The Jayhawks held on for the win over the Horned Frogs and will now face No. 2 Houston in the Big 12 semifinal.
Kansas
Kansas senator’s property tax plan ‘doesn’t work’
A proposal centered on replacing property taxes with sales tax revenue generated from a retail surcharge was met with skepticism during a Senate committee hearing.
A public hearing for Senate Bill 488, dubbed the “Kansas Property Tax Freedom Act of 2026,” produced muddled information on the actual legislation itself after the bill’s author — Sen. Michael Murphy, R-Sylvia, conceded that his plan “as written doesn’t work.”
Murphy on March 10 pinned blame for the lack of clarity on a software program that “assumed some things that it shouldn’t have assumed” when crunching numbers related to revenue estimates.
A fiscal note estimated abolishing property taxes would eliminate about $7.9 billion in state and local tax revenue in the first full year of implementation. Meanwhile, the increased sales tax intended to offset the property tax elimination would only raise about $1.5 billion, according to Kansas Department of Revenue estimates.
Murphy, whose district includes Hutchinson, told the committee he planned to press forward in his quest to bring “meaningful” property tax relief to Kansans. He added that he has “scenarios that will work,” while declining to elaborate.
“But that’s not for right now,” he said.
With a packed Statehouse audience serving as a backdrop, Murphy’s explanation came as a surprise to committee chair Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker.
“You can’t drop a bombshell and say that ‘there’s other things that we could do without giving the committee your ideas,” Tyson said, as Murphy departed the lectern.
Under Murphy’s plan, the bill would cut property taxes by 50% in 2026 and 75% in 2027 by placing caps on mill levies. By 2028, property taxes would be fully eliminated and replaced with surcharge fees on retail purchases as established by the “Fair Share Purchase Surcharge.” The plan would ultimately need to be approved by voters via a constitutional amendment.
A flat surcharge fee of $1.60 would be applied to purchases of $20 or more. For transactions less than $20, a surcharge of 7.6% of the purchase price is assessed. An exemption carveout would apply to SNAP-eligible grocery items, prescription medications, medical devices, motor fuel, mortgage payments, utility services and K-12 tuition.
Lawmakers leave door ajar for SB 488
Lawmakers said they are still open to hearing more about Murphy’s plan if he can come up with revenue estimates related to the surcharge fees. Specifically, they need to know if the lost property tax revenue is being adequately replaced.
“The data was not there,” Tyson told The Capital-Journal, adding, “It’s a conversation we absolutely should look at.” Sen. Jeff Klemp, R-Lansing, told Murphy that his proposal is “not ready for prime time,” but appreciated the effort.
It doesn’t appear as though Murphy’s plan is viewed by lawmakers as a serious contender, as Tyson said she’s laser-focused on other tax relief packages.
- The Senate on Feb. 25 passed SCR 1616, a proposed constitutional amendment to cap appraisal growth. It is similar to a plan the Senate passed last year that was rejected by the House.
- The House on Feb. 26 passed HB 2745, a bill that would restrict local governments from spending above a cap and allow protest petitions to block higher taxes. It is somewhat similar to a plan the House passed last year that stalled in the Senate.
Kansas lawmakers from both parties used the promise of property tax relief as a primary campaign platform during the 2024 election cycle, but continue to come up empty on the pledge.
Tyson is now sounding the alarm.
“We need to get those passed into legislation,” Tyson said of SCR 1616 and HB 2745. “If we don’t, we will go home another year, and property taxpayers in Kansas will not see relief.”
Lawmakers, stakeholders debate Murphy’s proposal
David Trabert, CEO of the Kansas Policy Institute, provided neutral testimony while also dismissing the legislation as beyond repairable this session. Trabert asserted that the data used to determine the surcharge fees doesn’t exist.
“You need to know how many transactions take place in order to back into those numbers,” he said. “And the Department of Revenue doesn’t have it.”
Trabert also discussed an aspect of the bill involving the distribution of revenue derived from the surcharge fees. According to Murphy’s blueprint, 48% would be earmarked for school districts, and 35% would go to local taxing entities.
Trabert contended that the distribution is problematic because it’s greater than what school districts are currently receiving by around 3%, while cities and counties would be receiving a drastically reduced slice of the revenue pie.
“The distribution to cities and counties of 35% is 20 points below what they’re actually getting,” he said. “So you would be dramatically underfunding city government.”
Trabert also noted that the bill would force lawmakers to devise a “completely new school finance system because property tax is baked into it.”
Sen. Tim Shallenburger, R-Baxter Springs, suggested that the surcharge fees needed to be “a little fairer.”
