Parking price at KC Current’s new CPKC Stadium frustrates club’s loyal supporters

The Kansas City Current have provided season-ticket members a first glimpse at the parking costs for brand-new CPKC Stadium.

In short, they’re pricey.

In an email sent to those season-ticket members on Wednesday, the Current touted “the exclusive opportunity to purchase a full-season parking pass,” starting at “$50 per match + taxes and fees.”

The email also noted that, “The number of season ticket memberships exceed the number of parking passes available, so we encourage you to act fast!”

The Current open the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League season — the team’s first at CPKC Stadium — on March 16 against the Portland Thorns.

The new stadium, located along the banks of the the Missouri River, is a jewel, but those steep parking prices have angered many of the club’s ardent fans — some of whom took to social media to vent their frustration.

According to the email sent to Current season ticket members, single-match parking is not yet available for purchase. So for now, at least, fans’ only option is to buy a season-long parking pass.

For the Current’s 13-game home season-ticket package, that totals $650 plus taxes and fees. That’s nearly 3 1/2 times the cost of a single season ticket in the CPKC Stadium supporter’s section.

As a point of comparison, another Midwestern NWSL club, Racing Louisville, offers single-match parking passes via SeatGeek for $12-$22 for home games in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Current’s per-game parking price of $50 equals the cost of a Chiefs single-game parking pass at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. That’s the highest game-day parking cost for a professional sports team in Kansas City.

Next door to the Chiefs at the Truman Sports Complex, Royals parking starts at $20 when purchased online (it’s $30 at the gate).

The Current provided the following statement to The Star on Wednesday afternoon:

We have the most passionate fans in the entire NWSL. We are excited to give our Season Ticket Members the first opportunity to purchase limited parking passes available for the new downtown stadium.

We will offer very limited pre-paid single match on-site parking to Current Club members and the rest of our fans at a later date. We are thrilled to offer other solutions that align with our focus on multi-modal and sustainability for off-site parking and transportation, including park-and-ride options, ride-share, streetcar, bus, bike and shuttle services.

Our Season Ticket Members now know that they have the option to purchase season long parking passes. There will also be options for those who need ADA accessible parking, both on-site and off-site. More information about our off-site parking and transportation opportunities will be available in the coming weeks.

For the past two seasons, the Current played home games at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan. Parking for Current home games at Children’s Mercy Park in 2023 started at $20 for spots nearest the stadium. But there were free options available in Blue Lot 2.

The cost of parking for Sporting KC matches at Children’s Mercy Park is $30 for the Nebraska Furniture Mart lots and $25 for the two Blue Lots (located closest to the stadium, near the speedway).

Sporting KC’s match-day parking in the area’s Orange or White Lots, or at the Hollywood Casino lot, is free. And these free options include shuttle service directly to the stadium.

Parking is also free at Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence for KC Comets and KC Mavericks games.

Daniel Sperry covers soccer for The Star. He can be reached at sperry.danielkc@gmail.com.