it that it was a longshot, being so close to the current tournament bid they won.  The bid cycle will open in the fall to host the event for the 2029-2030 season. They plan to build on how things went this time and use that information in their next bid.  ...read more read less