“It seems to be higher on the smaller purchases, so we could probably put another tier in there,” he said. “But I think people prefer sales tax to property tax.”
Rep. Adam Smith, R-Weskan, said he’s studied the plan, and all roads lead to “the math.”
“Is the surcharge adequate to replace the local property tax revenue?” asked Smith, who chairs the House tax committee. “And if it only brings in half of what we need, what does that mean for cities, schools, and local entities that rely on property tax?”
Former Republican Rep. Carrie Barth testified in support of SB 488, saying “people are being taxed out of their homes.” Property tax, Barth said, is the top issue in a state “that is not very affordable — for both businesses, as well as people who own homes and property.”
Tyson postponed a corresponding hearing for SCR 1621, which could have set the stage for a constitutional amendment prohibiting state and local taxing entities from levying property taxes.
Matt Resnick can be reached at mattres2121@gmail.com.
The men’s NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed Sunday evening setting up every college basketball fan’s favorite week of the year.
Among the many first-round matchups, Kansas will take on California Baptist in the Round of 64.
The two teams are scheduled to face off in San Diego on Friday, March 20.
Shop Kansas basketball tickets
Kansas was given a No. 4 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while Cal Baptist earned a 13 seed.
Kansas is back in the big dance after last qualifying in 2025, while Cal Baptist is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Here is everything you need to know in order to buy Kansas vs. California Baptist March Madness basketball tickets.
Kansas vs. Cal Baptist March Madness location
Kansas earned a No. 4 seed in the East regional. It will take on No. 13 Cal Baptist in its opening game in San Diego.
Kansas vs. California Baptist March Madness basketball tickets
Limited Kansas vs. Cal Baptist NCAA Tournament tickets are still available. Shop your Kansas vs. Cal Baptist tickets now, or consider a full weekend pass in San Diego, with access to all the games across three days.
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Kansas March Madness schedule
Kansas will take on No. 13 Cal Baptist on Friday, March 20. Shop Kansas vs. Cal Baptist tickets now.
More March Madness: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament
Kansas March Madness future opponents
Kansas will play its Round of 64 and potential Round of 32 games in San Diego . A Round of 32 matchup would see the winner of Kansas vs. Cal Baptist take on the winner of No. 5 St. John’s vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa.
Limited tickets for the first weekend of March Madness in San Diego are available. Shop San Diego NCAA Tournament tickets now.
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Kansas best NCAA Tournament result
Kansas’s best result in the NCAA Tournament: Won National Championship four times, including their last in 2022.
California Baptist best NCAA Tournament result
Cal Baptist has not qualified for the Division I NCAA men’s basketball tournament before 2026.
2026 Men’s March Madness full schedule
- March 17-18: First Four
- March 19-20: First Round
- March 21-22: Second Round
- March 26-27: Sweet 16
- March 28-29: Elite 8
- April 4: Final Four
- April 6: National Championship
Where is men’s March Madness this year?
Depending on the round, the 2026 March Madness has different host sites. Indianapolis will once again host the Final Four and National Championship. Here’s a look at the men’s tournament locations:
- First Four : UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio
- First & Second Rounds : Buffalo, N.Y., Greenville, S.C., Oklahoma City, Portland, Ore., Tampa, Fla., Philadelphia, San Diego and St. Louis.
- Sweet 16 & Elite 8 : Houston, San Jose, Calif., Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
- Final Four & National Championship : Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
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MESA, Ariz. — Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers homered in all three of his three plate appearances in a spring training game Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.
Langeliers was subbed out after five innings. By then he’d hit three solo shots as the A’s took a 5-0 lead. All three were off Royals starter Ryan Bergert.
The 28-year-old Langeliers homered to left in the first, hit one to center in the third and completed the trio with a drive to center in the fourth.
Langeliers hit a career-high 31 home runs last season for the Athletics in 123 games. He has had two three-homer games in the regular season — on April 9, 2024, at Texas and on Aug. 5, 2025, at Washington.
Kansas
Big 12 basketball tournament updates, scores, results: Arizona, Houston, Kansas roll into semis
With just days left until Selection Sunday and March Madness, it’s crunch time in conference tournaments around the country.
Arizona stands above the rest of the Big 12 after winning the regular season title and appears to be a lock for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats went 29-2 this season and the two games they dropped came in early February against Kansas and Texas Tech — two very good teams that could make March Madness runs of their own.
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That said, of all the major conference tournaments this week, this one feels the most wide open. Beyond Arizona, Kansas and Texas Tech, perennial contender Houston has another stacked team. The Cougars went 26-5 and have repeatedly looked capable of making another Final Four run under Kelvin Sampson. No. 7-ranked Iowa State should be in the mix as well.
