Bespoke women's football stadiums? Why US sides are making the move

Kansas City has a strong relationship with football, which is of course commonly known as soccer in the US. FC Kansas City were a founding member of the NWSL in 2012 but folded after the 2017 season. KC Current were born in 2021 thanks to the investment of local business executives Angie and Chris Long, plus Brittany Mahomes, wife of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

They wasted no time in plotting an ambitious course for the new franchise, including the opening of CPKC Stadium in March 2024. With a capacity of 11,500, it ranks middle of the road for average attendance. But a crowd at that level would place them behind only Arsenal's average in the Women's Super League (WSL) and, unlike with most stadiums in the UK, games in Kansas are always sell-outs.

"Our job is to create the best home advantage and make sure every seat is filled," explains KC Current president Raven Jemison. "That is so our opponents feel it's going to be very hard to play here. " But how does a bespoke stadium help Kansas achieve that?

"For so long, we talked about women's sports as nice to have, but now we want to talk about these amazing athletes," says Jemison. "Our business perspective is to invest in infrastructure and put a great product on the pitch. Give these world-class athletes a home they deserve.