There was big news in Kansas City this week about the Kansas City Women’s Soccer franchise that plays in the NWSL. The team announced plans to build an 11,000-seat stadium at Berkley Riverfront Park in Kansas City that is expected to open in 2024.
This stadium will be privately financed and will be the first soccer specific stadium for a women’s professional team in the country. It’s a great project for the city and for the franchise.
Most would think that has nothing to do with what PrepsKC covers but I think it might. In the announcement it was said other events outside of the women’s soccer franchise would take place at the venue including high school sports.
The easy jump from that statement is high school soccer. From showcase soccer events to the Missouri state championships it looks to be a fantastic place to hold big games and title games.
Here’s another thought. How about high school football championships as well?
I know it sounds crazy to hold any part of the Show-Me Bowl in the second largest city in the state but who knows maybe we should give it a try. Arrowhead has hosted the games before, but it’s been 35 years. St. Louis hosted the in The Dome at America’s Center from 1996-2015. The games have bounced between Faurot Field in Columbia, Plaster Stadium in Springfield and high schools in Jefferson City since that time.
The games at the college sites still have a too big for the event feel and while there was packed attendance at the games held in Jefferson City last year even the biggest high school stadium has the feel of just another Friday night not a state championship.
We know 50,000 and up capacity is too big and 5,000 and below is too small 11,000 to quote a famous fairy tale character is just right.
If this stadium is completed as planned, you could have a high school football showcase on the riverfront that has easy access by car and is part of the streetcar line. Hotels and restaurants are close as is other entertainment areas in and around downtown.
There are hurdles to bringing these games to a soccer stadium. The biggest is the number of games played on a natural grass surface over a two-day period when 11-man Classes 1-5 and 8-man would play. The other would be the schedule of the soccer team that currently ends a few weeks before the state championship football schedule that could change over time and be a conflict.
Whether or not this could happen is a great discussion to have. The thought of being in a professional modern stadium that could be close to capacity to watch a high school football state championship game is exciting. The fact that it is here in Kansas City is even more exciting especially since the Kansas City Metro and surrounding areas have produced 60 state champions in the 35 years since the championship games were last held.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a championship game in the town where teams win a lot of titles? Especially considering in those 35 years between 8-man and Classes 1-6 title games have been held in Tarkio, Chillicothe, Joplin, Springfield, Columbia, Maryville, St. Joseph, Jefferson City and St. Louis.
I guess we shouldn’t feel too bad here in KC, Hannibal, Kirksville and Lone Jack haven’t hosted state title games either.