[Enter Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem now for your shot at $50K]
Who will hoist the trophy in Kansas City? Follow along below for scores, highlights, bracketology and more (scroll for live updates).
Big 12 men’s basketball tournament
When: March 10-14
Where: T-Mobile Center | Kansas City, Missouri
TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+
Big 12 tournament bracket, scores
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Big 12 Thursday schedule, results (all times ET)
Thursday, March 12 — Quarterfinals
Game 9 | Iowa State 75, Texas Tech 53
Game 10 | Arizona 81, UCF 59
Game 11 | Houston 73, BYU 66
Game 12 | Kansas 78, TCU 73
Friday, March 13 — Semifinals
Game 13 | No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 1 Arizona | 7 p.m. | ESPN/2 Yahoo Sports Staff
Yahoo Sports Staff
Darryn Peterson now has 20 points and the Jayhawks are up 5 but it’s anyone’s ballgame as we hit the 4-minute mark.
Who will be meeting No. 2 Houston in the Big 12 tourney semifinal?
Yahoo Sports Staff
We’re at the 10-minute mark and we have a good one. TCU and Kansas have traded leads all game and now the Jayhawks are back in front. The winner of this game gets No. 2 Houston in the semifinal of the Big 12 tournament.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Micah Robinson just put the Horned Frogs up 6 with this trey ball with just under 14 minutes left in the game.
Yahoo Sports Staff
We are back for the second half and the Jayhawks have re-taken the lead, at least momentarily. These teams are pretty evenly matched and this game should come down the stretch. Darryn Peterson has 10 points to lead Kansas.
Yahoo Sports Staff
There’s been a lot of ebbing and flowing in this one. The Jayhawks started off hot, then the Horned Frogs went on a run, and then the two teams traded blows for the rest of the half.
TCU will take the lead into the half after a late 3-pointer by Jayden Pierre.
Yahoo Sports Staff The Jayhawks have stopped the bleeding and are back in front as the game ticks toward halftime.
Kansas is getting help from everybody, but Darryn Peterson in particular has been lighting it up and it’s a 12-0 Jayhawks run.
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Frogs are blitzing the Jayhawks now and have a 23-16 lead after a torrid shooting streak. Kansas has hit a bit of a cold spell.
That was a 20-4 run for TCU after the poor start. Yahoo Sports Staff
The Horned Frogs are right back in this one after a 9-0 deficit to start the game. Darryn Peterson just got his first points of the game on a couple of free throws before the 10-minute mark in the first half.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Well it took over 5 minutes but the Horned Frogs are finally on the board and have made it a one-possession game with just over 13 minutes left in the first half.
Yahoo Sports Staff Yahoo Sports Staff
We are back in action in Kansas City and the Jayhawks are up 7-0 early.
These two teams have only met once this season and it ended up as a 104-100 Kansas win in late January.
Nick Bromberg
Dybantsa hit a late three for his 26th point on Thursday night. That gives the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft 93 points in three Big 12 tournament games. The previous record for Big 12 tournament scoring was held by Kevin Durant with 92. Houston moves on to face either Kansas or TCU. That game will tip off at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET.
Nick Bromberg
With Houston up six and getting a defensive rebound with just over a minute to go, BYU let the game play out. That was a bad decision. Houston got an offensive rebound and Emmanuel Sharp was fouled while driving to the lane with 33.6 points to go.
Sharp hit both his free throws. The lead is now eight. BYU is going to really regret not fouling 30 seconds earlier.
Nick Bromberg The Houston forward’s 3-pointer with 3:13 to go finally broke the scoring drought. Six points feels insurmountable for BYU.
A minute after McCarty’s basket, Kingston Flemings re-entered the game with four fouls.
Nick Bromberg
It’s the under-4 timeout with 3:50 to go … the last points of the game came with 6:35 remaining.
This has officially turned into a slog. Nick Bromberg
The freshman point guard heads to the bench as BYU cuts the lead to one. How long will Kelvin Sampson keep him out of the game?
Nick Bromberg
The Cougars haven’t made a shot from the field in over three minutes and have made just one of their last eight shots.
BYU has also turned the ball over 17 times. If Houston wasn’t shooting just 25% from the field, the lead could be double digits. Nick Bromberg
The Provo Cougars haven’t scored in the last 2:21 and are being outscored by six in the second half. However, as BYU hasn’t scored in that span, Houston has just four points.
Scoring has slowed considerably from a fun start to the second half.
Nick Bromberg
Dybantsa is 6-of-10 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line as he leads all scorers. He just picked up his second foul with 13:54 to go.
Game 14 | No. 2 Houston vs. No. 3 Kansas | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN/2
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