Sporting Kansas City

[rxlexi]

Big-time playoff match between Sporting and STL City incoming. Didn't see that coming at the beginning of the season.

Strange and kind of frustrating that the first game of the series is Sunday at 9 PM CST. Will it be broadcast locally or only on Apple TV/MLS Pass?

[swid]

Never underestimate MLS' ineptness in broadcast scheduling.

Sunday's game will also be on FS1/Fox Deportes.

[rxlexi]

Sunday's game will also be on FS1/Fox Deportes.

Thanks

[Imarealperson]

So it looks like KC now has one of the smallest stadiums in MLS and for that reason KC's attendance has fallen down to 19th?

https://soccerstadiumdigest.com/2023-mls-attendance/

I'm sure on many weekends KC could draw 25-30k. Besides the terrible location, isn't this another reason to build a new stadium in a better location?

Who is going to pay for it? It’ll be $400MM.

Would you prefer they play at Arrowhead just so the capacity can be larger? Atlanta, Seattle, NYCFC, Vancouver, Chicago, New England and Charlotte all use non soccer specific stadiums.

[TheSmokinPun]

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/sporting- ... 13374.html

Quindaro Ruins stuff is cool and this also feels like the team is starting to finish off it's debt obligations to the UG. I think we'll see some movement soon enough now.

[bspecht]

Sporting looks to be getting office space in 300 Wyandotte, working with Multistudio (Gould Evans). Guessing this is a front office move, which has been at 1511 Baltimore and more recently 2020 Baltimore. https://compasskc.kcmo.org/EnerGov_Prod ... 583634bf0c

[AllThingsKC]

Have the team play in Wyandotte, have your front office on Wyandotte.

[Imarealperson]

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/sporting- ... 13374.html

Quindaro Ruins stuff is cool and this also feels like the team is starting to finish off it's debt obligations to the UG. I think we'll see some movement soon enough now.

Not happening.

[TheSmokinPun]

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/sporting- ... 13374.html

Quindaro Ruins stuff is cool and this also feels like the team is starting to finish off it's debt obligations to the UG. I think we'll see some movement soon enough now.

Not happening.

Moving? It's going to really pick up momentum in even the next few months.

[Imarealperson]

From guys playing RPG SimCity on a message board?

[brewcrew1000]

Big-time playoff match between Sporting and STL City incoming. Didn't see that coming at the beginning of the season.

Strange and kind of frustrating that the first game of the series is Sunday at 9 PM CST. Will it be broadcast locally or only on Apple TV/MLS Pass?

It's just a one game playoff, no series. MLS playoffs are so weird. The first round is best of 3 series then the rest of playoffs is single elimination

[DColeKC]

It's never been a secret that Sporting wants to play in a downtown home stadium or near downtown. I think Current building their stadium really pushed back the timeline for Sporting now that there is no clear use for CMP if they leave.

[bspecht]

Sporting looks to be getting office space in 300 Wyandotte, working with Multistudio (Gould Evans). Guessing this is a front office move, which has been at 1511 Baltimore and more recently 2020 Baltimore. https://compasskc.kcmo.org/EnerGov_Prod ... 583634bf0c

10-year lease. https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/ ... roads.html

[GRID]

If sporting starts playing poorly, I think there is a good chance their attendance drops like a rock and they will quickly go to the bottom tier of attendance.

I think this is where location will hurt them, just like the Royals.

Weekday attendance, drawing from a younger more urban demographic etc will become a serious challenge, just like the Royals have.

I think even if the Royals lose 100 games in a year, they would draw substantially more than their weekday average of 11k to a downtown park (even after the new stadium honeymoon attendance boost).

[WoodDraw]

It's an interesting point. A close friend of mine texted me awhile ago asking if I wanted to split his sporting KC season tickets or he was going to drop them. I said no mainly because of the stadium location.

One thing I hope for in stadium locations is to rethink how they're used. There's no reason a royals outfield shouldn't be bars where people go and the ticket is effectively a cover.

I would go to sportingkc but I'm not going to drive out there for a club I don't care that much about. An urban stadium could have other events.

It was a big failure by sporting KC. Their culture and base is all in downtown KC.

[TheSmokinPun]

They had nowhere else to go. It was lose the team or build there.

They are trying with the cheaper U-Pass system but the fact there are fewer young people driving is really going to ultimately kill that location.

[Anthony_Hugo98]

If sporting starts playing poorly, I think there is a good chance their attendance drops like a rock and they will quickly go to the bottom tier of attendance.

I think this is where location will hurt them, just like the Royals.

Weekday attendance, drawing from a younger more urban demographic etc will become a serious challenge, just like the Royals have.

I think even if the Royals lose 100 games in a year, they would draw substantially more than their weekday average of 11k to a downtown park (even after the new stadium honeymoon attendance boost).

Averages I was able to find across the league was about 5,000 average higher for urban stadiums with some equally as poor ball teams.

[WoodDraw]

If sporting starts playing poorly, I think there is a good chance their attendance drops like a rock and they will quickly go to the bottom tier of attendance.

I think this is where location will hurt them, just like the Royals.

Weekday attendance, drawing from a younger more urban demographic etc will become a serious challenge, just like the Royals have.

I think even if the Royals lose 100 games in a year, they would draw substantially more than their weekday average of 11k to a downtown park (even after the new stadium honeymoon attendance boost).

Averages I was able to find across the league was about 5,000 average higher for urban stadiums with some equally as poor ball teams.

I think people that aren't huge soccer fans underestimate just how fun urban soccer is as well. Having two downtown stadiums and arrowhead and multiple training grounds would cement KC as a constant host.


To the earlier poster who said they had no choice, I agree and disagree. KC government was fucked then. It's all sad. But the owners had little interest in downtown at that time. The other option was banister.

If it happens today this is downtown with no questions asked. Timing is everything and sucked all around.

[Imarealperson]

If sporting starts playing poorly, I think there is a good chance their attendance drops like a rock and they will quickly go to the bottom tier of attendance.

I think this is where location will hurt them, just like the Royals.

Weekday attendance, drawing from a younger more urban demographic etc will become a serious challenge, just like the Royals have.

I think even if the Royals lose 100 games in a year, they would draw substantially more than their weekday average of 11k to a downtown park (even after the new stadium honeymoon attendance boost).

Averages I was able to find across the league was about 5,000 average higher for urban stadiums with some equally as poor ball teams.

Did you adjust for population?

[Imarealperson]

They had nowhere else to go. It was lose the team or build there.

They are trying with the cheaper U-Pass system but the fact there are fewer young people driving is really going to ultimately kill that location.

Fewer young people driving? Absurd. The base comes in off 435. It’s not the overweight neckbeards spilling out of tattoo parlors on Broadway.