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March 22, 2024
Imagine a major professional sports stadium built exclusively for women. It’s hard to conceptualize when male professional athletes continue to receive greater financial funding around the world. In the United States, a 2022 NCAA study reported that Division I collegiate athletics departments spend twice as much on their men’s programs than their women’s programs. Despite these lingering disparities, the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Kansas City (KC) Current, just inaugurated a long-awaited home stadium in a significant stride toward closing the gender gap in pro sports.
On March 16, CPKC Stadium opened in Kansas City, Missouri to over 11,500 cheering fans during a game between the KC Current FC and Portland Thorns FC. The opening marks a milestone in women’s professional sports – the world’s first stadium purpose-built for a women’s professional sporting team. It cost $117 million to build and was designed to cater to the needs, aspirations and growth of women athletes with quality locker rooms and top-notch spectator amenities. The KC Current will no longer have to share their space, remove their belongings after games, dress in the parking lot or use hand-me-down equipment from the men’s league. And like most traditional men’s pro stadiums in the US, the new stadium seats over 10,000 and includes premium boxes and high end concession stands.
What sets this stadium venture apart is its financing model. Unlike the typical reliance on public subsidies seen in men’s team stadium projects, CPKC Stadium’s construction was predominantly privately funded. As USA Today sports columnist Nancy Armour recently wrote, “there has been an influx of owners, in both the NWSL and WNBA, who recognize supporting women’s sports isn’t just a noble cause. There’s serious cash to be made, but it means treating women like the professionals they are.”
The driving forces behind the project were KC Current owners Angie and Chris Long, along with famed co-owners Brittany and Patrick Mahomes. These individuals, especially Brittany Mahomes, a former soccer player herself, have advocated passionately in the media for gender parity in sports. Patrick Mahomes, who just won the Superbowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, is also helping bring added national attention. He emphasized the pure talent of the athletes and how the owners of the team wanted to construct a stadium to match the talent. As he told ESPN, “I feel like I’m at Arrowhead [Chief’s stadium]. To have it here in Kansas City as the first women’s-specific, women’s only stadium, I think it’s the start of something that will take off throughout the rest of the world.”
For the team, the new home was long overdue. Before CPKC Stadium, the club first played at Shawnee Mission District Stadium, where they shared an American football field, not their own soccer field, with three different high school teams. After that, they moved to an 850-seat college stadium, but they never had an official home of their own. At the opening there was cheering, laughing, dancing and celebration when the team visited their locker room for the first time. “I get a locker? I get a shower? Is this crazy?” said KC Current midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta.
The significance of CPKC Stadium extends beyond its physical dimensions. It represents a shift in mindset—a recognition that women’s sports deserve equal attention, respect and resources. By providing a dedicated space for women athletes to compete at the highest level, the stadium elevates the profile of women’s sports and inspires future generations of athletes to dream big and pursue their passions. During the opening game, KC Current forward Alexandra Pfeiffer, who is just 16 years old, became the youngest goal scorer in NWSL history, proving history is still being written.
The personal investment by the KC owners underscores their dedication to empowering women and was supplemented by a mere $6 million from external sources. For women athlete and fans everywhere, the stadium represents more than just a venue—it’s a symbol of progress, possibility and pride. It’s a reminder that women’s talent, dedication and passion deserve to be recognized and celebrated on equal footing with their male counterparts.
“You can’t unsee what we’ve done. And once you see it, it changes other people’s vision and other people’s expectations of what is right,” said Angie Long. “Not too many people are asking us now why those women need their own stadium.” Instead, “people can see it with their own eyes and understand.”
Header image credit: CPKC Stadium
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