Sports in Kansas City

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Kauffman Stadium
Kauffman Stadium

Kansas City sports teams presently include the following:

Club Sport Founded League Venue
Kansas City Chiefs American Football 1963 National Football League : AFC Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City Royals Baseball 1969 Major League Baseball : AL Kauffman Stadium
Kansas City Explorers Tennis 1993 World TeamTennis Barney Allis Plaza
Kansas City Wizards Football (soccer) 1996 Major League Soccer : EC Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City T-Bones Baseball 2003 Northern League CommunityAmerica Ballpark
Kansas City Brigade Arena Football 2006 Arena Football League : AC Kemper Arena/Sprint Center (2008)

Contents

[edit] Past teams

Club Sport Years of Operation League Venue Fate
Kansas City Cowboys Baseball 1886-1889 National League (1886);
American Association (1888-89)
Team Folded
Kansas City Blues Baseball 1898-1900 Western League Became the Washington Senators, now Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Blues Baseball 1902-1954 American Association (20th Century) Blues Stadium Moved to Colorado
Kansas City Monarchs Baseball 1920-1955 Negro National League (1920-1930), Negro American League (1930-1955) Blues Stadium Became full-time barnstorming team until 1965
Kansas City Blues/Cowboys American Football 1924-1926 National Football League Team Folded
Kansas City Athletics Baseball 1955-1967 Major League Baseball Municipal Stadium Moved to Oakland
Kansas City Steers Basketball 1961-1963 American Basketball League Municipal Auditorium League Folded
Kansas City Spurs Football (soccer) 1968-1970 North American Soccer League Municipal Stadium Team Folded
Kansas City Kings Basketball 1972-1985 National Basketball Association Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena Moved to Sacramento
Kansas City Scouts Ice Hockey 1974-1976 National Hockey League Kemper Arena Moved to Colorado; now the New Jersey Devils
Kansas City Comets Football (soccer) 1981-1991 Major Indoor Soccer League Kemper Arena Team Folded
Kansas City Blades Ice Hockey 1990-2001 International Hockey League Kemper Arena League Folded
Kansas City Attack/Comets Football (soccer) 1991-2005 National Professional Soccer League (1991-2001); Major Indoor Soccer League (2001-2005) Municipal Auditorium, Kemper Arena Suspended operations for 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons
Kansas City Knights Basketball 2000-2005 American Basketball Association Kemper Arena, Hale Arena Suspended operations for 2005-06 season
Kansas City Outlaws Ice Hockey 2004-2005 United Hockey League Kemper Arena Team Folded

[edit] Future teams

Sprint Center Rendering
Sprint Center Rendering

With the construction of the new Sprint Center arena, Kansas City is hoping to land an NHL and/or NBA franchise as the premier tenant for the new arena in the near future. Teams that are considering relocation include the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic.

[edit] Sporting events

  • Kansas City is often the home of the Big 12 College Basketball Tournaments. Men's Basketball is played at Kemper Arena, while women's Basketball is played at Municipal Auditorium. Lately newer arenas in Dallas and Oklahoma City have hosted the tournament.
  • Kansas City is also set to host an MLB All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium between 2010 and 2012. In 2006, Kansas City was awarded a Super Bowl, but a vote for a rolling roof to be put over Arrowhead Stadium and Kauffman Stadiums was voted down, eliminating that possibility.

[edit] Sports headquarters

Kansas City and nearby Overland Park, Kansas were once the home of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and has hosted ten men's final fours, more than any other city. However, with recent men's final fours taking place in indoor football stadiums (notably the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis in April 2005), Kansas City will be unable to host an 11th Final Four due to the NCAA's requirement starting with the 1997 tournament that all Final Four venues have a minimum seating capacity of 30,000.

In recognition of Kansas City's ten final fours, the National Association of Basketball Coaches are based in the city, and will operate a full-time museum in the new Sprint Center when it opens in 2007.

Kansas City is home to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a NCAA Division II conference of ten schools in Missouri and Kansas.

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics was formed in Kansas City, and its current headquarters is in suburban Olathe. The national basketball tournament for the NAIA takes place each year in Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.