Kansas City Current announce naming rights for groundbreaking new soccer stadium
The Kansas City Current announced the naming rights for their new home venue — expected to open in time for the 2024 NWSL season — at a news conference on Thursday.
The new venue will be called CPKC Stadium, named after the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway line. The Current’s stadium is a privately-funded, $117-million project that is expected to hold 11,500 seats when completed.
“We are proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership,” said Angie Long, founder and co-owner of the Current. “I feel like we say this a lot at the Current, but this changes everything. ... This historic 10-year agreement is a revolutionary investment from CPKC into women’s sports and a significant commitment to the Kansas City community.”
Long also revealed the outdoor gathering space at the entrance of the stadium will now be called “CPKC Plaza.”
“It’s a community asset and will be a public space where all Kansas Citians come together,” Long said of the plaza area. “As we open our stadium next year, the plaza will host countless community events, (including) farmers markets, 5Ks and concerts. Our plaza is a space that’s meant for all Kansas Citians.”
The CPKC Plaza will also house the “permanent location of the Kansas City Current team store,” the club said in a release.
What is CPKC?
CPKC — or Canadian Pacific Kansas City — is the new railroad that became the first and only of its kind to run a direct line between Canada and Mexico with a $31 billion merger that was announced in March of 2023.
The railroad runs through Kansas City and, per the Current’s release, stretches “approximately 20,000 route miles” and employs 20,000 railroaders.
The U.S. corporate headquarters for CPKC are located in Kansas City.
“We are incredibly proud to sponsor the Kansas City Current and support this history-making project here in the city that is at the heart of our North American rail network,” said Keith Creel, CPKC president and CEO in the Current’s release. “CPKC has been a longtime champion of women’s sports and of investing in our communities. This stadium and this partnership with the Current will build on that legacy as together we write a new chapter here in Kansas City.”
More on KC Current’s new stadium
The new venue will have plenty of special features, including panoramic views of Kansas City, the Missouri river and the Bond Bridge, plus 12 luxury suites and an ownership suite.
Notably, the stadium is the first to be constructed specifically for a women’s professional soccer team, after the Current played their home games at Children’s Mercy Park, the home venue of Sporting KC, during the 2023 season.
Still, the Current attracted large crowds throughout 2023, including a record-breaking attendance of 15,671 fans during their home finale, a victory over the Chicago Red Stars. That was the case even though the Current had already been eliminated from NWSL playoff contention, as KC thrashed the Chicago net to the tune of six goals in a win.
